NEW YORK & HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ascend, (www.ascendworldwide.com) the aviation information specialists, today launch the first industry-standard Aircraft Ratings, enabling increased scrutiny in calculating risk associated with aircraft financing.

Through dramatically increased levels of transparency on aviation finance risk, Ascend’s Aircraft Ratings are likely to help reduce the sector’s reliance on government funding and help avoid bankruptcies, by underpinning improved levels of bank lending.

Complete and actionable, Ascend’s new Aircraft Ratings provide a forecast for two key variables on an aircraft’s Expected Annual Depreciation and Implied Downside Volatility. Analysis on each aircraft includes historic price movements, GDP, oil prices, inflation, aircraft fleet size, noise and regulatory compliance along with Ascend’s vast experience in aviation and aircraft valuation. Three hundred and twenty-three ratings are assigned across 61 aircraft types.

Aircraft Ratings provides a credible companion to Ascend’s industry-standard Base Value forecast, enabling increased scrutiny in calculating risk. By splitting expected annual depreciation from potential downside volatility, Aircraft Ratings gives investors a clear statement of an aircraft’s investment merit. Aircraft Ratings will serve as a unique metric for making “apples to apples” relative value comparisons between aircraft investment options.

”We’re now able to provide an objective, independent measure of aircraft value risk, which supports a bank’s aviation division to lobby for increased capital allocation,” says Andy Golub, Head of Risk Advisory, Americas. “The rating gives the bank a better understanding of their risk position compared to other methods that punish all aircraft within crude groups equally.

“Banks are not losing on their aviation investments but they remain sceptical about aviation lending as a risk. With Aircraft Ratings we think we can help encourage increased lending by demonstrating to banks how they can quantify and manage their risks. For loans backed by top rated aircraft, commercial banks will be able to reduce the amount of Basel II capital reserves required and provide the most competitive lending term to their customers.”

For an example of aircraft ratings and the table of ratings, please click here…
<http://www.ascendworldwide.com/download/pdf/Ascend-AircraftRatings-example.doc>

ENDS

About Ascend

Ascend (www.ascendworldwide.com) is the world’s leading provider of specialist information and consultancy services to the global air transport industry. For over four decades it has supplied the most reliable, trusted and up-to-date aviation industry information and insight available anywhere.

Offerings include:

• Aviation data
• Aircraft and engine valuations and appraisals
• Consultancy solutions

From aircraft manufacturers to operators, financiers, lessors and suppliers, the aviation industry relies on Ascend to help make informed decisions and capture new opportunities.

Ascend is based in London with offices in New York and Hong Kong.

Tannissan Mae Communications for Ascend
Nancy Prendergast
nancy@tannissanmae.com
or
Lise Colyer
lise@tannissanmae.com
on +44(0)20-7243-4440