Waypoint Leasing (Ireland) Limited (Waypoint), the largest independent global helicopter leasing company, announced that it has closed a lease agreement with PT. Air Born Indonesia (Air Born), a provider of air transportation services in Indonesia, for one Leonardo AW139 helicopter previously operated by CHC, which will go on long-term lease in support of mining operations in Indonesia.
Waypoint currently has 22 aircraft on lease to utility operators globally.
“We are very pleased to place an AW139 with Air Born in support of mining operations in Indonesia, underscoring the aircraft’s versatility and the emerging demand in the mining sector – and utility missions broadly – for reliable aircraft and flexible financing,” said Philip Stransky, vice president of sales and relationship management, Asia at Waypoint. “Air Born has been a terrific partner in the region and we look forward to continuing to meet their needs in the future.”
“This transaction demonstrates Waypoint’s ability to successfully remarket and redeploy aircraft previously operated by CHC for oil-and-gas missions into smaller markets, utility segment or specialist roles,” said Ian Gurekian, chief risk officer at Waypoint. “Our ability to put these aircraft back to work is indicative of the strength of our sales team and the versatility of the AW139 to operate in both offshore and utility markets. This transaction not only diversifies Waypoint further into mining, but demonstrates how our team creates efficiencies in the market that benefit us all. We’re pleased to be a part of this process and foresee a robust pipeline of similar deals.”
“We are pleased to partner with Waypoint on this transaction and are impressed by their creativity and resourcefulness in finding the perfect aircraft to meet our operational needs,” said Pak Ruel de Leon Nacachi, president director and CEO at Air Born. “Waypoint helped us weigh a variety of factors to ultimately choose a helicopter and financing plan that was bespoke for Air Born and allows us to complete our missions efficiently and cost-effectively. Waypoint’s expertise in the utility sector and guidance through the leasing process is a real differentiator and will continue to be important going forward.”
Since its inception in 2013, Waypoint has been active in supporting oil-and-gas, utility, firefighting and other industrial-focused helicopter operators. This transaction will further diversify Waypoint’s activity into the utility support segment.
Waypoint’s portfolio includes more than 140 aircraft for 28 customers in 30 countries with total assets in excess of $1.6 billion. Additionally, Waypoint has firm and option orders with aircraft manufacturers for more than 110 helicopters valued at more than $1.3 billion, to be delivered over the next five years.
