Exhibit 10.3
A330 FINANCING LETTER AGREEMENT
As of January 24, 2006
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Northwest Airlines, Inc. (the
“ Buyer ”), and AVSA,
S.A.R.L. (the “ Seller
”), have entered into that certain A330 Purchase Agreement,
dated as of December 21, 2000, as amended to and including the
date hereof (the “ A330 Purchase
Agreement ”), which covers, among other matters, the
sale by the Seller and the purchase by the Buyer of fourteen (14)
A330 Aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2006 and 2007 (the “
Aircraft ”) as described in
the A330 Purchase Agreement.
The Buyer and the Seller entered
into an A330 Financing Letter Agreement No 1, dated as of
December 21, 2000, as amended, and a New A330 Financing Letter
Agreement No 1, dated as of January 21, 2005 (the “
Original FLAs ”). The Buyer
commenced voluntary proceedings under Title 11 of the United
States Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern
District of New York (the “ Court ”) and such proceedings are
identified as Case No. 05-17930 (ALG) and are referred to
herein as the “ Case
”.
Pursuant to a motion submitted by
the Buyer in the Case, the Court has made a determination that the
Original FLAs terminated pursuant to their terms.
The Buyer and the Seller have agreed
to set forth in this A330 Financing Letter Agreement (this “
Letter Agreement ”) certain
terms and conditions regarding the financing of the
Aircraft.
The financing support provided or
caused to be provided by the Seller hereunder shall only be
available for up to ten (10) Aircraft out of the fourteen (14)
Aircraft to be delivered to the Buyer under the A330 Purchase
Agreement.
Capitalized terms used herein and
not otherwise defined in this Letter Agreement shall have the
meanings assigned thereto in the A330 Purchase Agreement. The terms
“herein”, “hereof” and
“hereunder” and words of similar import refer to this
Letter Agreement.
This Letter Agreement shall not
constitute part of the A330 Purchase Agreement, but shall be a
separate and independent contract of financial
accommodation.
A.
A330 FINANCING:
The Seller hereby agrees that the
Seller or one or more of its subsidiaries or affiliate companies
(the “ Lender ”) shall
provide, or cause to be provided for each of the ten (10) Aircraft
specified herein, a standby credit facility in the form of a senior
secured mortgage debt financing on the terms and conditions
outlined below (each an “ A330
Financing ”).
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Aircraft eligible under
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this Letter
Agreement:
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
January 2006
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
September 2006
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT 2006
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT 2006
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT 2007
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT 2007
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT 2007
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT 2007
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT 2007
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A330 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT 2007
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Financed Amount:
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The Financed Amount for an Aircraft shall be
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT percent of the Aircraft Net Fly Away Price
(as defined below) of such Aircraft.
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Aircraft Net Fly Away Price:
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Final Contract Price of the relevant Aircraft,
net of all airframe and engine credit memoranda available at
delivery to reduce the Final Contract Price regardless of the
application of such credit memoranda by the Buyer. The Aircraft Net
Fly Away Price for an Aircraft shall include the cost, subject to
the limits set out below, of buyer furnished equipment and
AVSA-supplied buyer furnished
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equipment under Clause 18 of the A330
Purchase Agreement, (together the “ Equipment ”) for such Aircraft. The cost
of Equipment included within the Aircraft Net Fly Away Price shall
not exceed CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT percent (CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND
FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT%) of the Aircraft
Net Fly Away Price excluding the cost of the Equipment for such
Aircraft. For A330 Financings funded after the Consummation Date,
the Net Fly Away Price shall not include amounts added to the Final
Contract Price pursuant to Paragraph 1.4(i) of Letter Agreement 8
to the A330 Purchase Agreement.
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Term:
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Each A330 Financing shall mature on the earlier
of (x) the date that is CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND
FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT years from the
date of funding and (y) the date that is CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL
OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT years
from the date of substantial consummation (as defined in 11 U.S.C.
§1101), which, for purposes of this Letter Agreement, shall be
no later than the effective date of a plan of reorganization of the
Buyer that is confirmed by the Court (the “ Consummation Date ”)
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Repayment Profile:
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Each A330 Financing shall amortize from the
Financed Amount using a fixed principal annuity repayment profile
based on a notional interest rate of CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED
AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT% per annum down to
a CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT percent (CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND
FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT%) balance
repayment of the Aircraft Net Fly Away Price (the “
Balloon ”) at year
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT
(CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT).
