Ex-Im Bank supports Sikorsky helicopter exports

   The U.S. Export-Import Bank has authorized more than $50 million to guarantee a loan extended by Apple Bank to Aeroservicios Especializados S.A. DE C.V. (ASESA) of Mexico that will finance the export of a fleet of Sikorsky S-76DTM helicopters to Mexico.
   The loan guarantee also formally inaugurates Ex-Im Bank’s Business Aircraft and Helicopter Qualified Advisor program. San Francisco-based AirFinance served as the qualified advisor and facilitated the application and authorization process.
   Additionally, the transaction is the bank’s first involving the new Sikorsky S-76D helicopter.
   Based in Stratford, Conn., Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. makes both commercial and military helicopters. Its S-76D model, the latest variant of the S-76, is a medium-lift helicopter designed for offshore oil operations, EMS, executive transport, and search-and-rescue missions.
   AirFinance is a global company focused on the financing of general aviation aircraft, including business jets, turboprops, and helicopters, with an emphasis on transactions outside of the United States. It is currently the only approved general aviation qualified advisor for Ex-Im Bank focused on providing greater support to U.S.-made aircraft.
   ASESA is a helicopter-services provider for the oil and gas industry in Mexico and South America. It plans to employ the Sikorsky helicopters to ferry personnel to and from deep-water drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
   As of the end of fiscal year 2011, Ex-Im Bank’s credit exposure in Mexico amounted to $8.3 billion.