Bangkok--30 Nov--Total Quality PR Etihad Airways, The National Airline of the United Arab Emirates, which operates highly popular twice daily flights from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi and onwards to 45 destinations around the globe, has agreed aircraft financing facilities worth nearly USD400 million to acquire three new Airbus A340-600 wide-body aircraft to add to its expanding fleet. The Abu Dhabi-based airline has signed a USD250 million aircraft financing facility with a consortium of regional and international banks to finance the airline’s acquisition of two of the 288-seat aircraft. It has also mandated a separate group of regional and international banks to raise a further USD148 million financing facility, under a French lease structure, to acquire a third new A340-600 aircraft. The USD250 million secured commercial loan facility has been provided by three separate banks, led by co-arrangers and lenders Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Arab Banking Corporation (ABC) and Standard Chartered Bank. The US148 million lease financing is being coordinated by Calyon, the international banking and capital investment arm of French bank, Credit Agricole, and involves French lease arrangers, BNP Paribas-Capstar Partners and Natixis Transport Finance. The deal involves four debt providers: BNP Paribas-Capstar Partners, Calyon, Gulf International Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi. Two of the aircraft have been recently received by Etihad and are already in service. The remaining aircraft is due to be delivered to Etihad in December 2007. James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: “In four short years Etihad has evolved from a start-up airline into a major player in the international aviation arena. It is pleasing that Etihad now enjoys the credibility and confidence of the regional and international financial community to make a deal of this size and significance possible.” “This agreement is indicative of the strong relationship between Etihad Airways and the financial community. We appreciate the support of like-minded business partners who continue to underpin the present and future growth and development of Etihad Airways. ” Shayne Nelson, regional chief executive officer of Standard Chartered Bank Middle East and North Africa, acting as co-arranger and lender for the USD250 million secured commercial loan facility, said: "This is an innovative aircraft financing deal not only for Standard Chartered, but for Etihad Airways, our banking partners in this deal and the UAE banking industry. “The bank has established a formidable reputation for being an innovative market leader and a reliable business partner, providing clients with the most effective capital raising solutions to achieve their financing and investment objectives. "Standard Chartered, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Arab Banking Corporation, the co-arrangers and lenders in this transaction, underscore our ability to facilitate vital projects in the development of Abu Dhabi, while demonstrating our support for Etihad's continued strong growth.” "Our partnership with Etihad certainly demonstrates the Standard Chartered Bank's international capabilities and domestic strength to provide the breadth and depth in financing solutions.” Anne Marie Siffroy-Pytlak, senior vice president of Calyon, global co-ordinator of the USD148 million lease financing, added: “We are proud today to be part of the success story of Etihad. The national flag carrier of the UAE has demonstrated its ability to source a very innovative and competitive financing for its a 340-600 aircraft through a sophisticated lease structure arranged by powerful international and regional banks “ The Etihad fleet presently comprises 33 aircraft and will grow to 37 by the end of the year, with the delivery of three Airbus A320 aircraft and one additional Airbus A340-600 aircraft in December. The USD398 million facilities are part of several financing deals arranged by Etihad this year, aggregating to nearly USD1.4 billion. Photo caption: Left to right: Abdulla Bin Khalaf Al Otaiba, National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s head of corporate banking group and deputy GM, domestic banking; James Rigney, Etihad Airways’ executive vice president finance; James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive; Eirvin Knox, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank’s chief executive; Anne-Marie Siffroy-Pytlak, Calyon’s senior vice president. Etihad Airways Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates based in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Currently Etihad offers flights to 46 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australasia. For further details: Etihad Airways Corporate Communications: Tel: 02 253 0099 or visit www.etihadairways.com For more information as well as pictures, please contact: Tom Van Blarcom / Ruthaiwan Tanwongwan Total Quality PR (Thailand) Co., Ltd Tel. 02 260 5820 Fax 02 260 5847 — 8 E-mail : [email protected] Calyon Calyon is the corporate and investment banking subsidiary of Cr?dit Agricole and is ranked among Europe’s top 10 corporate and investment banks. Calyon has operations in 58 countries, offers its clients a full range of products and services in capital markets, brokerage, investment banking, structured finance, corporate banking and international private banking. Calyon is organised in two major divisions - capital markets and investment banking, and financing activities. BNP Paribas-Capstar Partners BNP Paribas operates in over 85 countries across five continents. It is a world leader in a growing number of business and markets. Aviation Finance Group and Capstar Partners are part of the Asset Finance department within Energy Commodities Export Project (ECEP), a major part of the Corporate & Investment Banking division. Natixis Transport Finance Natixis Transport Finance is a French bank dedicated exclusively to financing the aircraft industry. The bank is ranked among the top aircraft financiers and arrangers in the world, with over 70 clients in over 40 countries. To date, the bank has participated in the financing of over 390 wide-body jets, narrow-body jets, regional jets and regional turboprops, representing over 30 types and models. Natixis Transport Finance is a wholy-owned subsidiary of Natixis, one of France’s largest and AA-rated banks. Natixis Transport Finance and its shareholders are capable of offering full service banking and capital market products as a supplement to the Natixis Transport Finance line of products. Gulf International Bank (GIB) GIB is a leading merchant bank in the Middle East with its principal focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. It is one of the largest regional banks in the GCC, with more than USD 28 billion of its own assets and USD 22 billion of clients’ assets under management. With a proven track record spanning more than 30 years, GIB provides client-led, innovative financial products and services to a wide customer base in the region, including investment banking, asset management, project and structured finance and Islamic banking. National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) Incorporated in 1968, the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) has a network of 74 branches and 187 ATMs in the UAE and more than 31 branches overseas. NBAD provides its customer with a wide variety of financial services across all segments of the retail and corporate market, in addition to fund management, brokerage, leasing, property management businesses and private banking facilities. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank is a diversified, full-service bank. Other than banking services that span corporate, retail and commercial banking, ADCB is active in the areas of treasury derivatives, infrastructure finance, private banking and wealth management. Arab Banking Corporation (BSC) Arab Banking Corporation is a leading international Arab banking group headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with a regional and international network. ABC provides a full range of retail and commercial banking, investment banking, project and structured finance, corporate finance, discretionary fund management, foreign exchange, derivatives, Islamic banking and financial advisory services in the MENA and other international markets. Standard Chartered Bank Standard Chartered PLC is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is consistently ranked in the top 25 among FTSE-100 companies by market capitalisation. Standard Chartered has a history of over 150 years in banking and operates in many of the world's fastest-growing markets with an extensive global network of over 1,400 branches (including subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures) in over 50 countries in the Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom and the Americas.