ASL Aviation Holdings has locked in a long-term USD104.1 million loan and revolving credit facility (RCF) with Investec Aviation Finance. The transaction, arranged by Investec Bank, is secured by 18 aircraft, including ten freighters and eight passenger-configured planes.
In a November 15, 2023, statement, Investec said the transaction involved further refinancing and the upsizing of existing facilities with Investec and other lenders. "Our relationship with ASL goes back more than a decade," said Thato Matsha, Senior Associate of Aviation Finance at Investec South Africa. "We hope to continue to support ASL in the coming years.”
The statement says the passenger aircraft are placed at ASL Airlines France (5O, Paris CDG) and FlySafair (FA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo). ch-aviation has identified those aircraft as;
- F-HIXA (msn 35332), a B737-800 awaiting conversion and placed at ASL Airlines France;
- F-HIXB (msn 35339), a B737-800 placed at ASL Airlines France;
- ZS-SJR (msn 32631), a B737-800 placed at FlySafair;
- ZS-SJS (msn 32632), a B737-800 placed at FlySafair;
- ZS-SJT (msn 32633), a B737-800 placed at FlySafair;
- ZS-SJU (msn 32634), a B737-800 placed at FlySafair;
- ZS-SJV (msn 32635), a B737-800 placed at FlySafair; and
- ZS-ZWS (msn 32732), a B737-800 placed at FlySafair.
The ten freighters also used to secure the RCF are placed with carriers across Africa, Asia, and Europe. However, the statement does not provide enough detail to identify those aircraft with certainty. ch-aviation has approached Investec for further information.
Dublin-based ASL Aviation Holdings and its various subsidiaries own, operate and manage approximately 160 aircraft. Its owned airlines include ASL Airlines Ireland, ASL Airlines Belgium, ASL Airlines France, ASL Airlines Australia (formerly Pionair Australia), and ASL Airlines UK. Its associate and joint venture airlines include K-Mile Asia, Safair, FlySafair, and Quikjet Airlines.
