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A N N U A L R E P O RT 2 0 14
DEAR SHAREHOLDERS:
This past year was a very successful one for Aircastle. It also represented
a special moment in time for our firm, as it marked our first decade in
business. This is the perfect opportunity to reflect on how we got here
and to look to the road we intend to travel going forward.
When we started Aircastle, we knew we would have to distinguish
ourselves from other aircraft leasing companies and offer a different
opportunity to our investors. As most of us came directly from positions
in our industry, we knew it would not be enough simply to tap into a
sector that enjoyed long-term growth and be best in category.
Year in Review
During 2014, we harnessed our innovative capabilities and
competitive strengths to drive improving financial results. Net income
grew to more than $100 million and our cash return on equity came
in at 11.7%. Significantly, we grew revenues by 16% while further
upgrading the quality of our portfolio and capital structure. Consistent
with our approach of sharing with shareholders the growth in our
earnings power, we increased our dividend again last year by 10%,
our fifth increase since 2011.
We recognized it was the inherent complexity of the aircraft leasing
business that creates discoverable opportunities for the company
that devises the right processes, offers a value-add proposition and
combines them with a suitable financial structure. This is what we
consider being a value investor. Most importantly, we understood the
most desirable investment is one which is built around and aligned
with the expectations and hopes of our investors.
Our investment origination skills were showcased last year as we
acquired 35 aircraft for $1.8 billion, growing the Company’s portfolio
and earnings power. Of particular note was the success we had in
sourcing large transactions with some of the world’s leading airlines.
Examples include our half billion dollar deal with LATAM, South
America’s largest airline, and important purchase and leaseback deals
with Avianca and Iberia.
I am very pleased to report that a decade of experience has proven
our original assumptions correct. It is no accident that Aircastle has
achieved many successes. It is equally true that we’ve handled the
challenges in our business as well as we have because of who we are.
It is for these reasons I look to the future with confidence.
During 2014, we also sold 49 aircraft for net proceeds of more than
$800 million. These sales upgraded our portfolio quality significantly
as we reduced the size of our freighter exposure and nearly completed
our exit from “classic” generation aircraft, all the while providing a
positive $40 million pre-tax impact.
Looking Back
Aircastle started from scratch in 2004 as a new breed of aircraft
leasing company and pioneered several important developments in
our sector. Eight years ago, we were the first of the current generation
of aircraft leasing companies to go public. We introduced the idea
of sharing earnings with investors through dividends and have been
doing so consistently, paying out more than $535 million since our
IPO. We’ve been a leader in the debt capital markets with landmark
securitization deals and through an active presence in the unsecured
bond market.
As an investor, we’ve always been drawn to more complicated and
less competitive situations that offer higher returns for flexibility,
creativity and speed. We look far and wide across the commercial
jet market for the best risk adjusted investments, and we remain
disciplined throughout the business cycle. Thanks to a talented
team and a lot of hard work, we’ve established Aircastle as a go-to
partner for airlines, lessors and other potential aircraft sellers. Since
our inception, we’ve completed $9.8 billion in acquisitions from
more than 70 counterparties around the world. The breadth of our
origination network is unmatched in our industry.
Our success as a value investor requires maintaining a financial
structure that is both flexible and robust. Complementing our many
long-standing bank and capital market relationships, we’ve built a
strong and conservatively levered balance sheet by expanding the
share of unsecured debt to nearly 60% with an unencumbered
asset base of $3.5 billion. Moreover, we’ve enlarged our unsecured
revolving line of credit to $600 million. The flexibility of our capital
structure is a key factor behind our investment success and is a
competitive advantage. I believe we are on a solid path towards
achieving investment grade credit ratings, providing us an opportunity
to further enhance our position.
Aircastle is among the very best asset managers in our business and
this has played a critical part in our success as an investor. We have
consistently achieved at least 98% asset utilization since going public,
even as the world endured the Global Financial Crisis and several
other challenges. This exceptional result both establishes the strength
of our industry and demonstrates our team’s ability to deliver strong
operating cash flows throughout our history.
As part of these asset management efforts, we also sold three
aircraft to our joint venture with Ontario Teachers’, building its total
assets to $545 million at year end. Our JV allows us to pursue larger
transactions and manage exposure. We are very pleased with the
success we’ve had working together with Teachers’. We’re also
excited about the new business opportunities we are pursuing by
tapping into banking, investor and airline relationships of our largest
shareholder, Marubeni, one of Japan’s largest trading companies.
We believe these synergies evidence the strength of our strategic
relationships with our two biggest shareholders.
The Future
Looking ahead, I’m very excited about the company Aircastle has
become and the opportunities before us. Our industry continues to grow
with the significant expansion in air travel around the world. More than
ever, I believe airlines will rely on leasing companies such as Aircastle to
facilitate their fleet plans. Our leadership position as a unique and skilled
investor enables us to extract profit from the complexities of our market
while providing good value to our airline customers.
We have a terrific team that provides us unique points of view and
skill sets to pursue different investment opportunities across our
sector. Our capital structure is flexible and low-cost. It allows us to
act decisively on market opportunities as they arise. In Marubeni
and Teachers’ we have great globally-oriented, long-term-minded
shareholding partners. We’re also privileged to have a world-class
Board of Directors that provide great insight and guidance.
I believe there is much reason for optimism given the market successes
we’ve achieved from the unique position we’ve created in the market.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation and support to all who
have made the last decade possible and who ensure the productivity
and achievement of what lies ahead for Aircastle.
Sincerely,
Ron Wainshal
Chief Executive Officer, Aircastle Limited
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014
or
Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission file number 001-32959
AIRCASTLE LIMITED
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Bermuda
(State or other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or organization)
98-0444035
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
300 First Stamford Place, 5th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (203) 504-1020
______________________________________
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Shares, par value $.01 per share
New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for
the past 90 days. Yes
No
No
No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be
submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit and post such files). Yes
No
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not
be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any
amendment to this Form 10-K.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the
definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
Accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
The aggregate market value of the Registrant’s Common Shares based upon the closing price on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2014 (the last business
day of registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter), beneficially owned by non-affiliates of the Registrant was approximately $964.3 million. For
purposes of the foregoing calculation, which is required by Form 10-K, the Registrant has included in the shares owned by affiliates those shares owned by directors
and executive officers and shareholders owning 10% or more of the outstanding common shares of the Registrant, and such inclusion shall not be construed as an
admission that any such person is an affiliate for any purpose.
No
As of February 6, 2015, there were 80,949,815 outstanding shares of the registrant’s common shares, par value $0.01 per share.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Documents of Which Portions
Are Incorporated by Reference
Parts of Form 10-K into Which Portion
Of Documents Are Incorporated
Proxy Statement for Aircastle Limited
2014 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
Part III
(Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Item 1.
Business
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 2.
Properties
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
PART I
PART II
Item 5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities
Item 6.
Selected Financial Data
Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures
Item 9B.
Other Information
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Item 11.
Executive Compensation
PART III
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder
Matters
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Item 14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
PART IV
Item 15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
SIGNATURES
1
9
28
28
28
28
30
33
36
65
66
66
66
69
70
70
70
70
70
71
S - 1
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE
PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Certain items in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “report”), and other information we provide from time to time,
may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
including, but not necessarily limited to, statements relating to our ability to acquire, sell, lease or finance aircraft, raise
capital, pay dividends, and increase revenues, earnings, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income and the
global aviation industry and aircraft leasing sector. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,”
“believes,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “seeks,” “estimates” and variations on these words and similar
expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our historical
performance and that of our subsidiaries and on our current plans, estimates and expectations and are subject to a number
of factors that could lead to actual results materially different from those described in the forward-looking statements;
Aircastle can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on
any forward-looking statements contained in this report. Factors that could have a material adverse effect on our operations
and future prospects or that could cause actual results to differ materially from Aircastle's expectations include, but are not
limited to, capital markets disruption or volatility which could adversely affect our continued ability to obtain additional
capital to finance new investments or our working capital needs; government fiscal or tax policies, general economic and
business conditions or other factors affecting demand for aircraft or aircraft values and lease rates; our continued ability to
obtain favorable tax treatment in Bermuda, Ireland and other jurisdictions; our ability to pay dividends; high or volatile fuel
prices, lack of access to capital, reduced load factors and/or reduced yields, operational disruptions caused by political unrest
and other factors affecting the creditworthiness of our airline customers and their ability to continue to perform their
obligations under our leases, and other risks detailed from time to time in Aircastle's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”), including as described in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report. In addition, new risks
and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Aircastle to predict or assess the impact of every factor
that may cause its actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date of this report. Aircastle expressly disclaims any obligation to release publicly any updates
or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto
or change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.
WEBSITE AND ACCESS TO COMPANY’S REPORTS
The Company’s Internet website can be found at www.aircastle.com. Our annual reports on Forms 10-K, quarterly
reports on Forms 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available free of charge through our website under “Investors — SEC Filings”
as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.
Statements and information concerning our status as a Passive Foreign Investment Company (“PFIC”) for U.S.
taxpayers are also available free of charge through our website under “Investors — SEC Filings”.
Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and Board of Directors committee
charters (including the charters of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee) are available free of charge through our website under “Investors — Corporate Governance”. In
addition, our Code of Ethics for the Chief Executive and Senior Financial Officers, which applies to our Chief Executive
Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, Treasurer and Controller, is available in print, free of charge, to
any shareholder upon request to Investor Relations, Aircastle Limited, c/o Aircastle Advisor LLC, 300 First Stamford Place,
5th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.
The information on the Company’s website is not part of, or incorporated by reference, into this report, or any other
report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC.
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
PART I.
Unless the context suggests otherwise, references in this report to “Aircastle,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”
refer to Aircastle Limited and its subsidiaries. References in this report to “AL” refer only to Aircastle Limited. References
in this report to “Aircastle Bermuda” refer to Aircastle Holding Corporation Limited and its subsidiaries. Throughout this
report, when we refer to our aircraft, we include aircraft that we have transferred into grantor trusts or similar entities for
purposes of financing such assets through securitizations and term financings. These grantor trusts or similar entities are
consolidated for purposes of our financial statements. All amounts in this report are expressed in U.S. dollars and the
financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”).
We acquire, lease, and sell commercial jet aircraft with large, global operator bases and long useful lives. As of
December 31, 2014, our aircraft portfolio consisted of 148 aircraft leased to 54 lessees located in 34 countries. Our aircraft
fleet is managed by an experienced team based in the United States, Ireland and Singapore. Typically, our aircraft are subject
to net leases whereby the lessee is generally responsible for maintaining the aircraft and paying operational, maintenance
and insurance costs arising during the term of the lease. We also may occasionally make investments in other aviation assets,
including debt investments secured by commercial jet aircraft. As of December 31, 2014, the net book value of our flight
equipment and finance lease aircraft was $5.69 billion compared to $5.19 billion at the end of 2013. Our revenues and net
income for the year ended December 31, 2014 were $818.6 million and $100.8 million respectively, and for the fourth quarter
2014 were $238.3 million and $72.8 million, respectively.
Growth in commercial air traffic is broadly correlated with world economic activity, and has been expanding at a rate
one to two times the rate of global GDP growth. The expansion of air travel has driven a rise in the world aircraft fleet.
There are currently more than 18,000 commercial mainline passenger and freighter aircraft in operation worldwide. This
fleet is expected to continue expanding at an average annual rate of three to five percent per annum over the next 20 years.
In addition, aircraft leasing companies own an increasing share of the world’s commercial jet aircraft, and now account for
approximately 40% of this fleet.
Notwithstanding the sector’s long-term growth, the aviation markets have been, and are expected to remain, subject
to economic variability on a global basis and regional basis, as well as to changes in macroeconomic relations such as fuel
price levels and exchange rates. The industry is susceptible to external shocks, such as regional conflicts, terrorist events
and to disruptions caused by severe weather events and other natural phenomena. Mitigating these risks is the portability
of the assets, allowing aircraft to be redeployed in locations where demand is higher.
Air traffic data for 2014 showed a continued strong trend in passenger market growth. Air cargo traffic showed slow
improvement as world trade and economic growth increased. According to the International Air Transport Association,
during 2014 global passenger traffic increased by 5.9% and air cargo traffic increased by 4.5% as compared to the same
period in 2013. Passenger traffic growth was strong, driven by rising economic growth and business confidence. The air
cargo market, which is more sensitive than the passenger sector to economic conditions, appears to have stabilized after
weak performances between 2011 and 2013. The air cargo market continues to be hampered by persistent overcapacity.
