CDB Aviation, a wholly-owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing (CDB Leasing), executed a sale and purchase agreement for one Embraer E190 aircraft with South African airline Airlink.

The aircraft, previously on lease to BA Cityflyer, was delivered to Airlink in May, coinciding with the airline’s celebration of connecting southern Africa for 31 years. The transaction was the inaugural sale of the aircraft type from CDB Aviation’s portfolio. Prior to the sale, the lessor had 20 units of the E190 in its fleet on lease to various carriers globally.

“The E190 segment is seeing a rebound amid rising interest rates and robust demand in all areas of the market as airlines recognize the potential of the 100-seat narrow-body configured aircraft for boosting the capacity of their fleets,” Peter Goodman, chief marketing officer of CDB, said. “We’re pleased to have executed this first off-lease sale from our portfolio of E190s, and we trust that this aircraft, with its unique operational advantages, is a perfectly suitable aircraft type for such a major player in the South African domestic and regional market as Airlink.”

“Airlink operates a large portfolio of E-Jets, and we are excited about the purchase of this E190 from CDB Aviation to add to our fleet,” Rodger Foster, CEO of Airlink, said. “This is a good example of the E190 type, as it has an impeccable pedigree, having been maintained by BA Cityflyer, and is eligible for immediate induction into service. The E-Jet type is the right fit for most of the markets within Airlink’s expanding intra-African network, enabling the delivery of appropriate frequency of service and availability that accords with market demand at the right time of the day. Our customers simply love the value proposition of the double two-abreast seating configuration.”