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CDB Aviation entered into its inaugural Sustainability Linked Loan, anchored with a $625 million syndicated term loan facility. “This innovative facility marks a landmark transaction for the aviation finance space,” underscored Jie Chen, Chief Executive Officer. “We’re thrilled to have leveraged our comprehensive sustainability strategy, with a particular focus on the activities across the Environmental and Social aspects of our operations, to secure this first major sustainability-linked loan syndicated facility among aircraft lessors.”

CDB Aviation received the 2023 Asia-Pacific Bank Financing Deal of the Year award from Airline Economics for its $650 million Secured Portfolio Financing facility completed in November 2022. “We continue to successfully address CDB Aviation’s capital needs through diversifying our financing sources and by broadening and deepening our relationships with banking and capital markets providers,” stated Brendan O’ Neill, Chief Financial Officer. “Our ability to engage global financial institutions is a direct reflection on the strong competencies and efforts of our Finance team and the support of our shareholder, CDB Leasing."

CDB Aviation released its inaugural sustainability report, entitled: “Rising to the Challenge.” “CDB Aviation’s inaugural sustainability report marks an important milestone on our business’ sustainability journey,” explained Jie Chen, Chief Executive Officer. “Our team continues to evolve our business, with an unwavering commitment to facilitating positive change across the industry and creating a better future together. As part of this commitment, we are proud to be launching our sustainability strategy.”

CDB Aviation took delivery of the first freighter aircraft in the lessor’s history, an A330-300 passenger-to-freighter (“A330 P2F”). The aircraft was converted by Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (“EFW”) and is the first of two A330 P2Fs leased to the lessor’s launch customer, Mexico-based cargo carrier, mas. “This is an important and historic day for CDB Aviation as we see the fruit of two years of intense work and collaboration, culminating in the delivery of our very first A330 P2F since we made the strategic entry into freighter aircraft leasing,” asserted Patrick Hannigan, CDB Aviation’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are grateful to the mas team for trusting CDB Aviation to be a partner in supporting their innovative fleet strategy and for being our very first A330P2F customer.”

The year 2020 marked a period of robust business activity for CDB Aviation despite the toughest market the aircraft leasing industry has ever experienced. “The pandemic-battered environment has inflicted an array of unexpected and unparalleled challenges upon all stakeholders across the global air transport sector, generating significant near-term headwinds,” reflected CDB Aviation Chief Executive Officer Patrick Hannigan. “In the face of these adverse conditions, our team has persisted to attain continued growth and advance key initiatives, progressing several aspects of our long-term vision.”

CDB Aviation commences the deliveries of three Airbus A320neos to new customer, Denver-based low fare carrier Frontier Airlines (“Frontier”) as part of a sale-and-leaseback transaction. Both the lessor and airline teams take the opportunity to commemorate a milestone delivery as one of the aircraft, Chinook the Gray Wolf, becomes the 100th A320 member of Frontier’s fleet, in addition to the other two aircraft named Cortez the Green Turtle and Parish & Daisy the Burrowing Owls.

CDB Aviation's investment grade (“IG”) ratings are reaffirmed by the ‘big three’ global credit rating agencies: S&P Global Ratings (“S&P Global”), Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”), and Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”).

CDB Aviation reports another period of strong business activity in 2019, in which the lessor executed transactions involving 89 aircraft. CDB Aviation Chief Executive Officer Patrick Hannigan asserted: “Our imperative is to remain steadfast in efforts to enhance efficiency and streamline operations to better serve the needs of business and customers. With our shareholder China Development Bank’s backing, we will continue building upon our success with a clear focus on the path forward for growth which is measured through our customer relationships.”

The first Airbus A330neo has joined the CDB Aviation fleet, marking the delivery of the first of two aircraft of the type to TAP Portugal (“TAP”). The A330-900 variant, equipped with the Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engines, was delivered to TAP in Toulouse, France on September 6, as part of a purchase and leaseback agreement entered with Portugal’s flag carrier in April 2018.

CDB Aviation hosted a media briefing on the sidelines of the Airfinance Journal China 2019 conference for representatives of China's leading finance, aviation, and business media. China remains at the heart of the company’s growth strategy – CDB Aviation is looking to bring its newly established global platform back to China, reinforcing its presence in the market in which it first began, and meeting the growing demands of Chinese airlines and customers.

Moody's Investors Service assigned its ‘A1’ local currency and foreign currency issuer ratings with outlook stable. S&P Global Ratings assigned its ‘A’ long-term issuer credit rating with outlook stable. Fitch Ratings assigned its long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of 'A+’ with outlook stable. This important milestone was reached on schedule, as part of the company’s strategic effort to transform its aircraft leasing platform into a global, best-in-class, full-service lessor.

CDB Aviation reported a record year for 2018, in which the company executed transactions involving 107 aircraft, rapidly accelerating business to support the continued growth of its industry-leading leasing platform. “We’re extremely proud to report that 2018 was another benchmark year for CDB Aviation, setting an all-time record for activity across the many facets of our fast-evolving business,” said CDB Aviation Chief Executive Officer Peter Chang. “This past year’s growth is evidence of the strength and scale of our platform, as well as demonstrates our unwavering commitment to execution, through a combination of following our business model, opportunities with the manufacturers – a relationship we prize very highly, and strong relationships with the airlines.”  

CDB Aviation promoted Patrick C. Hannigan to the role of President, as part of the continued strategy to further strengthen executive management for the next phase of development. Patrick has served as the company’s Chief Commercial Officer since January 2017.

CDB Aviation took delivery of its 100th Airbus A320 Family aircraft in November 2018. The A320neo aircraft, which will be operated by India’s low-cost carrier GoAir is part of a purchase and leaseback agreement signed with the carrier earlier in 2018. The delivery marks the overall 125th Airbus aircraft to join the lessor’s fleet.

Industry partners, airline customers, and representatives of OEMs joined the CDB Aviation team on October 11 at their new home on George's Quay to celebrate the grand opening of the lessor's new Dublin headquarters. Peter Chang, President & CEO, expressed his appreciation for the support from both the employee team and industry.

The CDB Aviation team accepting the Chinese Lessor of the Year 2017 award from Airfinance Journal during an awards dinner held in Shanghai, China, in conjunction with Airfinance Journal China 2018, represented by Peter Chang, CEO & President; Patrick Hannigan, Chief Commercial Officer; Julie Larrissy, Head of Risk; Chen Yu, Senior Vice President, Capital Markets; Hong Wu, Vice President, Trading; and Xipei Zhao, Assistant Vice President, Trading

Designed to nurture the next generation of aviation finance talent, the scholarship will be awarded to a female student in the MSc Aviation Finance program at University College Dublin UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.