There are significant regional variations in both passenger and air cargo demand. Emerging market economies have
been experiencing significant increases in air traffic, driven by rising levels of per capita air travel. Air traffic in other regions
is being driven by long-term structural changes in global traffic flows, particularly the growth in long-haul "hub and spoke"
traffic flowing through the Persian Gulf. In contrast, mature markets such as North America and Western Europe are likely
to grow more slowly in tandem with their economies. Finally, airlines operating in areas with political instability or where
there are geopolitical conflicts, such as Russia, have seen more modest growth and their outlook is more uncertain. Periodic
health concerns, such as the recent Ebola virus outbreak, may also play a role in the near-term development of air traffic in
certain regions. However, in aggregate, we believe that passenger and cargo traffic will likely increase over time, and as a
result, we expect demand for modern, fuel efficient aircraft will continue to remain strong over the long-term.
Capital availability for aircraft has varied over time, and we consider this variability to be a basic characteristic of our
business. However, both debt and equity markets improved globally over the past several years with the recovery from the
recent global financial crisis. Strong U.S. debt capital markets conditions benefited certain borrowers by permitting access
to financing at historic lows while higher fees have driven down export credit agency ("ECA") demand. Commercial bank
debt continues to play a critical role in the air finance market with traditional aviation lenders, along with a number of new
entrants, providing capacity to top tier airlines and lessors, although we believe regulatory pressures have limited the extent
1
of the bank market's recovery. We believe these market forces should generate attractive new investment and trading
opportunities upon which we are well placed to capitalize given our access to the U.S. capital markets. Over the longer term,
our strategy is to achieve an investment grade credit rating, which we believe will reduce our borrowing costs and enable
more reliable access to debt capital throughout the business cycle.
We intend to pay quarterly dividends to our shareholders based on the Company’s sustainable earnings levels; however,
our ability to pay quarterly dividends will depend upon many factors, including those described in Item 1A. “Risk Factors”,
and elsewhere in this report. Through the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company has paid dividends in 34 consecutive quarters.
The table below is a summary of our recent quarterly dividend history. These dividends may not be indicative of the amount
of any future dividends.
Declaration Date
Dividend
per Common
Share
Aggregate
Dividend
Amount
(Dollars in Thousands)
Record Date
Payment Date
February 17, 2012
May 2, 2012
August 1, 2012
November 5, 2012
February 18, 2013
May 1, 2013
August 2, 2013
October 29, 2013
February 21, 2014
May 5, 2014
July 28, 2014
October 31, 2014
Competitive Strengths
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
0.150
0.150
0.150
0.165
0.165
0.165
0.165
0.200
0.200
0.200
0.200
0.220
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
10,865
10,847
10,464
11,493
11,268
11,297
13,330
16,163
16,201
16,202
16,201
17,817
February 29, 2012
March 15, 2012
May 31, 2012
June 15, 2012
August 31, 2012
September 14, 2012
November 30, 2012
December 14, 2012
March 4, 2013
May 31, 2013
March 15, 2013
June 14, 2013
August 30, 2013
September 13, 2013
November 29, 2013
December 13, 2013
March 7, 2014
May 30, 2014
March 14, 2014
June 13, 2014
August 29, 2014
September 12, 2014
November 28, 2014
December 15, 2014
We believe that the following competitive strengths will allow us to capitalize on future growth opportunities in the
global aviation industry:
• Flexible, disciplined acquisition approach and broad investment sourcing network. We evaluate the risk and
return of any potential acquisition first as a discrete investment and then from a portfolio management perspective.
To evaluate potential acquisitions, we employ a rigorous due diligence process focused on (i) cash flow generation
with careful consideration of macro trends, industry cyclicality and product life cycles; (ii) aircraft specifications
and maintenance condition; (iii) lessee credit worthiness and the local jurisdiction’s rules for enforcing a lessor’s
rights; and (iv) other legal and tax implications. We source our acquisitions through well-established relationships
with airlines, other aircraft lessors, financial institutions and other aircraft owners. Since our formation in 2004,
we have built our aircraft portfolio through more than 115 transactions with more than 70 counterparties.
Strong capital raising track record and access to a wide range of financing sources. Aircastle is a publicly
listed company and our shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Since our inception in late 2004, we have
raised approximately $1.7 billion in equity capital from private and public investors as well as approximately
$11.2 billion in debt capital for both growth and refinancing purposes through export credit agency-backed debt,
commercial bank debt, the aircraft securitization markets and the unsecured bond market. This debt capital has
been sourced from a wide variety of providers demonstrating our funding expertise and flexibility in adapting to
changing capital markets conditions. Additionally, we have expanded our shareholder base to include two long-
term oriented international investors, Marubeni Corporation ("Marubeni") and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
("Teachers' ").
•
• Our capital structure is long-dated and provides investment flexibility. Our aircraft are currently financed under
secured and unsecured debt financings with a weighted average debt maturity of 4.2 years, thereby limiting our
near-term financial markets exposure on our owned aircraft portfolio. As such, we are free to deploy our capital
base flexibly to take advantage of what we anticipate will be a more attractive investment environment. We also
believe that our access to the unsecured bond market and our recently increased unsecured revolving line of credit,
2
which are enabled by our large unencumbered asset base, allow us to pursue a flexible and opportunistic investment
strategy.
• Experienced management team with significant expertise. Our management team has significant experience
in the acquisition, leasing, financing, technical management, restructuring/repossession and sale of aviation assets.
Additionally, each member of our executive management team has more than 20 years of relevant experience.
Our experience enables us to access a wide array of placement opportunities throughout the world and also pursue
efficiently a broad range of potential investments and sales opportunities in the global aviation industry. With
extensive industry contacts and relationships worldwide, we believe our management team is highly qualified to
manage and grow our aircraft portfolio and to address our long-term capital needs.
Significant experience in successfully selling aircraft throughout their life cycle. Since our formation, we sold
108 aircraft with a gross purchase price in excess of $2.5 billion. These sales generated net gains of approximately
$133 million and have involved a wide range of aircraft types and buyers. In addition to sales of newer aircraft,
we also sold 71 aircraft that were 15 or more years old at the time of sale, with many of these being sold on an
end-of-life, part-out disposition basis, where the airframe and engines may be sold to different buyers. We believe
this sales experience with older aircraft is an essential portfolio management skill.
•
• Diversified portfolio of modern aircraft. We have a portfolio of modern aircraft that is diversified with respect
to lessees, geographic markets, lease maturities and aircraft types. As of December 31, 2014, our aircraft portfolio
consisted of 148 aircraft comprising a variety of passenger and freighter aircraft types that were leased to 54
lessees located in 34 countries. Our lease expirations are well dispersed, with a weighted average remaining lease
term of 5.4 years as of December 31, 2014. Over the next two years, only 9% of our fleet by net book value has
scheduled lease expirations, after taking into account lease commitments. This provides the company with a long-
dated base of contracted revenues. We believe our focus on portfolio diversification reduces the risks associated
with individual lessee defaults and adverse geopolitical or economic issues, and results in generally predictable
cash flows.
• Global and scalable business platform. We operate through offices in the United States, Ireland and Singapore,
using a modern asset management system designed specifically for aircraft operating lessors and capable of
handling a significantly larger aircraft portfolio. We believe that our facilities, systems and personnel currently
in place are capable of supporting an increase in our revenue base and asset base without a proportional increase
in overhead costs.
Business Strategy
The overall financing environment has improved in recent years and aircraft owners generally have benefited from
the low interest rate environment. Particularly strong conditions in the debt capital markets have provided select borrowers
including Aircastle with access to attractively priced, flexible financing providing a competitive advantage over airlines and
lessors that lack similar access. Moreover, traditional asset-based financing for aircraft from commercial banks remains
limited, particularly for older aircraft.
We plan to grow our business and profits over the long-term by continuing to employ the following elements of our
fundamental business strategy:
• Pursuing a disciplined, "value oriented" investment strategy. In our view, the relative values of different aircraft
investments change over time. As a consequence, we maintain a value oriented investment strategy to seek out the
best risk-adjusted return opportunities across the commercial jet market. To this end, we carefully evaluate
investments across different aircraft models, ages, lessees and acquisition sources and re-evaluate these choices
periodically as market conditions and relative investment values change. We believe the financing flexibility offered
through unsecured debt enables our value oriented strategy and provides us with a competitive advantage for many
investment opportunities. We believe this approach is differentiated among the larger aircraft leasing companies.
Investing in commercial jet aircraft and other aviation assets when attractively priced opportunities and cost
effective financing are available. We believe the large and growing aircraft market, together with ongoing fleet
replacements, will provide significant acquisition opportunities. We regularly evaluate potential aircraft
acquisitions and expect to continue our investment program through additional purchases when attractively priced
opportunities and cost effective financing are available.
•
• Maintaining efficient access to capital from a wide range of sources while targeting an investment grade credit
rating. We believe the aircraft investment market is subject to forces related to the business cycle and our strategy
is to increase our purchase activity when prices are low and to emphasize asset sales when competition for assets
3
•
is high. In order to implement this approach, we believe maintaining access to a wide variety of financing sources
over the business cycle is very important. Our strategy is to improve our corporate credit ratings to an investment
grade level. We intend to do so by maintaining strong portfolio and capital structure metrics while achieving a
critical size through accretive growth. We believe improving our credit rating will not only reduce our borrowing
costs but also enable more reliable access to debt capital throughout the business cycle.
Selling assets when attractive opportunities arise and for portfolio management purposes. We pursue asset
sales as opportunities arise over the course of the business cycle with the aim of realizing profits and reinvesting
proceeds where more accretive investments are available. We also use asset sales for portfolio management
purposes such as reducing lessee specific concentrations and lowering residual value exposures to certain aircraft
types and also to exit from investments when a sale or part-out would provide the greatest expected cash flow
for us.
•
• Leveraging our efficient operating platform and strong operating track record. We believe our team's
capabilities in the global aircraft leasing market place us in a favorable position to source and manage new income-
generating activities. We intend to continue to focus our efforts in areas where we believe we have competitive
advantages, including new direct investments as well as ventures with strategic business partners.
Intending to pay quarterly dividends to our shareholders based on the Company's sustainable earnings levels.
However our ability to pay quarterly dividends will depend upon many factors, including those as described in
Item 1A. “Risk Factors”, and elsewhere in this report. On October 31, 2014, our board of directors declared a
regular quarterly dividend of $0.22 per common share, or an aggregate of $17.8 million for the three months
ended December 31, 2014, which was paid on December 15, 2014 to holders of record on November 28, 2014.
These dividends may not be indicative of the amount of any future dividends.
We also believe our team’s capabilities in the global aircraft leasing market place us in a favorable position to explore
new income-generating activities as capital becomes available for such activities. We intend to continue to focus our efforts
on investment opportunities in areas where we believe we have competitive advantages and on transactions that offer
attractive risk/return profiles after taking into consideration available financing options. In any case, there can be no assurance
that we will be able to access capital on a cost-effective basis, and a failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Acquisitions and Sales
We originate acquisitions and sales through well-established relationships with airlines, other aircraft lessors, financial
institutions and brokers, as well as other sources. We believe that sourcing such transactions both globally and through
multiple channels provides for a broad and relatively consistent set of opportunities.
Our objective is to develop and maintain a diverse and stable operating lease portfolio. We review our operating lease
portfolio periodically to sell aircraft opportunistically, to manage our portfolio diversification and to exit from aircraft
investments when we believe that selling will achieve the maximum expected cash flow rather than reinvesting in and re-
leasing the aircraft while also managing our exposure to older technology aircraft. See “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Overview — Acquisitions and Sales.”
We have an experienced acquisitions and sales team based in Stamford, Connecticut; Dublin, Ireland and Singapore
that maintains strong relationships with a wide variety of market participants throughout the world. We believe that our
seasoned personnel and extensive industry contacts facilitate our access to acquisition and sales opportunities and that our
strong operating track record facilitates our access to debt and equity capital markets.
Potential investments and sales are evaluated by teams comprised of marketing, technical, risk management, financial
and legal professionals. These teams consider a variety of aspects before we commit to purchase or sell an aircraft, including
price, specification/configuration, age, condition and maintenance history, operating efficiency, lease terms, financial
condition and liquidity of the lessee, jurisdiction, industry trends and future redeployment potential and values, among other
factors. We believe that utilizing a cross-functional team of experts to consider the investment parameters noted above will
help us assess more completely the overall risk and return profile of potential acquisitions and will help us move forward
expeditiously on letters of intent and acquisition documentation. Our letters of intent are typically non-binding prior to
internal approval, and upon internal approval are binding subject to the fulfillment of customary closing conditions.
4
Finance
We intend to fund new investments through cash on hand, cash flows from operations, our revolving credit facility
and through medium - to longer-term financings on a secured or unsecured basis. We may repay all or a portion of such
borrowings from time to time with the net proceeds from subsequent long-term debt financings, additional equity offerings,
cash generated from operations and asset sales. Therefore, our ability to execute our business strategy, particularly the
acquisition of additional commercial jet aircraft or other aviation assets, depends to a significant degree on our ability to
obtain additional debt and equity capital on terms we deem attractive.
