easyJet PLC New five-year term loan facility (1507L)

TIDMEZJ

RNS Number : 1507L

easyJet PLC

08 January 2021

8 January 2021

easyJet plc

('easyJet')

easyJet announces new five-year term loan facility

This announcement contains inside information.

easyJet today announces the continued strengthening of its liquidity position with the signing of a new five-year term loan facility of $1.87 billion (c.GBP1.4bn) underwritten by a syndicate of banks and supported by a partial guarantee from UK Export Finance under their Export Development Guarantee scheme. The Export Development Guarantee scheme for commercial loans is available to qualifying UK companies, does not carry preferential rates or require state aid approval, and contains some restrictive covenants including around dividend payments, however these are compatible with easyJet's existing dividend policy.

This five-year facility will be secured on aircraft upon drawing and will significantly extend and improve easyJet's debt maturity profile and strengthen easyJet's balance sheet by increasing the level of available liquidity.

easyJet is also announcing that during calendar Q1 it will repay and cancel part of its shorter term debt, namely the fully drawn Revolving Credit Facility of $500m and Term Loans of c.GBP400m. This will free up a number of aircraft assets to further strengthen easyJet's balance sheet.

As previously indicated, easyJet will continue to review its liquidity position on a regular basis and will continue to assess further funding opportunities, should the need arise.

Johan Lundgren, easyJet CEO said:

"This facility will significantly extend and improve easyJet's debt maturity profile and increase the level of liquidity available. easyJet has taken swift and decisive action, having now secured more than GBP4.5bn in liquidity since the beginning of the pandemic.

"The loan facility, provided on commercial terms, reflects constructive and collaborative work between easyJet, multiple banks and UK Export Finance.

"With our unmatched short haul network and trusted brand, easyJet is well positioned as customers return to the skies in 2021."

For further details please contact easyJet plc:

Institutional investors and analysts:

   Michael Barker         Investor Relations              [phone] 
   Holly Grainger          Investor Relations              [phone] 

Media:

   Anna Knowles          Corporate Communications [phone] 
   Edward Simpkins      Finsbury                           [phone] / (0)207 251 3801 
   Dorothy Burwell       Finsbury                           [phone] / (0)207 251 3801 

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact [e-mail] or visit www.rns.com.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy.

END

MSCSSWFUAEFSEFF

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 11, 2021 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT)