Deutsche Structured Finance places first regional jet order
German lessor Deutsche Structured Finance (DSF) is expected to conclude its first aircraft order with a $2 billion deal for up to 100 Bombardier CRJs, Flight International can reveal.
According to industry sources, DSF has placed orders for 50 CRJs- a mix of 50-seat CRJ200s and 70-seat CRJ700s - and taken 50 options. The company may also be discussing a deal for similar-sized aircraft from Embraer. DSF was unavailable for comment.
The Frankfurt-based company has a portfolio of around 30 aircraft which has been accumulated through sale and lease-back deals. The fleet includes Fairchild Dornier 328s, CRJ100s and Boeing 737s and 767s. Its decision to move into direct purchasing follows a change of ownership last year when the firm was purchased by German bank DePfa Group from BfG Bank.
Earlier this year, DSF's chief executive Paul Steinhardt told Flight International's sister on-line service, Air Transport Intelligence, that the company had made an internal selection of the class of regional aircraft that it wanted and was in negotiations with Bombardier and Embraer. "We would like to order up to 50 regional jets and we are concentrating on the 70-seater category," he said.
Around half the DSF fleet is in operation with German carriers, including Deutsche BA and Lufthansa CityLine. Industry sources suggest that the company may have intended to place some of the 50-seaters it is ordering with German regional Eurowings, but plans may have changed following the airline's tie-up with Lufthansa and their recent order for 15 CRJ200s plus 30 options.
Source: Flight International