See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital
Resources — Secured Debt Financings” and ”Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources — Unsecured Debt Financings.”
Segments
We operate in a single segment.
Aircraft Leases
Nearly all of our aircraft are contracted on operating leases. Under an operating lease, we retain the benefit, and bear
the risk, of re-leasing and of the residual value of the aircraft at the end of the lease. Operating leasing can be an attractive
alternative to ownership for an airline because leasing increases their fleet flexibility, requires lower capital commitments,
and significantly reduces aircraft residual value risks. Under these leases, the lessee agrees to lease an aircraft for a fixed
term, although certain of our operating leases allow the lessee the option to extend the lease for an additional term or, in
rare cases, terminate the lease prior to its expiration. As a percentage of lease rental revenue for the year ended December 31,
2014, our three largest customers, Martinair (including its affiliate Transavia), LATAM Airlines Group S.A. and South
African Airways Pty. Ltd., accounted for 6%, 6% and 5%, respectively.
The scheduled maturities of our aircraft leases by aircraft type grouping currently are as follows, taking into account
lease placement and renewal commitments as of February 6, 2015:
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
A319/A320/A321
A330-200/300
737-700/800/900ER
757-200 / 767-300ER
777-200ER / 300ER
E195
Freighters
Total
____________
1
—
3
—
—
—
2
6
3
3
7
—
—
—
1
14
2 —
1
4
9
2
6
1
6
2
3
5
1
8
3
6
4 — —
11 —
5
2
6
3
2
1 — —
1 — —
—
2
2 —
1 — —
— — — — — —
1
4
24
6 — — —
2 —
14
13
17
14
10
9
1
4
—
16
— —
3
1
—
1
—
—
5
1
—
—
—
—
1
Off-
Lease(1)
Total
—
—
5
—
—
—
5
40
27
45
8
8
5
15
148
(1) Consists of five Boeing 737-800 aircraft which were returned to us by a Russia-based customer in the first quarter of 2015 pursuant to early termination
agreement that were signed in the fourth quarter of 2014.
2015 Lease Expirations and Lease Placements
We began the year with six aircraft having scheduled lease expirations in 2015 that did not already have signed lease
commitments in place. These six aircraft, which account for 1.7% of our net book value of flight equipment (including flight
equipment held for lease and net investment in finance leases) at December 31, 2014, represent our best estimate for the
aircraft which we will need to place on lease or sell this year. We currently expect to sell three of these remaining six aircraft.
5
2016-2019 Lease Expirations and Lease Placements
Taking into account lease and sale commitments, we currently have the following number of aircraft with lease
expirations scheduled in the period 2016-2019 representing the percentage of our net book value of flight equipment
(including flight equipment held for lease and net investment in finance leases) at December 31, 2014 specified below:
• 2016: 14 aircraft, representing 7%;
• 2017: 24 aircraft, representing 16%;
• 2018: 14 aircraft, representing 13%; and
• 2019: 13 aircraft, representing 10%.
Lease Payments and Security. Each of our leases requires the lessee to pay periodic rentals during the lease term.
As of December 31, 2014, rentals on more than 92% of our leases then in effect, as a percentage of net book value, are fixed
and do not vary according to changes in interest rates. For the remaining leases, rentals are payable on a floating interest-
rate basis. Most lease rentals are payable either monthly or quarterly in advance, and all lease rentals are payable in
U.S. dollars.
Under our leases, the lessee must pay operating expenses accrued or payable during the term of the lease, which would
normally include maintenance, overhaul, fuel, crew, landing, airport and navigation charges, certain taxes, licenses, consents
and approvals, aircraft registration and insurance premiums. Typically, under an operating lease, the lessee is required to
make payments for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components of the aircraft. These
maintenance payments are based on hours or cycles of utilization or on calendar time, depending upon the component, and
are required to be made monthly in arrears or at the end of the lease term. Our determination of whether to permit a lessee
to make maintenance payments at the end of the lease term, rather than requiring such payments to be made monthly, depends
on a variety of factors, including the creditworthiness of the lessee, the amount of security deposit which may be provided
by the lessee and market conditions at the time. If a lessee is making monthly maintenance payments, we would typically
be obligated to use the funds paid by the lessee during the lease term to reimburse the lessee for costs they incur for heavy
maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components, usually shortly following completion of the relevant
work. If a lease requires end of lease term maintenance payments, typically the lessee would be required to pay us for its
utilization of the aircraft during the lease; however, in some cases, we may owe a net payment to the lessee in the event
heavy maintenance is performed and paid for by the lessee during the lease term and the aircraft is returned to us in better
condition than at lease inception.
Many of our leases also contain provisions requiring us to pay a portion of the cost of modifications to the aircraft
performed by the lessee at its expense, if such modifications are mandated by recognized airworthiness authorities. Typically,
these provisions would set a threshold, below which the lessee would not have a right to seek reimbursement and above
which we may be required to pay a portion of the cost incurred by the lessee. The lessees are obliged to remove liens on the
aircraft other than liens permitted under the leases.
Our leases generally provide that the lessees’ payment obligations are absolute and unconditional under any and all
circumstances and require lessees to make payments without withholding payment on account of any amounts the lessor
may owe the lessee or any claims the lessee may have against the lessor for any reason, except that under certain of the
leases a breach of quiet enjoyment by the lessor may permit a lessee to withhold payment. The leases also generally include
an obligation of the lessee to gross up payments under the lease where lease payments are subject to withholding and other
taxes, although there may be some limitations to the gross up obligation, including provisions which do not require a lessee
to gross up payments if the withholdings arise out of our ownership or tax structure. In addition, changes in law may result
in the imposition of withholding and other taxes and charges that are not reimbursable by the lessee under the lease or that
cannot be so reimbursed under applicable law. Lessees may fail to reimburse us even when obligated under the lease to do
so. Our leases also generally require the lessee to indemnify the lessor for tax liabilities relating to the leases and the aircraft,
including in most cases, value added tax and stamp duties, but excluding income tax or its equivalent imposed on the lessor.
Portfolio Risk Management
Our objective is to build and maintain an operating lease portfolio which is balanced and diversified and delivers
returns commensurate with risk. We have portfolio concentration objectives to assist in portfolio risk management and
highlight areas where action to mitigate risk may be appropriate, and take into account the following:
6
•
•
•
•
•
individual lessee exposures;
geographic concentrations;
aircraft type concentrations;
portfolio credit quality distribution; and
lease maturity distribution.
We have a risk management team which undertakes detailed credit due diligence on lessees when aircraft are being
acquired with a lease already in place and for placement of aircraft with new lessees following lease expiration or termination.
Lease Management and Remarketing
Our aircraft re-leasing strategy is to develop opportunities proactively, well in advance of scheduled lease expiration,
to enable consideration of a broad set of alternatives, including passenger or freighter deployments, or part-out or other
sales, and to allow for reconfiguration or maintenance lead times where needed. We also take a proactive approach to
monitoring the credit quality of our customers, and seek early return and redeployment of aircraft if we feel that a lessee is
unlikely to perform its obligations under a lease. We have invested significant resources in developing and implementing
what we consider to be state-of-the-art lease management information systems and processes to enable efficient management
of aircraft in our portfolio.
Other Aviation Assets and Alternative New Business Approaches
As of December 31, 2014, our overall portfolio of assets consists entirely of commercial jet aircraft. We believe
investment opportunities may arise in related sectors such as jet engine and spare parts leasing and financing and commercial
turboprop aircraft and helicopter leasing and financing. In the future, we may make opportunistic investments in these or
other sectors or in other aviation-related assets and we intend to continue to explore other income-generating activities and
investments. We established a joint venture with Teachers' in December 2013 in order to leverage our experience and
contacts that will invest in leased aircraft, provided that capital is available to fund such investments on attractive terms. As
of December 31, 2014, the joint venture's total assets were $545 million. At February 6, 2015, Teachers' holds 9.7% of our
common shares. Therefore, each of the joint venture and the sales of the aircraft were arm's length related party transactions
under our related party policy and were approved by our Audit Committee.
We believe we have a world class servicing platform and may also pursue opportunities to capitalize on these capabilities
such as providing aircraft management services for third party aircraft owners.
Competition
The aircraft leasing and trading industry is highly competitive with a significant number of active participants. We
face competition for the acquisition of aircraft from airlines and other aircraft owners, for the placement of aircraft on lease
with airlines and for buyers of aircraft assets which we may wish to divest.
Competition for aircraft acquisitions comes from large established aircraft leasing companies, smaller players, and
new entrants. The improvement in financial markets conditions over the past three years has increased competition across
most asset types and has drawn many new investors to our business.
Larger lessors are generally more focused on acquiring new aircraft via both purchase and lease-back transactions
with airlines and through direct orders with the original equipment manufacturers. These larger lessors include companies
such as GE Capital Aviation Services, AerCap Holdings NV ("AerCap"), Air Lease Corporation, Aviation Capital Group,
CIT Aerospace, AWAS, SMBC Aviation Capital, BOC Aviation and Avolon Holdings. In addition, several major Asian
financial institutions have entered the market for new aircraft over the past several years through new leasing subsidiaries
and have been pursuing business aggressively.
During 2014, AerCap acquired the common stock of ILFC, a wholly owned subsidiary of American International
Group, creating, by some measures, the largest aircraft leasing company. In doing so, AerCap also became the largest
publicly traded aircraft leasing company with a year-end 2014 market capitalization of more than $8 billion. In December
2014, Avolon Holdings completed an initial public offering of stock, making them the fifth major aircraft leasing company
to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
7
Competition for mid-aged and older aircraft typically comes from smaller players that, in many cases, rely on private
equity or hedge fund capital sources. Such competitors include Apollo Aviation Group, Deucalion, Oak Hill Aviation and
a number of relatively new players funded by alternative investment funds and companies.
Competition for leasing or re-leasing of aircraft, as well as aircraft sales is based principally upon the availability,
type and condition of aircraft, lease rates, prices and other lease terms. Aircraft manufacturers, airlines and other operators,
distributors, equipment managers, leasing companies, financial institutions and other parties engaged in leasing, managing,
marketing or remarketing aircraft compete with us, although their focus may be on different market segments and aircraft
types.
Some of our competitors have, or may obtain, greater financial resources than us and may have a lower cost of capital.
A number also commit to speculative orders of new aircraft to be placed on operating lease upon delivery from the
manufacturer, which compete with new and used aircraft offered by other lessors. However, we believe that we are able to
compete favorably in aircraft acquisition, leasing and sales activities due to the reputation of our team of experienced
professionals, extensive market contacts and expertise in sourcing and acquiring aircraft. We also believe our access of
unsecured capital markets debt provides us with a competitive advantage in pursuing investments quickly and reliably and
in acquiring aircraft in situations for which it may be more difficult to finance on a secured, non-recourse basis.
Employees
We operate in a capital intensive, rather than a labor intensive, business. As of December 31, 2014, we had
97 employees. None of our employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement and we believe that we maintain
excellent employee relations. We provide certain employee benefits, including retirement benefits, and health, life, disability
and accident insurance plans.
Insurance
We require our lessees to carry airline general third-party legal liability insurance, all-risk aircraft hull insurance (both
with respect to the aircraft and with respect to each engine when not installed on our aircraft) and war-risk hull and legal
liability insurance. We are named as an additional insured on liability insurance policies carried by our lessees, and we or
one of our lenders would typically be designated as a loss payee in the event of a total loss of the aircraft. We maintain
contingent hull and liability insurance coverage with respect to our aircraft which is intended to provide coverage for certain
risks, including the risk of cancellation of the hull or liability insurance maintained by any of our lessees without notice to
us, but which excludes coverage for other risks such as the risk of insolvency of the primary insurer or reinsurer.
We maintain insurance policies to cover non-aviation risks related to physical damage to our equipment and property,
as well as with respect to third-party liabilities arising through the course of our normal business operations (other than
aircraft operations). We also maintain limited business interruption insurance to cover a portion of the costs we would expect
to incur in connection with a disruption to our main facilities, and we maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance
providing coverage for liabilities related to the service of our directors, officers and certain employees. Consistent with
industry practice, our insurance policies are generally subject to deductibles or self-retention amounts.
We believe that the insurance coverage currently carried by our lessees and by Aircastle provides adequate protection
against the accident-related and other covered risks involved in the conduct of our business. However, there can be no
assurance that we have adequately insured against all risks, that lessees will at all times comply with their obligations to
maintain insurance, that our lessees’ insurers and re-insurers will be or will remain solvent and able to satisfy any claims,
that any particular claim will ultimately be paid or that we will be able to procure adequate insurance coverage at commercially
reasonable rates in the future.