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Except as set forth in the next succeeding
sentence, each A330 Financing shall be fully repaid in CONFIDENTIAL
MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL
TREATMENT (CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT) quarterly principal repayments, in arrears,
with a final payment equal to the Balloon. If the actual maturity
date of any A330 Financing falls later than the last day of the
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT year from the date of funding thereof, then,
for the period following such last day of the CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL
OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT year,
through actual maturity, the principal amount shall be amortized at
the rate of CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT percent (CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND
FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT%) per annum,
payable in arrears, until such maturity date, pro rated for periods
of less than one year.
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Installments of interest shall be calculated at
the beginning of each month of the Term on the principal amount
then outstanding using the applicable Interest Rate as defined
below and shall be payable monthly in arrears on the twenty-fourth
day of each month during the Term and on the maturity date (pro
rated for periods of less than one month).
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Interest Rate:
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The Interest Rate for each A330 Financing will
be based on a floating rate equal to one (1) month US$LIBOR as
determined and notified by the Lender to the Buyer as provided
above (“ 1M LIBOR ”)
plus:
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(a)
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prior to the Consummation Date, CONFIDENTIAL
MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL
TREATMENT basis points per annum; and
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(b)
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from and after the Consummation Date, the
highest of
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(A)(1)
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in the case of the first five Aircraft financed
under this Letter Agreement, the Buyer’s market margin over
1M LIBOR for similar types of financings; and (2) in the case of
the last five Aircraft financed under this Letter Agreement, the
Buyer’s market margin over 1M LIBOR for similar types of
financings plus CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY
WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST
FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT basis points per annum, and
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in each case, subject to a cap of (x) in
the case of a market margin determined pursuant to clause
(b)(A)(1), CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT basis points per annum and (y) in the
case of a market margin determined under clause (b)(A)(2),
CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT basis points per annum. Each such cap will
be decreased by (a) CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED
SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO
A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT basis points per annum for all
periods commencing on or after the interest payment date
immediately following the date, if any, on which the Buyer meets
each of the conditions set forth in Exhibit 1 and
(b) CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED
SEPARATELY
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WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT basis points per
annum for all periods commencing on or after the Consummation Date
if AVSA exercises the deferral rights described in
Paragraph 1.2 of Amendment No. 9 to the A330 Purchase
Agreement, of even date herewith;
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(B)
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CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED
SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO
A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT (CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED
AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT) basis points per
annum; and
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(C)
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So long as the initial Lender or any other
Lender that is an affiliate of the Seller holds the A330 Financing,
such Lender’s cost of funds over 1M LIBOR (as determined
below) for a comparable borrowing plus CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL
OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT
(CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT) basis points per annum.
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Before the Consummation Date (with respect to
A330 Financings completed before such date) and prior to the
funding of each A330 Financing made after the Consummation Date,
the Seller and the Buyer will establish the then prevailing
Buyer’s market margin over 1M LIBOR and the Lender’s
cost of funds over 1M LIBOR by requesting their respective banks to
determine the rate that would be obtainable in the market by the
Buyer and by the Lender for a comparable borrowing at the time of
such A330 Financing. If the two banks agree on the Buyer’s
market margin over 1M LIBOR and the Lender’s cost of funds
over 1M LIBOR, then these rates shall be the
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Buyer’s market margin over 1M LIBOR and
the Lender’s cost of funds over 1M LIBOR for purposes of such
A330 Financing.
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Should the two banks fail to agree on the
Buyer’s market margin over 1M LIBOR and/or the Lender’s
cost of funds over 1M LIBOR, the Seller and the Buyer will request
a mutually selected third bank to determine the Buyer’s
market margin over 1M LIBOR and/or the Lender’s cost of funds
over 1M LIBOR and the average of the closest two of the three bank
quotations for each of the Buyer’s market margin over 1M
LIBOR and/or the Lender’s cost of funds over 1M LIBOR will be
the Buyer’s market margin over 1M LIBOR and/or the
Lender’s cost of funds over 1M LIBOR for purposes of such
A330 Financing.
