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Feature: ABS, a mysterious absence

29 April 2011

Lenders and lessors discuss how the asset-backed securitization market will return and what deals may look like.

Read more: asset backed securitization (ABS) capital markets Standard & Poors (S&P) Aircastle AerCap RBS Aviation Capital Scott Corman

Securitization became a bad word when the capital markets closed in September 2008. Babcock & Brown Aircraft Management was the last aviation issuer of securitized paper, in 2007. So while the capital markets have returned for other aviation products, aviation asset-backed securities (ABS) have not.

However, lenders and lessors say the next securitization may not be far off. Other transportation sectors, such as rail and shipping, have already closed ABS transactions in the past six months. There appears to be investor demand for asset-backed paper, but when aviation ABS deals will return remains a mystery.


Structural changes
There have been two generations of aircraft securitization. In the first phase, the deals where highly structured, highly leveraged, had many mezzanine- and junior-type tranches and left little room for volatility of cash flows.

"Because of the high leverage, they had onerous conditions on the operator in terms of the flexibility to manage underlying assets,"...


Latest Deals Database Updates

Avolon / 06-13 / Aircraft Sec. Loan / 1x737 14/06/2013
Borrower AVOLON
Overall Arrangers Natixis
Assets 737-800
malaysia Airlines / 06-13 / JOL / 2x737 11/06/2013
Borrower Malaysia Airlines
Overall Arrangers
Assets 737-800
Volaris / 06-13 / IPO / - 11/06/2013
Borrower Volaris
Amount $m400
Use of Proceeds General corporate purposes

Quote

“At the current pricing it will become attractive again to issue Ex-Im-guaranteed bonds. This will help stabilize and drive pricing down from where it is now.”

Kostya Zolotusky, managing director, capital markets, Boeing Capital, says about the price of export credit.


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