Government Regulation
The air transportation industry is highly regulated, We are however, generally not directly subject to most of these
regulations because we do not operate aircraft. In contrast, our lessees are subject to extensive, direct regulation under the
laws of the jurisdictions in which they are registered and under which they operate. Such laws govern, among other things,
the registration, operation and maintenance of our aircraft. Our customers may also be subject to noise or emissions regulations
in the jurisdictions in which they operate our aircraft. For example, the United States and other jurisdictions impose more
stringent limits on nitrogen oxide (“NOx”), carbon monoxide (“CO”) and carbon dioxide (“CO2”) emissions from engines.
In addition, European countries generally have more strict environmental regulations and, in particular, the European Union
8
("EU") has included aviation in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (“ETS”), although the United States, China and
other countries continue to oppose the inclusion of aviation emissions in ETS.
Most of our aircraft are registered in the jurisdiction in which the lessee of the aircraft is certified as an air operator.
As a result, our aircraft are subject to the airworthiness and other standards imposed by such jurisdictions. Laws affecting
the airworthiness of aircraft generally are designed to ensure that all aircraft and related equipment are continuously
maintained under a program that will enable safe operation of the aircraft. Most countries’ aviation laws require aircraft to
be maintained under an approved maintenance program having defined procedures and intervals for inspection, maintenance
and repair.
Our lessees are sometimes obligated by us to obtain governmental approval to import and lease our aircraft, to operate
our aircraft on certain routes and to pay us in U.S. dollars. Usually, these approvals are obtained prior to lease commencement
as a condition to our delivery of the aircraft. Governmental leave to deregister and/or re-export an aircraft at lease expiration
or termination may also be required.
We are also subject to U.S. regulations governing the lease and sale of aircraft to foreign entities. Specifically, the U.S.
Department of Commerce (through its Bureau of Industry and Security) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (through
its Office of Foreign Assets Control) impose restrictions on the operation of U.S.-made goods, such as aircraft and engines,
in sanctioned countries, and also impose restrictions on the ability of U.S. companies to conduct business with entities in
certain countries and with certain individuals. We structure our aircraft lease and sale documentation to require compliance
with these restrictions.
Inflation
Inflation affects our lease rentals, asset values and costs, including SG&A expenses and other expenses. We do not
believe that our financial results have been, or will be, adversely affected by inflation in a material way.
Subsequent Events
The Company’s management has reviewed and evaluated all events or transactions for potential recognition and/or
disclosure since the balance sheet date of December 31, 2014 through the date of this filing, the date on which the consolidated
financial statements included in this Form 10-K were issued.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the following factors, which
could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or ability to pay dividends in
future periods or to meet our debt obligations. The risks described below are not the only risks facing our Company.
Additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely
affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or ability to pay dividends in future periods.
Risks Related to Our Business
Risks Related to Our Operations
Volatile financial market conditions may adversely impact our liquidity, our access to capital and our cost of capital and
may adversely impact the airline industry and the financial condition of our lessees.
The financial crisis that began in the second half of 2008 resulted in significant global market volatility and disruption
and a lack of liquidity. While these conditions have stabilized and many segments of the capital markets have improved
substantially since the first quarter of 2009, the availability and pricing of capital in the commercial bank market and in the
unsecured bond market remain susceptible to global events, including, for example, the recent decision by the U.S. Federal
Reserve to begin tapering its asset purchase program and concerns over China's economy and banking system. If we need,
but cannot obtain, adequate capital on satisfactory terms, or at all, as a result of negative conditions in the capital markets
or otherwise, our business, financial condition, results of operations or our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders could
be materially adversely affected. Additionally, such inability to obtain capital on satisfactory terms, or at all, could prevent
us from pursuing attractive future growth opportunities.
9
Risks affecting the airline industry may adversely affect our customers and have a material adverse impact on our financial
results.
We operate as a supplier to airlines and are indirectly impacted by all the risks facing airlines today. The ability of
each lessee to perform its obligations under the relevant lease will depend primarily on the lessee’s financial condition and
cash flow, which may be affected by factors beyond our control, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
passenger and air cargo demand;
competition;
passenger fare levels and air cargo rates;
the continuing availability of government support, whether through subsidies, loans, guarantees, equity
investments or otherwise;
availability of financing and other circumstances affecting airline liquidity, including covenants in financings,
terms imposed by credit card issuers, collateral posting requirements contained in fuel hedging contracts and the
ability of airlines to make or refinance principal payments as they come due;
geopolitical and other events, including war, acts or threats of terrorism, outbreaks of epidemic diseases and
natural disasters;
aircraft accidents;
operating costs, including the price and availability of jet fuel, labor costs and insurance costs and coverages;
restrictions in labor contracts and labor difficulties;
economic conditions, including recession, financial system distress and currency fluctuations in the countries and
regions in which the lessee operates or from which the lessee obtains financing; and
governmental regulation of, or affecting the air transportation business, including noise regulations, emissions
regulations, climate change initiatives, and aircraft age limitations.
These factors, and others, may lead to defaults by our customers, or may delay or prevent aircraft deliveries or transitions,
result in payment restructurings or other lease term restructurings, and may increase our costs from repossessions and reduce
our revenues due to downtime or lower re-lease rates.
We bear the risk of re-leasing and selling our aircraft in order to meet our debt obligations, finance our growth and
operations, pay dividends and, ultimately, realize upon the investment in the aircraft in our portfolio.
We bear the risk of re-leasing and selling or otherwise disposing of our aircraft in order to continue to generate revenues.
In certain cases we commit to purchase aircraft that are not subject to lease and therefore are subject to lease placement risk
for aircraft we are obliged to purchase. Because only a portion of an aircraft’s value is covered by contractual cash flows
from an operating lease, we are exposed to the risk that the residual value of the aircraft will not be sufficient to permit us
to fully recover or realize a gain on our investment in the aircraft and to the risk that we may have to record impairment
charges. Further, our ability to re-lease, lease or sell aircraft on favorable terms, or at all, or without significant off-lease
time and transition costs is likely to be adversely impacted by risks affecting the airline industry generally.
Other factors that may affect our ability to realize upon the investment in our aircraft and that may increase the likelihood
of impairment charges, include higher fuel prices which may reduce demand for older, less fuel efficient aircraft, additional
environmental regulations, customer preferences and other factors that may effectively shorten the useful life of older aircraft.
We wrote down the value of some of our assets during 2014, and if conditions worsen, or in the event of a customer
default, we may be required to record further write-downs.
We test our assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts for
such assets are not recoverable from their expected, undiscounted cash flows. We also perform our annual fleet-wide
recoverability assessment during the third quarter of each year. This recoverability assessment is a comparison of the carrying
value of each aircraft to its undiscounted expected future cash flows. We develop the assumptions used in the recoverability
assessment, including those relating to current and future demand for each aircraft type, based on management's experience
in the aircraft leasing industry as well as information received from third party sources. We refer to impairments arising
from this analysis as "Annual Fleet-Wide Impairments". During our 2014 assessment, we reduced our forecast of future
cash flows for two older freighter aircraft and recorded an aggregate of $19.5 million in impairments during the third quarter.
In addition to charges arising from our fleet-wide review, during 2014 we recorded impairment charges of $42.7 million
on several aircraft that were returned to us early as a result of lease terminations or amendments which we refer to as
10
"Transactional Impairments". During 2014, we also recorded impairment charges of $30.9 million related to our exit from
converted freighter aircraft which we refer to as "Freighters Held for Sale". We recorded maintenance revenue and other
revenue and reversed lease incentives related to some of these aircraft that partly offset these impairments. See “Item 7:
Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Summary of Impairments and
Recoverability Assessment” for more details.
If anticipated aircraft lease cash flows or sales values worsen due to a decline in market conditions, or a lessee customer
defaults, we may have to reassess the carrying value of one or more of our aircraft assets. In particular, we believe that as
aircraft approach the end of their economic useful lives, their carrying values may be more susceptible to non-recoverable
declines in value because such assets will have a shorter opportunity in which to benefit from a market recovery. As such,
it is possible that additional impairments may be triggered for other long-lived assets and any such impairment amounts
may be material. As of December 31, 2014, based on net book value, 19% of our aircraft portfolio was 15 years or older,
5% of our aircraft portfolio was 20 years or older and less than 1% of our aircraft portfolio was 25 years or older.
Our financial reporting for lease revenue may be significantly impacted by a proposed new model for lease accounting.
On August 17, 2010, the International Accounting Standards Board, (“IASB”), and FASB published for public comment
joint proposals (the “Proposals”) to change the financial reporting of lease contracts (“Lease ED”).
In May 2013, the FASB issued re-exposure draft, “Leases” (the “Lease Re-ED”), which would replace the existing
guidance in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 840 (“ASC 840”), Leases. In March 2014, the FASB decided
that the accounting for leases by lessors would basically remain unchanged from the concepts existing in current ASC 840
accounting. In addition, the FASB decided that a lessor should be precluded from recognizing selling profit and revenue at
lease commencement for any sales-type or direct finance lease that does not transfer control of the underlying asset to the
lessee. This requirement aligns the notion of what constitutes a sale in the lessor accounting guidance with that in the
forthcoming revenue recognition standard, which evaluates whether a sale has occurred from the customer’s perspective.
We anticipate that the final lease standard may have an effective date no earlier than 2017. We believe that when and if the
proposed guidance becomes effective, the changes will not have a material impact our financial results and the market price
of our shares.
Our ability to obtain debt financing and our cost of debt financing is, in part, dependent upon our credit ratings and a
credit downgrade could adversely impact our financial results.
Our ability to obtain debt financing and our cost of debt financing is dependent, in part, on our credit ratings. Maintaining
our credit ratings depends in part on strong financial results and in part on other factors, including the outlook of the ratings
agencies on our sector and on the market generally. A credit rating downgrade may result in higher pricing or less favorable
terms under secured financings, including Export Credit Agency backed financings, or may make it more difficult or more
costly for us to raise debt financing in the unsecured bond market. Credit rating downgrades may therefore make it more
difficult to satisfy our funding requirements.
An increase in our borrowing costs may adversely affect our earnings and cash available for distribution to our
shareholders.
Our aircraft are financed under long-term debt financings. As these financings mature, we will be required to either
refinance these instruments by entering into new financings, which could result in higher borrowing costs, or repay them
by using cash on hand or cash from the sale of our assets.
Departure of key officers could harm our business and financial results.
Our senior management’s reputations and relationships with lessees, sellers, buyers and financiers of aircraft are a
critical element of our business. We encounter intense competition for qualified employees from other companies in the
aircraft leasing industry, and we believe there are only a limited number of available qualified executives in our industry.
Our future success depends, to a significant extent, upon the continued service of our senior management personnel, and if
we lose one or more of these individuals, our business could be adversely affected.
11
We may not be able to pay or maintain dividends, or we may choose not to pay dividends, and the failure to pay or maintain
dividends may adversely affect our share price.
On October 31, 2014, our board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.22 per common share, or an
aggregate of approximately $17.8 million, which was paid on December 15, 2014 to holders of record on November 28,
2014. This dividend may not be indicative of the amount of any future quarterly dividends. Our ability to pay, maintain or
increase cash dividends to our shareholders is subject to the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on many
factors, including: our ability to comply with financial covenants in our financing documents that limit our ability to pay
dividends and make certain other restricted payments; the difficulty we may experience in raising, and the cost of, additional
capital and our ability to finance our aircraft acquisition commitments; our ability to re-finance our securitizations and other
long-term financings; our ability to negotiate and enforce favorable lease rates and other contractual terms; the level of
demand for our aircraft in the lease placement or sales markets; the economic condition of the commercial aviation industry
generally; the financial condition and liquidity of our lessees; unexpected or increased aircraft maintenance or other expenses;
the level and timing of capital expenditures, principal repayments and other capital needs; maintaining our credit ratings,
our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity; legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, including a statutory
dividend test and other limitations under Bermuda law; and general business conditions and other factors that our board of
directors deems relevant. Some of these factors are beyond our control. In the future we may not choose to pay dividends
or may not be able to pay dividends, maintain our current level of dividends, or increase them over time. The failure to
maintain or pay dividends may adversely affect our share price.
We are subject to risks related to our indebtedness that may limit our operational flexibility and our ability to compete
with our competitors.
General Risks
As of December 31, 2014, our total indebtedness was approximately $3.8 billion, representing approximately 68.8%
of our total capitalization. Aircastle Limited has guaranteed most of this indebtedness, and we are responsible on a full
recourse basis for timely payment when due and compliance with covenants under the related debt documentation. As a
result of our substantial amount of indebtedness, we may be unable to generate sufficient cash to pay, when due, the principal
of, interest on or other amounts due with respect to our indebtedness, and our substantial amount of indebtedness may
increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions, reduce our flexibility in planning for or reaction to
changes in the business environment or in our business or industry, and adversely affect our cash flow and our ability to
operate our business and compete with our competitors.