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Prepayment Right:
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Each A330 Financing shall be pre-payable in
whole or in part at any time by the Buyer without, except as
provided in the next succeeding paragraph, premium or penalty other
than 1M LIBOR breakage cost, and provided that no event of default
has occurred (including, without limitation, any event of default
arising by reason of any cross-default provision and without regard
to the cross-collateralization provision described
below).
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In the case of a private placement transaction
by the initial Airbus-related lender to a bona fide
transferee that is not Airbus, AVSA or any of their Affiliates of
one hundred percent (100%) of the then-outstanding principal amount
of any A330 Financing, the following prepayment premiums and
limitations will apply in relation to up to five A330 Financings
selected by the Lender:
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until the Consummation Date, no
prepayment;
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with respect to any prepayment occurring during
the one year period commencing on the Consummation Date, a
prepayment premium equal to CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED
SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO
A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT% of the prepaid
amount;
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with respect to any prepayment occurring during
the one year period commencing on the first anniversary of the
Consummation Date, a prepayment premium equal to CONFIDENTIAL
MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE
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COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT% of the prepaid amount; and
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with respect to any prepayment occurring during
the one year period commencing on the second anniversary of the
Consummation Date, a prepayment premium equal to CONFIDENTIAL
MATERIAL OMITTED AND FILED SEPARATELY WITH THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL
TREATMENT% of the prepaid amount and the Buyer will execute an
amendment to the applicable loan documents reflecting the
same.
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Cross Default and
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Cross-collateralization:
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Cross default and cross-collateralization shall
apply as among the following transactions (the “ Airbus Financings ”) as and to the
extent described below:
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A330 Financings entered into and to be entered
into at any time between the Lender and the Buyer and/or any of
their respective subsidiaries or affiliate companies.
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Financings of A330 aircraft msn 0674 and 0690
and A319 aircraft msn 2618 and 2641 (the “ Existing Aircraft Financings
”),
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The loan (the “ Term Loan ”) made pursuant to the
Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of March 29,
1996, and the related security and other agreements, in each case,
as amended from time to time (collectively, the “
Term Loan Agreement ”). In
the case of the Term Loan, cross-collateralization will be limited
such that collateral supporting the A330 Financings and the
Existing Aircraft Financings will support the obligations of the
Buyer under the Term Loan Agreement, and an event of default under
the Term Loan Agreement will constitute an event of default under
each A330 Financing and each Existing Aircraft Financing, but
collateral supporting the Term Loan will not support any A330
Financing, any Existing Aircraft Financing or any Sublease, nor
will an event of default under any A330 Financing, any Existing
Aircraft Financing or any Sublease constitute an event of default
under the Term Loan. Cross-collateralization and cross-default as
between A330 Financings and the Existing Aircraft Financings, on
the one hand, and the Term Loan, on the other, will be discontinued
at such
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time as the Buyer has (i) delivered the
first appraisal required to be delivered by it pursuant to
amendments to the Term Loan Agreement of even date herewith and
(ii) made any payment that may be necessary to effect
compliance by it with Section 6.1 of the Term Loan Agreement,
as so amended, and
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Subleases listed in Exhibit 2 (each, a
“ Sublease ” and,
collectively, the “ Subleases ”). Cross-collateralization
with respect to the Subleases will be limited such that collateral
supporting the A330 Financings and the Existing Aircraft Financings
will support the Buyer’s obligations under the Subleases. An
event of default under any Sublease will constitute an event of
default under each A330 Financing and each Existing Aircraft
Financing, and an event of default under any A330 Financing and
each Existing Aircraft Financing will constitute an event of
default under each of the Subleases.
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Cross default and cross-collateralization also
shall apply in the same manner to the “Pooled Airbus
Financings” held by a “Pooled Sell-Down Lender”
that acquired such Pooled Airbus Financings in a “Pooled
Sell-Down,” as each of such terms is defined in the MSN 0718
Agreements (as defined below in “Transaction
Documents”), treating references to the “Notes”
in such definitions as references to a Pooled Airbus
Financing.
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Ai
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