Filipino boutique aviation company PhilJets Group secured a financing assistance from Chailease Finance, a Taipei-based financial institution, to acquire a brand new Airbus H130 helicopter.
PhilJets chief executive Thierry Tea said his company started to develop a fruitful partnership with Chailease Finance, “and their support enables our growth and the one of our partners.”
“It is a milestone for PhilJets to have passed the stringent accreditation process of Chailease, and we look forward to strengthening our relationship even further on the long run,” he said.
The financing agreement was finalized during the inaugural Rotorcraft Asia in Singapore on April 18, 2017.
PhilJets is expected to take delivery of its fifth Airbus H130 within the next three months. It developed an expertise in operating the flagship helicopter type, making the boutique aviation group one of the major operators of H130 in Southeast Asia.
It is the second aircraft in PhilJets’ fleet to be financed by Chailease.
Apart from the brand new H145, PhilJets also procured two H130 helicopters, bringing to 9 the number of helicopters it operates in the Philippines and making it the largest operator of Airbus helicopters in the country. Its current fleet includes 4 H130, 1 EC130B4 and 1 AS350B2.
Both the twin-engine H145 and the two single-engine H130 helicopters are scheduled for delivery in the last quarter of 2017.
The new helicopters will be used to support PhilJets’ growing VIP, corporate and tourism businesses, with the possibility of adding new missions, as the operator explores expansion plans into the emergency medical services and cargo transport sectors.
A pioneer aircraft finance market company in Taiwan, Chailease Finance Co. Ltd. specializes in aircraft and aircraft engine financing and leasing business for a span of over 30 years, including venturing in rotary and fixed wings in the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Taiwan and China.
Its parent company Chailease Holdings is Taiwan’s leading finance and leasing company that focuses on providing professional financial solutions for automotive, aircraft, equipment, and manufacturing industries for both domestic and international markets.
The Taiwanese financial conglomerate has been growing its portfolio of customers throughout Southeast Asia, including PhilJets Group, as one of its major customers and partners in the Philippines.
“The Philippines has shown strong economic growth in the past decade and the trend is expected to boost the local market’s demand for aircraft leasing services. We establish a partnership in the Philippines with PhilJets as part of our plans to tap into local markets and provide our competitive financing solutions,” said Chailease regional manager Alexander Tang.