Our indebtedness subjects us to certain risks, including:
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a significant percentage of our aircraft and aircraft leases serve as collateral for our secured indebtedness, and
the terms of certain of our indebtedness require us to use proceeds from sales of aircraft, in part, to repay amounts
outstanding under such indebtedness;
under terms of certain debt facilities, we may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flows from
operations, if available, to debt service payments, thereby reducing the amount of our cash flow available to pay
dividends, fund working capital, make capital expenditures and satisfy other needs;
our failure to comply with the terms of our indebtedness, including restrictive covenants contained therein, may
result in additional interest being due or defaults that could result in the acceleration of the principal, and unpaid
interest on, the defaulted debt, as well as the forfeiture of any aircraft pledged as collateral; and
non-compliance with covenants prohibiting certain investments and other restricted payments, including
limitations on our ability to pay dividends, repurchase our common shares, raise additional capital or refinance
our existing debt, may reduce our operational flexibility and limit our ability to refinance or grow the business.
Risks Relating to Our Long-term Financings
The provisions of our long-term financings require us to comply with financial and other covenants. Our compliance
with these ratios, tests and covenants depends upon, among other things, the timely receipt of lease payments from our
lessees and upon our overall financial performance.
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• ECA Term Financings. Our ECA term financings contain a $500 million minimum net worth covenant and also
contain, among other customary provisions, a material adverse change default and a cross-default to certain other
financings of the Company.
• Bank Financings. Our bank financings contain, among other customary provisions, a $500 million minimum net
worth covenant and a cross-default to certain other financings of the Company.
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Senior Notes. Our senior notes indenture imposes operating and financial restrictions on our activities. These
restrictions limit our ability to, or in certain cases prohibit us from, incurring or guaranteeing additional
indebtedness, refinancing our existing indebtedness, paying dividends, repurchasing our common shares, making
other restricted payments, making certain investments or entering into joint ventures and a cross-default to certain
other financings of the Company.
• Revolving Credit Facility. Our revolving credit facility contains a $750 million minimum net worth covenant, a
minimum unencumbered asset ratio, a minimum interest coverage ratio and a cross-default to certain other
financings of the Company.
In addition, under the terms of the securitization, certain transactions will require the consent or approval of independent
directors, the rating agencies that rated the applicable portfolio’s certificates or the financial guaranty insurance policy issuer.
Absent the aforementioned consent, which we may not receive, we may not be able to lease our aircraft to certain customers
or to sell an aircraft, even if to do so would provide the best risk/return outcome at that time.
The terms of our financings also restrict our ability to incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or engage in mergers,
amalgamations or consolidations among our subsidiary companies or between a subsidiary company and a third party or
otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets.
We are subject to various risks and requirements associated with transacting business in foreign jurisdictions.
The international nature of our business exposes us to trade and economic sanctions and other restrictions imposed
by the U.S. and other governments. The U.S. Departments of Justice, Commerce, Treasury and other agencies and authorities
have a broad range of civil and criminal penalties they may seek to impose against companies for violations of export
controls, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), and other federal statutes, sanctions and regulations, including those
established by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) and, increasingly, similar or more restrictive foreign laws,
rules and regulations, including the U.K. Bribery Act (“UKBA”), which may also apply to us. By virtue of these laws and
regulations, and under laws and regulations in other jurisdictions, we may be obliged to limit our business activities, we
may incur costs for compliance programs and we may be subject to enforcement actions or penalties for noncompliance. In
recent years, U.S. and foreign governments have increased their oversight and enforcement activities with respect to these
laws, and we expect the relevant agencies to continue to increase these activities.
We have compliance policies and training programs in place for our employees with respect to FCPA, OFAC
Regulations, UKBA and similar laws, but there can be no assurance that our employees, consultants or agents will not engage
in conduct for which we may be held responsible. Violations of FCPA, OFAC Regulations, UKBA and other laws, sanctions
or regulations may result in severe criminal or civil penalties, and we may be subject to other liabilities.
We are dependent upon information technology systems, which are subject to disruption, damage, failure and risks
associated with implementation and integration.
We are dependent upon information technology systems to manage, process, store and transmit information associated
with our operations, which may include proprietary business information and personally identifiable information of our
customers and employees. Our information technology systems are subject to disruption, damage or failure from a variety
of sources, including, without limitation, computer viruses, security breaches, cyber-attacks, employee error, natural disasters
and defects in design. Damage, disruption, or failure of one or more information technology systems may result in
interruptions to our operations in the interim or may require a significant investment to fix or replace them or may result in
significant damage to our reputation. Although various measures have been implemented to manage our risks related to the
information technology systems and network disruptions, a cyber-attack could lead to the loss of sensitive information,
including our own proprietary information or that of our customers and employees, and could harm our reputation and result
in lost revenues and additional costs and potential liabilities.
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Risks Related to Our Aviation Assets
The variability of supply and demand for aircraft could depress lease rates for our aircraft, which would have an adverse
effect on our financial results and growth prospects.
The aircraft leasing and sales industry has experienced periods of aircraft oversupply and undersupply. In recent years,
we believe the market has been characterized by oversupply of certain older, less fuel efficient aircraft and certain freighter
aircraft types. The oversupply of a specific type of aircraft in the market is likely to depress aircraft lease rates for, and the
value of, that type of aircraft.
The supply and demand for aircraft is affected by various cyclical and non-cyclical factors that are not under our
control, including:
passenger and air cargo demand;
operating costs, including fuel costs, and general economic conditions affecting our lessees’ operations;
geopolitical events, including war, prolonged armed conflict and acts of terrorism;
outbreaks of communicable diseases and natural disasters;
governmental regulation;
interest rates;
foreign exchange rates;
airline restructurings and bankruptcies;
the availability of credit;
changes in control of, or restructurings of, other aircraft leasing companies;
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• manufacturer production levels and technological innovation;
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climate change initiatives, technological change, aircraft noise and emissions regulations, aircraft age limits and
other factors leading to reduced demand for, early retirement or obsolescence of aircraft models;
• manufacturers merging, exiting the industry or ceasing to produce aircraft types;
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new-entrant manufacturers producing additional aircraft models, or existing manufacturers producing newly
engined aircraft models or new aircraft models, in competition with existing aircraft models;
reintroduction into service of aircraft previously in storage; and
airport and air traffic control infrastructure constraints.
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These and other factors may produce sharp decreases or increases in aircraft values and lease rates, which would
impact our cost of acquiring aircraft and our ability to grow the business, or which may result in lease defaults and also
prevent the aircraft from being re-leased or sold on favorable terms. This could have an adverse effect on our financial results
and growth prospects.
Other factors that increase the risk of decline in aircraft value and lease rates could have an adverse effect on our financial
results and growth prospects.
In addition to factors linked to the aviation industry generally, other factors that may affect the value and lease rates
of our aircraft include:
the age of the aircraft;
the particular maintenance and operating history of the airframe and engines;
the number of operators using that type of aircraft;
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• whether the aircraft is subject to a lease and, if so, whether the lease terms are favorable to us;
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applicable airworthiness directives or manufacturer’s service bulletins that have not yet been performed to the
aircraft;
grounding orders or other regulatory action that could prevent or limit utilization of our aircraft;
any regulatory and legal requirements that must be satisfied before the aircraft can be purchased, sold or re-
leased; and
compatibility of our aircraft configurations or specifications with those desired by the operators of other aircraft
of that type.
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Any decrease in the values of and lease rates for commercial aircraft which may result from the above factors or other
unanticipated factors may have a material adverse effect on our financial results and growth prospects.
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The advent of superior aircraft technology could cause our existing aircraft portfolio to become outdated and therefore
less desirable.
As manufacturers introduce technological innovations and new types of aircraft, including the Boeing 787 and Airbus
A350 and re-engined and/or replacement types for the Boeing 737, Boeing 777, Airbus A320, Airbus A330 and Embraer
E-Jet families of aircraft, certain aircraft in our existing aircraft portfolio may become less desirable to potential lessees or
purchasers. This next generation of aircraft is expected to deliver improved fuel consumption and reduced noise and emissions
with lower operating costs compared to current-technology aircraft. The Boeing 787 is currently in production while the
Boeing 777X is expected to enter service in 2020-2021. The first variant of the Airbus A350 entered service in December
2014. The A320neo, A330neo and 737 MAX families of aircraft are expected to enter service between 2016 and 2017 and
Embraer has also announced that it intends to produce a second generation of E-Jets as early as 2018. Further, Bombardier
Inc., Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd and Sukhoi Company (JSC) are developing aircraft models that will
compete with the Airbus A319 and Boeing 737 and other aircraft in our fleet.
The introduction of these new models could adversely affect our ability to lease or sell our aircraft on favorable terms,
or at all.
The effects of energy, emissions, and noise regulations and policies may negatively affect the airline industry. This may
cause lessees to default on their lease payment obligations to us and may limit the market for certain aircraft in our
portfolio.
Governmental regulations regarding aircraft and engine noise and emissions levels apply based on where the relevant
aircraft is registered and operated. For example, jurisdictions throughout the world have adopted noise regulations which
require all aircraft to comply with noise level standards. In addition to the current requirements, the United States and the
International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”) have adopted a new, more stringent set of standards for noise levels
which applies to engines manufactured or certified on or after January 1, 2006. Currently, U.S. regulations would not require
any phase-out of aircraft that qualify with the older standards applicable to engines manufactured or certified prior to
January 1, 2006, but the EU has established a framework for the imposition of operating limitations on aircraft that do not
comply with the new standards. These regulations could limit the economic life of the aircraft and engines, reduce their
value, limit our ability to lease or sell these non-compliant aircraft and engines or, if engine modifications are permitted,
require us to make significant additional investments in the aircraft and engines to make them compliant.
In addition to stringent noise restrictions, the U.S. and other jurisdictions have imposed stringent limits on aircraft
engine emissions, such as NOx, CO and CO2, consistent with current ICAO standards. European countries have relatively
strict environmental regulations that can restrict operational flexibility and decrease aircraft productivity. The EU has included
the aviation sector in its ETS, and has attempted to apply the ETS to flights outside of European airspace. This effort has
been opposed by the U.S. and other countries. The EU has since suspended the ETS for flights from or to non-European
countries due to a proposal issued by the ICAO in October 2013 for a global program to reduce aircraft greenhouse gases
(“GHGs”), which would become effective by 2020. As a result the EU has also proposed to amend the ETS to permanently
exclude all flights or portions thereof that do not take place in European regional airspace from the ETS until the ICAO
mechanism goes into effect. Finally, the ICAO has also adopted a resolution designed to cap GHGs from aircraft and further
committed to propose a GHG standard for aircraft engines by 2016.
Over time, it is possible that governments will adopt additional regulatory requirements and/or market-based policies
that are intended to reduce energy usage, emissions, and noise levels from aircraft. Such initiatives may be based on concerns
regarding climate change, energy security, public health, local impacts, or other factors, and may also impact the global
market for certain aircraft and cause behavioral shifts that result in decreased demand for air travel. These concerns could
also result in greater limitations on the operation of our fleet, particularly aircraft equipped with other technology engines.
Compliance with current or future regulations, taxes or duties could cause our lessees to incur higher costs and lead
to higher ticket prices, which could mean lower demand for travel and adverse impacts on the financial condition of our
lessees. Such compliance may also affect our lessees’ ability to make rental and other lease payments and limit the market
for aircraft in our portfolio, which could have other negative effects on our financial position.
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The older age, or older technology, of some of our aircraft may expose us to higher than anticipated maintenance related
expenses.
As of December 31, 2014, 19% of our aircraft portfolio, based on net book value, was 15 years or older. In general,
the costs of operating an aircraft, including maintenance expenditures, increase with the age of the aircraft. Additionally,
older aircraft typically are less fuel-efficient than newer aircraft and may be more difficult to re-lease or sell, particularly
if, due to increasing production rates by aircraft manufacturers or airline insolvencies or other distress, older aircraft are
competing with newer aircraft in the lease or sale market. Expenses like fuel, aging aircraft inspections, maintenance or
modification programs and related airworthiness directives could make the operation of older aircraft less economically
feasible and may result in increased lessee defaults. We may also incur some of these increased maintenance expenses and
regulatory costs upon acquisition or re-leasing of our aircraft. In addition, a number of countries have adopted or may adopt
age limits on aircraft imports, which may result in greater difficulty placing affected aircraft on lease or re-lease on favorable
terms.
The concentration of aircraft types in our aircraft portfolio could lead to adverse effects on our business and financial
results should any difficulties specific to these particular types of aircraft occur.
