Thursday, 22 July 2021 23:41

AVIANCA secures US$1.6 billion to successfully finance its chapter 11 exit

Written by Alondra Gutiérrez

Avianca Holdings filed a proposal with the Bankruptcy Court seeking approval of the terms of the commitment letters for its US$1.6 billion chapter 11 exit financing.

This exit financing would be used to replace the existing Tranche A and would be converted, at Avianca's option and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, into a seven-year exit financing upon the company's emergence from chapter 11.

Avianca has obtained two financial commitments to replace the debtor-owned financing (DIP) and long-term financing upon emergence from chapter 11. The first commitment, from a group of financiers that includes many of the company's existing Tranche A DIP lenders, is for US$1.05 billion in loans under the new Tranche A-1 DIP exit financing.

The second, from new financiers, is for US$550 million in loans under the new Tranche A-2 DIP exit financing.

This new committed financing represents a key milestone in the restructuring plan that the company will file in the coming months to successfully emerge from chapter 11.