ARC NEWS
Australian court dismisses wind-up appeal against Garuda
June 28, 2023
The Supreme Court of New South Wales in Australia dismissed on 14 June a winding up application appeal against Garuda Indonesia by two special purpose vehicles linked to US lessor TrueAero. The two Ireland-based companies, Greylag Goose Leasing 1410 and Greylag Goose Lease 1446 had filed the lawsuit against Garuda in August 2022, alleging the carrier had failed to fulfil its obligations regarding aircraft lease payments. Fleet data shows that the two SPVs leased one Airbus A330-200 (MSN 1410) and one A330-300 (MSN 1446) to Garuda. Both aircraft are showing as stored at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International airport. The companies now have 28 days from 14 June to file an appeal to the High Court of Australia, according to a filing by Garuda on the Indonesian Stock Exchange on 21 June. In June 2022, Garuda Indonesia received approval for its restructuring proposal of more than $9.5 billion in debt. Since then, the lessors have filed multiple lawsuits against Garuda in multiple courts including Australia, France and Indonesia. In February this year, the two entities also filed a lawsuit in an Indonesian court seeking to annul the airline's approved restructuring deal. The Indonesia carrier added that there is currently there is no application for the postponement of debt payment obligation (PKPU) or bankruptcy against the company from any other party.


S&P assigns 'A' rating to United Airlines' Class A EETCs
June 27, 2023
S&P Global Ratings has assigned its "A" issue-level rating to United Airlines' series 2023-1 Class A pass-through enhanced equipment trust certificates (EETCs). The rating on the Class A certificates is seven notches higher than its "BB-" long-term rating on United, the ratings agency says. United plans to finance 39 new already delivered aircraft with about $1.32 billion of Class A certificates. The Class A certificates have an expected final distribution date of 15 January 2036, with legal final maturity 18 months later. The transaction will be backed by 39 new Boeing 737 Max aircraft, including 22 737 Max 8s and 17 737 Max 9s.
"Our ratings on United and its debt, including our ratings on the company's existing EETCs, are unchanged," it adds.
S&P Global states: "We will assign ratings on completion of our legal and documentary review. We base our rating on the credit quality of parent United Airlines Holdings; high affirmation credit; collateral coverage afforded by new, high-quality aircraft; and the legal and structural protections available to the certificates. "The secured notes relating to each aircraft are cross-collateralised and cross-defaulted, a provision we believe increases the likelihood that United would cure any defaults and agree to perform its future obligations (including payment obligations) under the indentures in a bankruptcy. If United does file for bankruptcy, we believe there is a very high likelihood that it would successfully reorganise."


New board tasked with steering Bamboo Airways to stability
June 27, 2023
Vietnamese carrier Bamboo Airways has selected former JAL executive Oshima Hideki to chair its newly appointed board as it charts a path out of financial and legal troubles. Five-year terms for Hideki and the other new board members were approved during Bamboo's annual general meeting held on 21 June. Hideki has nearly 40 years' experience in aviation, including as vice-president of Japan Airlines and of Tokyo Narita airport and as project director at Tokyo Haneda. The airline has named Nguyen Ngoc Trong as executive vice-chair; Doan Huu Doan and Phan Dinh Tue as vice-chairs; and Le Ba Nguyen, Le Thai Sam and Tran Hoa Binh as members. It also appointed Nguyen Thi Huu, Nguyen Bich Ngoc and Nguyen Dang Khoa to its supervisory board. Targets for fleet and revenue growth were disclosed at the AGM. The airline intends to expand its fleet to 36 aircraft by year-end and achieve passenger and cargo revenue growth of 15-20% year on year. Fleets data shows Bamboo Airways has a fleet of 30 aircraft, comprising six Airbus A320ceos, six A320neos, four A321ceos, six A321neos, three Boeing 787-9s and five Embraer 190LRs. It plans to maintain its domestic network encompassing 22 airports and expand its international network to key markets in Europe, Australia, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. The new board appointments come amid a significant shake-up in the airline's shareholding and executive leadership, arising from the arrest of parent group FLC's founder and former chairman Trinh Van Quyet on charges of stock-market manipulation in March 2022. Trinh has a 55.5% stake in the airline. In March, FLC indicated plans to divest its entire stake in the airline as part of a group-wide restructuring. Later that month, Bamboo Airways said it intended to seek shareholder approval for a private rights offering to raise around D9.96 trillion ($423 million), which shareholders rejected at a 10 April extraordinary general meeting, according to a report on English-language news website VNExpress International. In late May, the airline named Nguyen Minh Hai as its new chief executive, VNExpress International has reported. He replaced Nguyen Manh Quan, who had held the office only since 27 July 2022. Property developer Him Lam has reportedly become a new shareholder in Bamboo alongside several Japanese investors.


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