Our owned aircraft portfolio is concentrated in certain aircraft types. Should any of these aircraft types (or other types
we acquire in the future) or aircraft manufacturers encounter technical, financial or other difficulties, it would cause a
decrease in value of these aircraft, an inability to lease the aircraft on favorable terms or at all, or a potential grounding of
these aircraft, which may adversely impact our financial results, to the extent the affected aircraft types comprise a significant
percentage of our aircraft portfolio.
We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities in aviation assets and for the leasing and sale of
aircraft.
We compete with other operating lessors, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, financial institutions, aircraft brokers and
other investors with respect to aircraft acquisitions, leasing and sales. The aircraft leasing industry is highly competitive and
may be divided into three basic activities: (i) aircraft acquisition, (ii) leasing or re-leasing of aircraft, and (iii) aircraft sales.
Competition varies among these three basic activities.
A number of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing
resources than we do. Some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available
to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk or residual value assessments,
which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships, bid more aggressively on
aviation assets available for sale and offer lower lease rates or sales prices than we can. Some of our competitors may provide
financial services, maintenance services or other inducements to potential lessees or buyers that we cannot provide. As a
result of competitive pressures, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to
time, and we may not be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives. We are
beginning to see a greater supply of certain aircraft, engines and parts being offered for sale in the part-out market as other
leasing companies start addressing the older aircraft in their portfolios. Additionally, the barriers to entry in the aircraft
acquisition and leasing market are comparatively low, and new entrants with private equity, hedge fund, Asian bank or other
funding sources appear from time to time. We may not be able to compete effectively against present and future competitors
in the aircraft acquisition, leasing or sales market.
Risks Related to Our Leases
If lessees are unable to fund their maintenance obligations on our aircraft, we may incur increased costs at the conclusion
of the applicable lease.
The standards of maintenance observed by the various lessees and the condition of the aircraft at the time of lease or
sale may affect the future values and rental rates for our aircraft.
Under our leases, the relevant lessee is generally responsible for maintaining the aircraft and complying with all
governmental requirements applicable to the lessee and the aircraft, including, without limitation, operational, maintenance,
and registration requirements and airworthiness directives, although in certain cases we may agree to share certain of these
costs. Failure of a lessee to perform required aircraft maintenance or required airworthiness directives could result in a
decrease in value of such aircraft, an adverse effect on our ability to lease the aircraft at favorable rates or at all, or a potential
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grounding of such aircraft, and will likely require us to incur increased maintenance and modification costs upon the expiration
or earlier termination of the applicable lease, which could be substantial, to restore such aircraft to an acceptable condition.
If any of our aircraft are not subject to a lease, we would be required to bear the entire cost of maintaining that aircraft and
performing any required airworthiness directives.
Certain of our leases provide that the lessee is required to make periodic payments to us during the lease term in order
to provide cash reserves for the major maintenance. In these leases there is an associated liability for us to reimburse the
lessee after such maintenance is performed. A substantial number of our leases do not provide for any periodic maintenance
reserve payments to be made to us. Typically, these lessees are required to make payments at the end of the lease term;
however, in the event such lessees default, we may be required to fund the entire cost of performing major maintenance on
the relevant aircraft without having received compensating maintenance payments from these lessees.
Even if we receive maintenance payments, these payments may not cover the entire expense of the scheduled
maintenance they are intended to fund. In addition, maintenance payments typically cover only certain scheduled maintenance
requirements and do not cover all required maintenance and all scheduled maintenance. As a result, we may incur
unanticipated or significant costs at the conclusion of a lease.
Failure to pay certain potential additional operating costs could result in the grounding or arrest of our aircraft and
prevent the re-lease, sale or other use of our aircraft.
As in the case of maintenance costs, we may incur other operational costs upon a lessee default or where the terms of
the lease require us to pay a portion of those costs. Such costs include:
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the costs of casualty, liability and political risk insurance and the liability costs or losses when insurance coverage
has not been or cannot be obtained as required, or is insufficient in amount or scope;
the costs of licensing, exporting or importing an aircraft, airport charges, customs duties, air navigation charges,
landing fees and similar governmental or quasi-governmental impositions, which can be substantial;
penalties and costs associated with the failure of lessees to keep aircraft registered under all appropriate local
requirements or obtain required governmental licenses, consents and approvals; and
carbon taxes or other fees, taxes or costs imposed under emissions limitations, climate change regulations or other
initiatives.
The failure to pay certain of these costs can result in liens on the aircraft and the failure to register the aircraft can
result in a loss of insurance. These matters could result in the grounding or arrest of the aircraft and prevent the re-lease,
sale or other use of the aircraft until the problem is cured.
Our lessees may have inadequate insurance coverage or fail to fulfill their respective indemnity obligations, which could
result in us not being covered for claims asserted against us.
By virtue of holding title to the aircraft, lessors may be held strictly liable for losses resulting from the operation of
aircraft or may be held liable for those losses based on other legal theories. Liability may be placed on an aircraft lessor in
certain jurisdictions around the world even under circumstances in which the lessor is not directly controlling the operation
of the relevant aircraft.
Lessees are required under our leases to indemnify us for, and insure against, liabilities arising out of the use and
operation of the aircraft, including third-party claims for death or injury to persons and damage to property for which we
may be deemed liable. Lessees are also required to maintain public liability, property damage and hull all risk and hull war
risk insurance on the aircraft at agreed upon levels. However, they are not generally required to maintain political risk
insurance. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, aviation insurers significantly reduced the amount of
insurance coverage available to airlines for liability to persons other than employees or passengers for claims resulting from
acts of terrorism, war or similar events. At the same time, they significantly increased the premiums for such third-party
war risk and terrorism liability insurance and coverage in general. As a result, the amount of such third-party war risk and
terrorism liability insurance that is commercially available at any time may be below the amount stipulated in our leases.
Our lessees’ insurance, including any available governmental supplemental coverage, may not be sufficient to cover
all types of claims that may be asserted against us. Any inadequate insurance coverage or default by lessees in fulfilling
their indemnification or insurance obligations will reduce the proceeds that would be received by us upon an event of loss
under the respective leases or upon a claim under the relevant liability insurance.
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Failure to obtain certain required licenses and approvals could negatively affect our ability to re-lease or sell aircraft.
A number of our lessees must obtain licenses, consents or approvals in order to import or operate the aircraft or comply
with the leases. These include consents from governmental or regulatory authorities for certain payments under the leases
and for the import, export or deregistration of the aircraft. Subsequent changes in applicable law or administrative practice
may increase such requirements and a governmental consent, once given, might be withdrawn. Furthermore, consents needed
in connection with future re-leasing or sale of an aircraft may not be forthcoming. Any of these events could adversely affect
our ability to re-lease or sell aircraft.
Due to the fact that many of our lessees operate in emerging markets, we are indirectly subject to many of the economic
and political risks associated with competing in such markets.
Emerging markets are countries which have less developed economies that are vulnerable to economic and political
problems, such as significant fluctuations in gross domestic product, interest and currency exchange rates, civil disturbances,
government instability, nationalization and expropriation of private assets, changes in governments or government policy
and the imposition of taxes or other charges by governments. The occurrence of any of these events in markets served by
our lessees and the resulting instability may adversely affect our ownership interest in an aircraft or the ability of lessees
which operate in these markets to meet their lease obligations and these lessees may be more likely to default than lessees
that operate in developed economies. For the year ended December 31, 2014, 45 of our lessees which operated 111 aircraft
and generated lease rental revenue representing 54% of our lease rental revenue are domiciled or habitually based in emerging
markets.
Risks Related to Our Lessees
Lessee defaults could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As a general matter, airlines with weak capital structures are more likely than well-capitalized airlines to seek operating
leases, and, at any point in time, investors should expect a varying number of lessees and sub-lessees to experience payment
difficulties. As a result of their weak financial condition and lack of liquidity, a portion of lessees over time may be
significantly in arrears in their rental or maintenance payments. This is likely to be the case in the future and with other
lessees and sub-lessees of our aircraft as well, particularly in a difficult economic or operating environment. These liquidity
issues will be more likely to lead to airline failures in the context of financial system distress, volatile fuel prices, and
economic slowdown, with additional liquidity being more difficult and expensive to source. Given the size of our aircraft
portfolio, we expect that from time to time some lessees will be slow in making, or will fail to make, their payments in full
under their leases.
We may not correctly assess the credit risk of each lessee or may not be in a position to charge risk-adjusted lease
rates, and lessees may not be able to continue to perform their financial and other obligations under our leases in the future.
A delayed, reduced or missed rental payment from a lessee decreases our revenues and cash flow and may adversely affect
our ability to make payments on our indebtedness or to comply with debt service coverage or interest coverage ratios. While
we may experience some level of delinquency under our leases, default levels may increase over time, particularly as our
aircraft portfolio ages and if economic conditions deteriorate. A lessee may experience periodic difficulties that are not
financial in nature, which could impair its performance of maintenance obligations under the leases. These difficulties may
include the failure to perform required aircraft maintenance and labor-management disagreements or disputes.
In the event that a lessee defaults under a lease, any security deposit paid or letter of credit provided by the lessee may
not be sufficient to cover the lessee’s outstanding or unpaid lease obligations and required maintenance and transition
expenses.
Adverse currency movements could negatively affect our lessees' ability to honor the terms of their leases and could
materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Many of our lessees are exposed to currency risk due to the fact that they earn revenues in their local currencies while
a significant portion of their liabilities and expenses, including fuel, debt service, and lease payments are denominated in
U.S. dollars. In the case of a devaluation of the local currency, our lessees may not be able to increase revenue sufficiently
to offset the impact of exchange rates on these expenses. This is particularly true for non-U.S. airlines whose operations
are primarily domestic. This difference is magnified in the event of an appreciating U.S. dollar, as we have seen over the
course of the last year, due to the strengthening of the U.S. economy and the expectation of rising U.S. interest rates. Currency
volatility, particularly as witnessed recently in Russia and other emerging market countries, could impact the ability of some
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of our customers to meet their contractual obligations in a timely manner. Shifts in foreign exchange rates can be significant,
are difficult to predict, and can occur quickly.
If our lessees encounter financial difficulties and we decide to restructure our leases with those lessees, this could result
in less favorable leases and in significant reductions in our cash flow or adversely affect our financial results.
When a lessee is late in making payments, fails to make payments in full or in part under the lease or has otherwise
advised us that it will in the future fail to make payments in full or in part under the lease, we may elect to or be required
to restructure the lease. Restructuring may involve anything from a simple rescheduling of payments to the termination of
a lease without receiving all or any of the past due amounts. If any requests for payment restructuring or rescheduling are
made and granted, reduced or deferred rental payments may be payable over all or some part of the remaining term of the
lease, although the terms of any revised payment schedules may be unfavorable and such payments may not be made. We
may be unable to agree upon acceptable terms for any requested restructurings and as a result may be forced to exercise our
remedies under those leases. If we, in the exercise of our remedies, repossess the aircraft, we may not be able to re-lease
the aircraft promptly at favorable rates, or at all.
The terms and conditions of payment restructurings or reschedulings may result in significant reductions of rental
payments, which may adversely affect our cash flows or our financial results.
Significant costs resulting from lease defaults could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Although we have the right to repossess the aircraft and to exercise other remedies upon a lessee default, repossession
of an aircraft after a lessee default would lead to significantly increased costs for us. Those costs include legal and other
expenses of court or other governmental proceedings, particularly if the lessee is contesting the proceedings or is in
bankruptcy, to obtain possession and/or de-registration of the aircraft and flight and export permissions. Delays resulting
from any of these proceedings would also increase the period of time during which the relevant aircraft is not generating
revenue. In addition, we may incur substantial maintenance, refurbishment or repair costs that a defaulting lessee has failed
to incur or pay and that are necessary to put the aircraft in suitable condition for re-lease or sale and we may be required to
pay off liens, claims, taxes and other governmental charges on the aircraft to obtain clear possession and to remarket the
aircraft for re-lease or sale. We may also incur maintenance, storage or other costs while we have physical possession of the
aircraft.
We may also suffer other adverse consequences as a result of a lessee default and any termination of the lease and the
repossession of the related aircraft. Our rights upon a lessee default vary significantly depending upon the jurisdiction,
including the need to obtain a court order for repossession of the aircraft and/or consents for de-registration or re-export of
the aircraft. When a defaulting lessee is in bankruptcy, protective administration, insolvency or similar proceedings, additional
limitations may apply. Certain jurisdictions will give rights to the trustee in bankruptcy or a similar officer to assume or
reject the lease or to assign it to a third party, or will entitle the lessee or another third party to retain possession of the aircraft
without paying lease rentals or without performing all or some of the obligations under the relevant lease. Certain of our
lessees are owned in whole or in part by government-related entities, which could complicate our efforts to repossess the
relevant aircraft. Accordingly, we may be delayed in, or prevented from, enforcing certain of our rights under a lease and
in re-leasing or selling the affected aircraft.
