Royal Jordanian has completed an important refinancing package of its Airbus A310 leases which will provide capital to fund the acquisition of new long-range twinjets in 1998.
The airline, which says that it has a desperate need to update its long-range fleet of five 220-seat Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 500s, has signed new lease deal for its four A310-300s to reduce substantially its monthly lease rentals. This will boost cash flow to provide the capital to restructure the fleet.
Royal Jordanian says that it is carrying out an evaluation of the long-range, medium-capacity types, including the Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 767-300ER, and expects to decide before the end of the year. The airline is seeking four aircraft for delivery from 1998.
The lease restructuring involves a new joint venture including Thomson-CSF and Aerospatiale, and is supported by Airbus .
Source: Flight International
