Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has signed the first Export Credit Guaranteed transactions in a billion dollars aircraft financing programme for 2009 and 2010. The recently acquired Export Credit Agency (ECA) rating, which is also endorsed by all Organisations for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, effectively place Etihad alongside investment airlines.
The sovereign guarantees for the governments of Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America will further enhance the airline's existing aircraft financing activities in the commercial markets by providing access to a new source of capital at competitive margins.-PR