If we repossess an aircraft, we will not necessarily be able to export or de-register and profitably redeploy the aircraft.
For instance, where a lessee or other operator flies only domestic routes in the jurisdiction in which the aircraft is registered,
repossession may be more difficult, especially if the jurisdiction permits the lessee or the other operator to resist de-
registration. Significant costs may also be incurred in retrieving or recreating aircraft records required for registration of the
aircraft and obtaining a certificate of airworthiness for the aircraft.
Airline reorganizations could have an adverse effect on our financial results.
As a result of economic conditions, significant volatility in oil prices and financial markets distress, airlines may be
forced to reorganize. Historically, airlines involved in reorganizations have undertaken substantial fare discounting to
maintain cash flows and to encourage continued customer loyalty. Such fare discounting has in the past led to lower
profitability for all airlines, including certain of our lessees. Bankruptcies and reduced demand may lead to the grounding
of significant numbers of aircraft and negotiated reductions in aircraft lease rental rates, with the effect of depressing aircraft
market values. Additional grounded aircraft and lower market values would adversely affect our ability to sell certain of
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our aircraft on favorable terms, or at all, or re-lease other aircraft at favorable rates comparable to the then current market
conditions, which collectively would have an adverse effect on our financial results.
If our lessees fail to appropriately discharge aircraft liens, we might find it necessary to pay such claims, which could
have a negative effect on our cash position and our business.
In the normal course of business, liens that secure the payment of airport fees and taxes, custom duties, air navigation
charges (including charges imposed by Eurocontrol), landing charges, crew wages, repairer’s charges, salvage or other liens,
are likely, depending on the jurisdiction in question, to attach to the aircraft. These liens may secure substantial sums that
may, in certain jurisdictions or for certain types of liens (particularly "fleet liens"), exceed the value of the relevant aircraft.
Although the financial obligations relating to these liens are the responsibility of our lessees, if they fail to fulfill their
obligations, these liens may attach to our aircraft and ultimately become our responsibility. Until these liens are discharged,
we may be unable to repossess, re-lease or sell the aircraft or unable to avoid detention or forfeiture of the aircraft.
Our lessees may not comply with their obligations under their respective leases to discharge liens arising during the
terms of their leases, whether or not due to financial difficulties. If they do not do so, we may, in some cases, find it necessary
to pay the claims secured by any liens in order to repossess the aircraft.
Risks associated with the concentration of our lessees in certain geographical regions could harm our business or financial
results.
Our business is sensitive to local economic and political conditions that can influence the performance of lessees
located in a particular region. For the year ended December 31, 2014, lease rental revenues from lessees by region, were
29% in Europe, 40% in Asia, 9% in North America, 13% in South America, and 9% in the Middle East and Africa.
European Concentration
Thirty-three lessees based in Europe, including Russia, accounted for 29% of our lease rental revenues for the year
ended December 31, 2014 and 23 lessees accounted for 65 aircraft totaling 29% of the net book value of our aircraft at
December 31, 2014. Eighteen aircraft, representing 6% of the net book value of our aircraft at December 31, 2014, were
leased to a customer in Spain. We have no lessees based in Greece, Portugal, Italy or Ireland.
Commercial airlines in Europe continue to face increased competitive pressures due to the expansion of low cost
carriers, industry consolidation, as well as the growth of strong airlines in the Middle East. While several of the continent's
larger airlines have announced comprehensive restructuring efforts, including significant cost cutting measures, we have
some concerns about the ability of smaller players to adapt to the changing environment.
The Russian airline industry has been hurt by recent events including the impact of sanctions against Russia and the
devaluation of the Ruble. Russia accounted for 7% of our lease rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014 and
accounted for ten aircraft totaling 6% of the net book value of our aircraft at December 31, 2014. These figures include five
Boeing 737NG aircraft which were returned to us in January 2015 and are currently being remarketed. We also have a
commitment to lease one additional Boeing 747 freighter aircraft to a Russian airline, and we expect to deliver this aircraft
on lease during the first quarter of 2015. Continued uncertainty in Russia could lead to the early termination or repossession
of more of our aircraft from Russian airlines. Our lease placement opportunities and lease rates may also be negatively
impacted if other aircraft leased to Russian airlines are returned or new aircraft sales to Russian airlines fail to be consummated.
Asian Concentration
Twenty-five lessees based in Asia, including China, accounted for 40% of our lease rental revenues for the year ended
December 31, 2014 and 18 lessees accounted for 46 aircraft totaling 40% of the net book value of our aircraft at December 31,
2014. Growth in most of Asia has been strong, driven in large part by emerging economies. Asian airlines face continued
competition from new entrants and the growth of low cost carriers in the region. There is also risk of oversupply in the
future driven by large outstanding order books of some Asian airlines. Demand weaknesses, due to slowing economic growth
in the region, could adversely affect the Asian airlines industry.
Four lessees based in China accounted for 4% of our lease rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014 and
two lessees accounted for five aircraft totaling 2% of the net book value of our aircraft at December 31, 2014. Chinese airline
industry performance during 2014 was relatively strong, but airline performance could suffer if economic growth moderates.
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North American Concentration
Seven lessees based in North America accounted for 9% of our lease rental revenues for the year ended December 31,
2014 and six lessees accounted for 17 aircraft totaling 7% of the net book value of our aircraft at December 31, 2014.
Consolidation among major airlines in the U.S. has helped drive capacity discipline and pricing power, but despite recent
improvements in the financial results of many carriers, airlines remain highly susceptible to macroeconomic and geopolitical
factors outside their control.
South American Concentration
Six lessees based in South America accounted for 13% of our lease rental revenues for the year ended December 31,
2014 and five lessees accounted for 13 aircraft totaling 14% of the net book value of our aircraft at December 31, 2014. The
region's largest economy, Brazil, has suffered from a stalled economy, which has forced a reduction in capacity by the
country's airlines.
Middle East and African Concentration
Three lessees based in the Middle East and Africa accounted for 9% of our lease rental revenues for the year ended
December 31, 2014 and two lessees accounted for six aircraft totaling 10% of the net book value of our aircraft at
December 31, 2014. Middle Eastern, and particularly Gulf-based carriers, have a large number of aircraft on order and
continue to capitalize on the region’s favorable geographic position as an East-West transfer hub. In recent years, a number
of countries in the Middle East and North Africa experienced significant political instability, negatively impacting tourism
and air travel. Continued unrest and instability would again negatively impact the financial performance of airlines operating
to, from, and within this region.
South African Airways accounted for 5% of our lease rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014 and
accounted for four aircraft totaling 5% of the net book value of our aircraft at December 31, 2014. South African Airways
relies upon government support for its significant capital requirements.
Risks Related to the Aviation Industry
Fuel prices significantly impact the profitability of the airline industry. If fuel prices rise in the future, our lessees might
not be able to meet their lease payment obligations, which would have an adverse effect on our financial results and
growth prospects.
Fuel costs represent a major expense to companies operating within the airline industry. Fuel prices fluctuate widely
depending primarily on international market conditions, geopolitical and environmental events and currency/exchange rates.
As a result, fuel costs are not within the control of lessees and significant changes would materially affect their operating
results.
Due to the competitive nature of the airline industry, airlines have been, and may continue to be, unable to pass on
increases in fuel prices to their customers by increasing fares in a manner that fully compensates for the costs incurred.
Higher and more volatile fuel prices may also have an impact on consumer confidence and spending, and thus may adversely
impact demand for air transportation. In addition, airlines may not be able to successfully manage their exposure to fuel
price fluctuations. If fuel prices increase due to future terrorist attacks, acts of war, armed hostilities, rebellion or political
instability, natural disasters or for any other reason, they are likely to cause our lessees to incur higher costs and/or generate
lower revenues, resulting in an adverse impact on their financial condition and liquidity. Fuel cost volatility may contribute
to the reluctance of airlines to make future commitments to leased aircraft and reduce the demand for lease aircraft.
Consequently, these conditions may (i) affect our lessees’ ability to make rental and other lease payments, (ii) result in lease
restructurings and/or aircraft repossessions, (iii) increase our costs of re-leasing or selling our aircraft, or; (iv) impair our
ability to re-lease or sell our aircraft on a timely basis at favorable rates or terms, or at all.
If the effects of terrorist attacks and geopolitical conditions adversely impact the financial condition of the airlines, our
lessees might not be able to meet their lease payment obligations, which would have an adverse effect on our financial
results and growth prospects.
War, armed hostilities or terrorist attacks, or the fear of such events, could decrease demand for air travel or increase
the operating costs of our customers. The situations in Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and North Africa remain unsettled
and tension over Iran’s nuclear program continues. Other international incidents, such as the recent events in, and the
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imposition of further sanctions against North Korea or Russia, may lead to regional or broader international instability.
Future terrorist attacks, war or armed hostilities, large protests or government instability, or the fear of such events, could
further negatively impact the airline industry and may have an adverse effect on the financial condition and liquidity of our
lessees, aircraft values and rental rates and may lead to lease restructurings or aircraft repossessions, all of which could
adversely affect our financial results.
Terrorist attacks and geopolitical conditions have negatively affected the airline industry, and concerns about
geopolitical conditions and further terrorist attacks could continue to negatively affect airlines (including our lessees) for
the foreseeable future, depending upon various factors, including (i) higher costs to the airlines due to the increased security
measures; (ii) decreased passenger demand and revenue due to safety concerns or the inconvenience of additional security
measures; (iii) the price and availability of jet fuel; (iv) higher financing costs and difficulty in raising the desired amount
of proceeds on favorable terms, or at all; (v) the significantly higher costs of aircraft insurance coverage for future claims
caused by acts of war, terrorism, sabotage, hijacking and other similar perils, and the extent to which such insurance has
been or will continue to be available; (vi) the ability of airlines to reduce their operating costs and conserve financial resources,
taking into account the increased costs incurred as a consequence of terrorist attacks and geopolitical conditions, including
those referred to above; and (vii) special charges recognized by some airlines, such as those related to the impairment of
aircraft and other long lived assets stemming from the above conditions.
Epidemic diseases or their perceived effects may negatively impact the airline industry and our lessees' ability to meet
their lease payment obligations to us, which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on our financial results.
Over the past several years, there have been several outbreaks of epidemic diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome ("SARS"), avian influenza, H1N1 influenza, Middle Eastern Respirator Syndrome ("MERS") and, more recently,
Ebola, which have spread to other parts of the world. If an outbreak of epidemic diseases were to occur, numerous responses,
including travel restrictions, might be necessary to combat the spread of the disease. Even if restrictions are not implemented,
it is likely that passengers would voluntarily choose to reduce travel. The 2003 outbreak of SARS was linked to air travel
early in its development and reduced sharply passenger demand for air travel at that time. Since then, there have been several
outbreaks of epidemic diseases, which have spread to other parts of the world, although their impact was relatively limited.
Additional outbreaks of epidemic diseases, or the fear of such events, could result in travel bans or could have an adverse
effect on our financial results.
Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure
If the ownership of our common shares continues to be highly concentrated, it may prevent you and other minority
shareholders from influencing significant corporate decisions and may result in conflicts of interest.
As of February 6, 2015, Marubeni owns 16,759,233 shares, or 20.7% of our common shares. Although the Shareholder
Agreement, dated as of June 6, 2013, among us, Marubeni and a subsidiary of Marubeni (as amended and restated from
time to time, the "Shareholder Agreement"), imposes certain restrictions on Marubeni's and its affiliates' ability to make
additional acquisitions of our common shares, Marubeni, nonetheless, may be able to influence fundamental corporate
matters and transactions, including the election of directors; mergers or amalgamations (subject to prior board approval);
consolidations or acquisitions; the sale of all or substantially all of our assets; in certain circumstances, the amendment of
our bye-laws; and our winding up and dissolution. This concentration of ownership may delay, deter or prevent acts that
would be favored by our other shareholders. The interests of Marubeni may not always coincide with our interests or the
interests of our other shareholders. This concentration of ownership may also have the effect of delaying, preventing or
deterring a change in control of our company. Also, Marubeni may seek to cause us to take courses of action that, in its
judgment, could enhance its investment in us, but which might involve risks to our other shareholders or adversely affect
us or our other shareholders. In addition, under the Shareholder Agreement, based on the current ownership of our common
shares by Marubeni and the current size of our board of directors, Marubeni is entitled to designate three directors for election
to our board of directors. As a result of these or other factors, the market price of our common shares could decline or
shareholders might not receive a premium over the then-current market price of our common shares upon a change in control.
In addition, this concentration of share ownership may adversely affect the trading price of our common shares because
investors may perceive disadvantages in owning shares in a company with a significant shareholder.
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We are a holding company with no operations and rely on our operating subsidiaries to provide us with funds necessary
to meet our financial obligations.
