Polish flag carrier LOT has financed its final two Boeing 787-8s with export credit guarantees.
The Star Alliance member says it has taken the two Dreamliners on finance leases with guarantees from UK Export Finance.
These aircraft are the first 787s to be guaranteed by UKEF under a programme in which the agency offers support for Rolls-Royce-powered examples on the basis that the complete airframe-engine combination has a significant level of UK content.
Traditionally, the European export credit agencies have offered support for Airbus aircraft while the US Ex-Im Bank covered Boeing aircraft. Several years ago, however, UKEF changed its rules to allow it to finance a whole aircraft if it had 20% UK content.
There has been no export credit available to finance commercial Airbus and Boeing aircraft for nearly 18 months, after the European agencies withdrew support for Airbus guarantees amid an investigation into "irregularities" in past applications. Ex-Im Bank, meanwhile, continues to lack the quorum of board members required to approve deals.
Next year, LOT will start taking delivery of its four larger-variant Dreamliners – 787-9s.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
