Etihad Airways seen eyeing US$1b through debut bond issue

Dubai

ETIHAD Airways is in talks with potential investors, seeking to raise around US$1 billion through a debut bond issue, sources aware of the matter told Reuters.

The Abu Dhabi government-owned airline is planning to launch its bond through a unit or special purpose vehicle housing its equity stakes in global airlines, two Gulf-based sources aware of the matter said on Sunday. It will use the proceeds to lend to its global partners, fund its own expansion plans and partly for general purposes, one source said. It owns stakes in Alitalia, Virgin Australia, Air Berlin, and India's Jet Airways, among others.