Carlyle is seeking to force an early repayment of a loan of almost £200m provided to the owner of London Southend Airport, alleging multiple breaches of contract.
Aviation group Esken, which owns the airport, and Carlyle Global Infrastructure Fund have been embroiled in a legal row in London’s High Court for months over a £193.75m convertible loan extended by the US private equity investor in mid-2021.
Carlyle has argued that several breaches of financial covenants on the loan agreement by Esken since November 2022 meant the sum should be repaid by the middle of February – more than four years ahead of schedule.
