Investec arranged the sale-and-leaseback for Emirates' 100th A380, which the Dubai-based airline received on 3 November.

The bank confirms it acted as sole arranger for the financing. It is also acting as lessor, FlightGlobal understands.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Shinhan Bank comprise the lending consortium, says Investec.

"Emirates' clear long-term financing strategy combined with innovative funding opportunities such as those provided by Investec have enabled us to grow our fleet of wide-bodied aircraft in the past two decades," states Nirmal Govindadas, Emirates' senior vice-president of corporate treasury. "The A380 has been, and continues to be, hugely popular amongst our customers, many of whom deliberately plan their travel so that they can fly on it."

Investec's head of aviation finance Alok Wadhawan notes that the bank "has an established working relationship with Emirates and has arranged over $2 billion of financing over the past few years".

He adds: "Our deep sector knowledge has enabled us to provide bespoke financing solutions to airlines and lessors while providing attractive investment opportunities to institutional investors. Contributing to the financing of Emirates 100th A380 is an honour for us and we look forward to supporting Emirates' growth in the future."

Emirates ordered its first A380 17 years ago and is currently the world's largest operator of the type.

Source: Cirium Dashboard