The Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) announced today that it signed agreements with multiple counterparties to acquire 17 aircraft for an aggregate consideration of approximately $1 billion. This portfolio is comprised of 100 percent next-generation aircraft, of which 89 percent are narrow-body aircraft.
“Consistent with our commitment to improve the next-generation content of our fleet and reduce the fleet average age, we are delighted to add these modern, fuel-efficient, next-generation technology assets to our portfolio. This transaction also allows us to further deepen our relationship with our global base of airline customers, and we welcome three airline customers back to DAE,” stated Firoz Tarapore, CEO of DAE.
Average passenger fleet age to decline to 6.9 years
Notably, 80 percent of the aircraft are manufactured by Airbus and 20 percent are manufactured by Boeing. These 17 aircraft are on lease to 11 airlines in 10 countries.
Upon completion, these aircraft are expected to reduce DAE’s weighted average passenger fleet age to 6.9 years and increase the weighted average passenger fleet lease term remaining to 6.6 years. Additionally, on completion, DAE’s pro-forma fleet composition is expected to be 46 percent Airbus aircraft, 49 percent Boeing aircraft, and 5 percent ATR 72-600.
“Amid ongoing order book delivery delays, we are continuing to source attractive assets in the secondary market to meet our growth and portfolio management targets,” added Tarapore.
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DAE grows fuel-efficient fleet
The A320 Family is the world’s most popular single-aisle aircraft having won over 18,000 orders from over 300 customers in all markets. Meanwhile, the A321neo is the largest member of Airbus’ A320neo Family, offering unparalleled range and performance. By incorporating new generation engines and Sharklets, the A321neo brings a 50 percent noise reduction and at least 20 percent fuel savings and CO2 reduction compared to previous generation single-aisle aircraft, while maximizing passenger comfort in the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky.
Meanwhile, the 737 MAX family delivers enhanced efficiency, improved environmental performance, and increased passenger comfort to the single-aisle market. Incorporating advanced technology winglets and efficient engines, the 737 MAX family offers excellent economics, reducing fuel use and emissions by 20 percent while producing a 50 percent smaller noise footprint than the airplanes it replaces. Additionally, the 737 MAX family offers up to 14 percent lower airframe maintenance costs than the competition.
With a fleet value of $20 billion, DAE serves over 170 airline customers in over 65 countries from its seven office locations. The award-winning aircraft lessor has an owned, managed and committed fleet of approximately 500 Airbus, ATR and Boeing aircraft.
Last month, DAE announced the delivery of one Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Kenya Airways, marking a significant milestone in their 20-year partnership and reaffirming their long-standing relationship.
