According to a comprehensive report by Worldway: The Irish Independent reported on August 2nd that Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing, may bid to acquire approximately 100 aircraft assets from the Irish aircraft leasing company Awas. The report states that Awas is one of many aircraft leasing companies in Ireland, currently owning about 280 aircraft, with partners including nearly 100 airline operators across 50 countries worldwide. The company is planning to spin off and package its aircraft assets, intending to sell about 100 of its newer aircraft, including major models such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus 340, with the total value of the assets for sale potentially reaching 5 billion USD.
It is reported that Awas is currently owned by the private equity firm Terra Firma. Terra Firma acquired Awas and Pegasus Aviation in 2006 and 2007 for 2.5 billion USD and 5.2 billion USD respectively, and merged the two companies to form the new Awas. Currently, Terra Firma is seeking to exit the aforementioned investment, with options including packaging and selling the assets or taking the company public. The report notes that if the deal is reached, it would be Li Ka-shing's largest acquisition since 2010. However, this is not the first time Li Ka-shing has acquired assets from an Irish company; in the first half of 2014, Hutchison Whampoa, controlled by Li Ka-shing, acquired the Irish mobile communications service provider O2 for approximately 850 million EUR, restructuring the country's second-largest mobile communications operator.
Worldway Editor