Loss-making Wheels Up to give 95% stake to lenders for $500 million

FILE PHOTO: International Air Transport Association holds their Annual General Meeting in Boston

(Reuters) -Money-losing private jet charter company Wheels Up Experience said on Tuesday it would give up 95% of its common stock in return for a $500 million lifeline from Delta Air Lines and two investment firms.

The company said on Monday it was considering its options, including filing for bankruptcy protection. It also reported a second-quarter net loss that widened from a year ago.

Wheels Up, which charters planes by the hour, has taken a slew of restructuring measures this year, including job cuts and management changes, as demand for private jets from wealthy travelers slowed after the pandemic.

As part of a non-binding agreement, the funding would comprise a $400 million term loan from partners Delta and investment firms Certares Management and Knighthead Capital Management.

The U.S. carrier would provide a $100 million liquidity facility.

“The partnership will create new opportunities for Wheels Up to drive strategic, operational and financial improvements for its customers,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said.

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Shares of Wheels Up jumped 9.1% at $1.54 in afternoon trading.

(Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal, additional reporting by Abhijith Ganapavaram and Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Conor Humphries and Arun Koyyur)

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