Etihad Aviation Group and Goshawk have agreed sale-and-leasebacks for four Boeing 787-9s.

The Dreamliners are set to be delivered through 2017, says Goshawk.

Without disclosing details, the lessor adds that the transaction involves "an innovative and structured pre-delivery payment solution".

Paul Jebely – now managing partner at Pilsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman – wrote in 2015, when he was with Cylde & Co, that "offering PDP financing provides a competitive edge in the context of sale-and-leaseback, allowing an aircraft lessor to secure a potential sale-and-leaseback transaction long before the competition for such a transaction even begins – typically, a year before delivery".

He added: "The OEMs are still becoming familiar with the concept of lessor-as-PDP-financier, and the commercial consequences thereof."

PDPs can account for a much as a third of the aircraft's total purchase price.

Up to three-quarters of the PDP total is usually paid for directly by the customer.

Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad has 34 787-9s on order, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows.

Source: Cirium Dashboard