Qatar Airways Group has signed its first Japanese Operating Lease with Call Option (JOLCO) agreement to finance three Boeing 787-9 aircraft, in partnership with HSBC and JP Lease Products & Services. The deal is part of a financing programme covering seven aircraft.
According to a statement on the Qatar Airways website, this is the first of three transactions planned under the group’s inaugural Japanese financing programme. JP Lease Products & Services (JLPS) will manage the equity component of the entire seven-aircraft programme.
HSBC acted as the exclusive arranger and lender for the agreement, while JP Lease underwrote and structured the equity component of the JOLCO arrangement.
The agreement supports Qatar Airways Group’s efforts to diversify its fleet financing sources, expand relationships with financial institutions and investors in Japan, and strengthen financing partnerships in Asian markets.
Hamad Ali Al-Khater, Qatar Airways Group CEO, said the Japanese operating lease market was one of the financing sources the group was targeting to support fleet modernization and operational expansion.
He added that the agreement gave the group access to new funding channels in Japan as part of its plans to diversify financing sources and meet aircraft fleet investment needs.
Teiji Ishikawa, CEO of JP Lease Products & Services, said Japanese investors placed considerable importance on airlines’ creditworthiness when making financing decisions. He noted that the agreement had received support from investors participating in the Japanese market.
He added that the company looked forward to continuing to provide financing solutions to Qatar Airways Group in the years ahead.
Abdul Hakeem Mostafawi, CEO of HSBC Qatar, said the bank’s participation extended its financing relationship with Qatar Airways Group through its role as exclusive arranger and lender for the transaction.
He said the agreement formed part of HSBC’s aircraft financing solutions, which enable airlines to diversify the capital sources used to fund their fleets.
Qatar Airways Group continues to broaden its financial partnerships and develop relationships with investment institutions in Japan and global markets alongside plans to develop its fleet and destination network.
