Airbus expects to boost financing

Airbus SAS, the world's largest planemaker, has "leeway" to help carriers finance new aircraft because its $1.2 billion in outstanding loans are only about a fifth of the peak, CEO Tom Enders said.

Airlines next year will face a funding gap of as much as $20 billion as banks and lessors pull back amid a global credit crunch, according to estimates from bankers and analysts. Carriers that do get financing may see borrowing costs double, one banker predicted.

The planemaker's loans to airline customers have fallen from $6.1 billion in 1998 and $4.8 billion in 2003. The current loans are spread across 67 airlines, reflecting the company's practice of financing only part of an aircraft's full cost.