Trade update by RBS Aviation Capital

DUBLIN-BASED aircraft leasing company RBS Aviation Capital said yesterday it had entered an agreement to lease four A319-100s to Aer Lingus.

The announcement was one of a number of sales, delivery and purchasing developments announced in a trading update.

The company delivered four aircraft through sale and leaseback transactions in May and June, while it has completed the sale of one A320-200 and two B737-800 since April.

RBS Aviation Capital is one of the top five aircraft leasing companies in the world by fleet value. Owned by Royal Bank of Scotland, it was founded in 2001 when RBS acquired International Aviation Management Group.

Formerly called Lombard Aviation Capital, it was renamed RBS Aviation Capital in 2003.

The company employs 90 at its headquarters in the IFSC in Dublin. It also has operations in London, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Toulouse, Beijing, Singapore and Tokyo.

It was put up for sale by RBS, which is majority owned by the UK government, in 2009. However, the plan was put on hold more than a year ago due to the downturn in the aviation industry.