Turkish Airlines honoured with 'Leveraged Loan Deal of the Year' award

Turkish Airlines has received the prestigious 'Leveraged Loan Deal of the Year' award at the Global Banking & Markets: CEE, CIS & Türkiye Awards ceremony in Istanbul on November 20, 2024. This accolade highlights Turkish Airlines’ success in implementing innovative financing structures while sustainably expanding its modern fleet.

Flying to more countries than any other airline, Turkish Airlines continues to execute innovative financing transactions to minimise currency risks and ensure cost efficiency through its diversified revenue streams. The financing transactions, arranged by BNP Paribas in partnership with the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ), included a Balthazar Insurance-Backed Financing Structure for one Airbus A350 aircraft and a UK Export Finance (UKEF) Guaranteed Financing for two Rolls Royce engines. The total financing amount, equivalent to approximately $235 million in JPY, was recognised as the 'Leveraged Loan Deal of the Year' by Global Banking & Markets.

Commenting on the award and financing transactions, Turkish Airlines’ Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board and the Executive Committee, Associate Prof Murat Şeker, stated, “We are pleased to see that this exemplary financing transaction, which we executed with our business partners, has been crowned with such a prestigious award. It is the endorsement of our success in creating and implementing different financing structures to access the most cost-effective financing while modernising our fleet with new generation aircraft. We would like to thank all our business partners who supported us in this award-winning financing transaction and hope to continue our successful partnership.”

Turkish Airlines' aircraft financing team achieves one of the lowest financing costs in the airline industry with its experienced staff, who have comprehensive knowledge of a wide array of aircraft financing structures. The national flag carrier has been deemed worthy of many financing awards by world-renowned organisations such as Global Transport Finance, Airline Economics, Airfinance Journal, and Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Turkey, with its creative financing models, many of which have been implemented for the first time since 2009. Turkish Airlines has crowned its success in this regard, having won 30 international aircraft finance awards in the last ten years for its successful executions amounting to approximately $16 billion.

Previous Awards

1. 2024 Airline Economics - European Supported Finance Deal of the Year (Europe)
2. 2024 Airline Economics - European Overall Deal of the Year (Europe)
3. 2024 Airline Economics - Global Lease Deal of the Year Award
4. 2024 Airline Economics - JOLCO Deal of the Year
5. 2024 Airline Economics - Supported Finance Deal of the Year
6. 2023 Airline Economics - Asia-Pacific Lease of the Year
7. 2022 Airfinance Journal - Europe Deal of the Year
8. 2022 Airfinance Journal - Structured Lease Deal of the Year
9. 2022 Airline Economics - Global Lease Deal of the Year Award
10. 2022 Airline Economics - European Lease Deal of the Year
11. 2020 Airline Economics - Lease Deal of the Year (Europe)
12. 2020 Airline Economics - Supported Finance Deal of the Year (Europe)
13. 2019 Bonds, Loans and Sukuk - Transport Finance Deal of the Year (Middle East)
14. 2019 Airline Economics - Supported Finance Deal of the Year
15. 2018 Airline Economics - Lease Deal of the Year
16. 2018 Global Transport Finance - Tax Lease Deal of the Year
17. 2018 Bonds, Loans and Sukuk - Transport Finance Deal of the Year (Middle East)
18. 2017 Airfinance Journal - Tax Lease Deal of the Year
19. 2017 Global Transport Finance - Unique Deal of the Year
20. 2017 Bonds, Loans and Sukuk – Trade & Export Finance Deal of the Year (Middle East)
21. 2017 Bonds, Loans and Sukuk - Transport Finance Deal of the Year (Middle East)
22. 2017 Bonds, Loans and Sukuk - Structured Finance Deal of the Year (Middle East)
23. 2015 Airfinance Journal - Capital Markets Deal of the Year 
24. 2015 Airfinance Journal - Tax Lease Deal of the Year 
25. 2015 Airline Economics - Editor’s Deal of the Year
26. 2015 Airline Economics - European Deal of the Year
27. 2015 Global Transport Finance - EETC Deal of the Year (Europe)
28. 2015 Bonds, Loans and Sukuk – Trade & Export Finance Deal of the Year (Middle East)
29. 2015 Airfinance Journal - Engine Deal of the Year  

Innovations

• First airline to secure Chinese Yuan denominated aircraft financing outside of China (2024)
• The first ever Itasca Re Insurance Covered Finance Lease (2023)
• The first ever ACG Aircraft Financing Solutions (AFS) guaranteed Italian tax lease (2021)
• The first ever UKEF guaranteed French tax lease (2020)
• The first ever ACG Aircraft Financing Solutions (AFS) guaranteed finance lease (2019)
• The first ever BALTHAZAR guaranteed French tax Lease (2019)
• The first ever AFIC guaranteed Italian tax lease (2018)
• The first ever SACE guaranteed French tax lease (2018)
• The first ever AFIC guaranteed French tax lease (2017)
• The first ever JPY denominated EETC JOLCO (2015) 
• The first ever US Ex-Im guaranteed French Tax Lease (2015)
• The first ever EECA guaranteed Italian tax lease (2014)
• The first ever Bond Convertible JPY Ex-Im guaranteed engine lease (2014)
• The first ever EECA guaranteed Italian Tax Lease in JPY denomination (2014)
• The first ever US Ex-Im guaranteed JPY denominated Convertible Bond (2013)
• The first ever EECA guaranteed JOLCO Lease (2011)

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