CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. announced the signing of lease agreements for three new Airbus A321neo aircraft with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (“KLM”).
“We are thrilled to be expanding our long-standing relationship with KLM through the addition of these brand new A321neos to their fleet on operating lease,” said Peter Goodman, CDB Aviation’s Chief Commercial Officer. “These next generation aircraft offer the best performance in their category for the group’s network needs, benefiting from the latest technological innovations.”
The three aircraft, equipped with the CFM LEAP-1A30 engines, will be delivered to KLM between September and November 2024. The carrier plans to induct these aircraft on medium-haul routes in Europe, notably from Amsterdam Schiphol, its global hub.
“Carriers like KLM, whose fleet renewal strategies are set on ambitious trajectories, value the flexibility and certainty offered by lessors whom they can trust and rely on to execute. With a rapid post-pandemic recovery, lessors have been required to turn to ingenuity and novel approaches in helping airlines reach their fleet expansion and renewal goals. We are very pleased KLM chose our team for these aircraft. The results achieved by our collaboration will be instrumental in helping reach KLM’s decarbonisation targets,” concluded Jie Chen, CDB Aviation Chief Executive Officer.
CDB Aviation is a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (“CDB Leasing”) a 38-year-old Chinese leasing company that is backed mainly by the China Development Bank. CDB Aviation is rated Investment Grade by Moody’s (A2), S&P Global (A), and Fitch (A+). China Development Bank is under the direct jurisdiction of the State Council of China and is the world’s largest development finance institution. It is also the largest Chinese bank for foreign investment and financing cooperation, long-term lending and bond issuance, enjoying Chinese sovereign credit rating.
For Editorial Inquiries Contact:
Editor Matt Driskill at matt.driskill@asianaviation.com
For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at kay.rolland@asianaviation.com