We are a holding company with no material direct operations. Our principal assets are the equity interests we directly
or indirectly hold in our operating subsidiaries. As a result, we are dependent on loans, dividends and other payments from
our subsidiaries to generate the funds necessary to meet our financial obligations and to pay dividends to our shareholders.
Although there are currently no material legal restrictions on our operating subsidiaries ability to distribute assets to us,
legal restrictions, including governmental regulations and contractual obligations, could restrict or impair our operating
subsidiaries ability to pay dividends or make loan or other distributions to us. Our subsidiaries are legally distinct from us
and may be prohibited or restricted from paying dividends or otherwise making funds available to us under certain conditions.
We are a Bermuda company, and it may be difficult for you to enforce judgments against us or our directors and executive
officers.
We are a Bermuda exempted company and, as such, the rights of holders of our common shares will be governed by
Bermuda law and our memorandum of association and bye-laws. The rights of shareholders under Bermuda law may differ
from the rights of shareholders of companies incorporated in other jurisdictions. A substantial portion of our assets are
located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process on those persons
in the United States or to enforce in the United States judgments obtained in U.S. courts against us or those persons based
on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. securities laws. Uncertainty exists as to whether courts in Bermuda will enforce
judgments obtained in other jurisdictions, including the United States, against us or our directors or officers under the
securities laws of those jurisdictions or entertain actions in Bermuda against us or our directors or officers under the securities
laws of other jurisdictions.
Our bye-laws restrict shareholders from bringing legal action against our officers and directors.
Our bye-laws contain a broad waiver by our shareholders of any claim or right of action, both individually and on our
behalf, against any of our officers or directors. The waiver applies to any action taken by an officer or director, or the failure
of an officer or director to take any action, in the performance of his or her duties, except with respect to any matter involving
any fraud or dishonesty on the part of the officer or director. This waiver limits the right of shareholders to assert claims
against our officers and directors unless the act or failure to act involves fraud or dishonesty.
We have anti-takeover provisions in our bye-laws that may discourage a change of control.
Our bye-laws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us without the consent
of our board of directors. These provisions include:
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provisions providing for a classified board of directors with staggered three-year terms;
provisions regarding the election of directors, classes of directors, the term of office of directors and amalgamations
to be rescinded, altered or amended only upon approval by a resolution of the directors and by a resolution of
our shareholders, including the affirmative votes of at least 66% of the votes attaching to all shares in issue
entitling the holder to vote on such resolution;
provisions in our bye-laws dealing with the removal of directors and corporate opportunity to be rescinded, altered
or amended only upon approval by a resolution of the directors and by a resolution of our shareholders, including
the affirmative votes of at least 80% of the votes attaching to all shares in issue entitling the holder to vote on
such resolution;
provisions providing for the removal of directors by a resolution, including the affirmative votes of at least 80%
of all votes attaching to all shares in issue entitling the holder to vote on such resolution;
provisions providing for our board of directors to determine the powers, preferences and rights of our preference
shares and to issue such preference shares without shareholder approval;
provisions providing for advance notice requirements by shareholders for director nominations and actions to be
taken at annual meetings; and
no provision for cumulative voting in the election of directors; all the directors standing for election may be
elected by our shareholders by a plurality of votes cast at a duly convened annual general meeting, the quorum
for which is two or more persons present in person or by proxy at the start of the meeting and representing in
excess of 50% of all votes attaching to all shares in issue entitling the holder to vote at the meeting.
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In addition, these provisions may make it difficult and expensive for a third party to pursue a tender offer, change in
control or takeover attempt that is opposed by our management and/or our board of directors. Public shareholders who might
desire to participate in these types of transactions may not have an opportunity to do so. These anti-takeover provisions
could substantially impede the ability of public shareholders to benefit from a change in control or change our management
and board of directors and, as a result, may adversely affect the market price of our common shares and your ability to realize
any potential change of control premium.
There are provisions in our bye-laws that may require certain of our non-U.S. shareholders to sell their shares to us or
to a third party.
Our bye-laws provide that if our board of directors determines that we or any of our subsidiaries do not meet, or in
the absence of repurchases of shares will fail to meet, the ownership requirements of a limitation on benefits article of any
bilateral income tax treaty with the U.S. applicable to us, and that such tax treaty would provide material benefits to us or
any of our subsidiaries, we generally have the right, but not the obligation, to repurchase, at fair market value (as determined
pursuant to the method set forth in our bye-laws), common shares from any shareholder who beneficially owns more than
5% of our issued and outstanding common shares and who fails to demonstrate to our satisfaction that such shareholder is
either a U.S. citizen or a qualified resident of the U.S. or the other contracting state of any applicable tax treaty with the
U.S. (as determined for purposes of the relevant provision of the limitation on benefits article of such treaty).
We will have the option, but not the obligation, to purchase all or a part of the shares held by such shareholder (to the
extent the board of directors, in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, determines it is necessary to avoid or cure adverse
consequences), provided that the board of directors will use its reasonable efforts to exercise this option equitably among
similarly situated shareholders (to the extent feasible under the circumstances).
Instead of exercising the repurchase right described above, we will have the right, but not the obligation, to cause the
transfer to, and procure the purchase by, any U.S. citizen or a qualified resident of the U.S. or the other contracting state of
the applicable tax treaty (as determined for purposes of the relevant provision of the limitation on benefits article of such
treaty) of the number of issued and outstanding common shares beneficially owned by any shareholder that are otherwise
subject to repurchase under our bye-laws as described above, at fair market value (as determined in the good faith discretion
of our board of directors).
The joint venture with Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan may have an adverse effect on our business.
The joint venture we entered into with an affiliate of Teachers', which is referred to in "Other Aviation Assets and
Alternative New Business Approaches" above, involves significant risks that may not be present with other methods of
ownership, including:
• we may not realize a satisfactory return on our investment or the joint venture may divert management's attention
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from our business;
our joint venture partners could have investment goals that are not consistent with our investment objectives,
including the timing, terms and strategies for any investments;
our joint venture partners might fail to fund their share of required capital contributions or fail to fulfill their
obligations as a joint venture partner; and
our joint venture partners may have competing interests in our markets that could create conflict of interest issues,
particularly if aircraft owned by the joint venture are being marketed for lease or sale at a time when the Company
also has comparable aircraft available for lease or sale.
As of February 6, 2015, Teachers' owns 9.7% of our common shares.
Risks Related to Our Common Shares
The market price and trading volume of our common shares may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating
performance, which could result in rapid and substantial losses for our shareholders.
If the market price of our common shares declines significantly, shareholders may be unable to resell their shares at
or above their purchase price. The market price or trading volume of our common shares could be highly volatile and may
decline significantly in the future in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:
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variations in our quarterly or annual operating results;
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failure to meet any earnings estimates;
actual or perceived reduction in our growth or expected future growth;
actual or anticipated accounting issues;
publication of research reports about us, other aircraft lessors or the aviation industry or the failure of securities
analysts to cover our common shares or the decision to suspend or terminate coverage in the future;
additions or departures of key management personnel;
increased volatility in the capital markets and more limited or no access to debt financing, which may result in
an increased cost of, or less favorable terms for, debt financing or may result in sales to satisfy collateral calls or
other pressure on holders to sell our shares;
redemptions, or similar events affecting funds or other investors holding our shares, which may result in large
block trades that could significantly impact the price of our common shares;
adverse market reaction to any indebtedness we may incur or preference or common shares we may issue in the
future;
changes in or elimination of our dividend;
actions by shareholders;
changes in market valuations of similar companies;
announcements by us, our competitors or our suppliers of significant contracts, acquisitions, disposals, strategic
partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;
speculation in the press or investment community;
changes or proposed changes in laws or regulations affecting the aviation industry or enforcement of these laws
and regulations, or announcements relating to these matters; and
general market, political and economic conditions and local conditions in the markets in which our lessees are
located.
In addition, the equity markets in general have frequently experienced substantial price and volume fluctuations that
have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies traded in those markets. Changes
in economic conditions in the U.S., Europe or globally could also impact our ability to grow profitably. These broad market
and industry factors may materially affect the market price of our common shares, regardless of our business or operating
performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class-action
litigation has often been instituted against that company. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could cause us to incur
substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Future debt, which would be senior to our common shares upon liquidation, and additional equity securities, which
would dilute the percentage ownership of our then current common shareholders and may be senior to our common
shares for the purposes of dividends and liquidation distributions, may adversely affect the market price of our common
shares.
In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by incurring debt or issuing additional equity securities,
including commercial paper, medium-term notes, senior or subordinated notes or loans and series of preference shares or
common shares. Upon liquidation, holders of our debt investments and preference shares and lenders with respect to other
borrowings would receive a distribution of our available assets prior to the holders of our common shares. Additional equity
offerings would dilute the holdings of our then current common shareholders and could reduce the market price of our
common shares, or both. Preference shares, if issued, could have a preference on liquidating distributions or a preference
on dividend payments. Restrictive provisions in our debt and/or preference shares could limit our ability to make a distribution
to the holders of our common shares. Because our decision to incur more debt or issue additional equity securities in the
future will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount,
timing or nature of our future capital raising activities. Thus, holders of our common shares bear the risk of our future debt
and equity issuances reducing the market price of our common shares and diluting their percentage ownership.
The market price of our common shares could be negatively affected by sales of substantial amounts of our common
shares in the public markets.
As of February 6, 2015, there were 80,949,815 shares issued and outstanding, all of which are freely transferable, except
for any shares held by our “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”). Approximately 30% of our outstanding common shares are held by our affiliates and can be resold into
the public markets in the future in accordance with the requirements of Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
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One affiliate, Marubeni, currently holds 20.7% of our outstanding common shares. Beginning in July 2016, or earlier
upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Shareholders Agreement, Marubeni and permitted third-party transferees
have the ability to cause us to register the resale of their common shares into the public markets. Another investor, Ontario
Teachers' Pension Plan, currently holds approximately 9.7% of our outstanding common shares and has the ability to cause
us to register the resale of their common shares into the public markets.
The issuance of additional common shares in connection with acquisitions or otherwise will dilute all other shareholdings.
As of February 6, 2015, we had an aggregate of 153,830,472 common shares authorized but unissued and not reserved
for issuance under our incentive plan. We may issue all of these common shares without any action or approval by our
shareholders. We intend to continue to actively pursue acquisitions of aviation assets and may issue common shares in
connection with these acquisitions. Any common shares issued in connection with our acquisitions, our incentive plan, and
the exercise of outstanding share options or otherwise would dilute the percentage ownership held by existing shareholders.
Risks Related to Taxation
If Aircastle were treated as engaged in a trade or business in the United States, it would be subject to U.S. federal income
taxation on a net income basis, which would adversely affect our business and result in decreased cash available for
distribution to our shareholders.
If, contrary to expectations, Aircastle were treated as engaged in a trade or business in the United States, the portion
of its net income, if any, that was “effectively connected” with such trade or business would be subject to U.S. federal income
taxation at a maximum rate of 35%. In addition, Aircastle would be subject to the U.S. federal branch profits tax on its
effectively connected earnings and profits at a rate of 30%. The imposition of such taxes would adversely affect our business
and would result in decreased cash available for distribution to our shareholders.
If there is not sufficient trading in our shares, or if 50% of our shares are held by certain 5% shareholders, we could
lose our eligibility for an exemption from U.S. federal income taxation on rental income from our aircraft used in
“international traffic” and could be subject to U.S. federal income taxation which would adversely affect our business
and result in decreased cash available for distribution to our shareholders.
We expect that we are currently eligible for an exemption under Section 883 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended (the “Code”), which provides an exemption from U.S. federal income taxation with respect to rental income
derived from aircraft used in international traffic by certain foreign corporations. No assurances can be given that we will
continue to be eligible for this exemption as our stock is traded on the market and changes in our ownership or the amount
of our shares that are traded could cause us to cease to be eligible for such exemption. To qualify for this exemption in
respect of rental income, the lessor of the aircraft must be organized in a country that grants a comparable exemption to
U.S. lessors (Bermuda and Ireland each do), and certain other requirements must be satisfied. We can satisfy these
requirements in any year if, for more than half the days of such year, our shares are primarily and regularly traded on a
recognized exchange and certain shareholders, each of whom owns 5% or more of our shares (applying certain attribution
rules), do not collectively own more than 50% of our shares. Our shares will be considered to be primarily and regularly
traded on a recognized exchange in any year if (i) the number of trades in our shares effected on such recognized stock
exchanges exceed the number of our shares (or direct interests in our shares) that are traded during the year on all securities
markets; (ii) trades in our shares are effected on such stock exchanges in more than de minimis quantities on at least 60 days
during every calendar quarter in the year; and (iii) the aggregate number of our shares traded on such stock exchanges during
the taxable year is at least 10% of the average number of our shares outstanding in that class during that year. If our shares
cease to satisfy these requirements, then we may no longer be eligible for the Section 883 exemption with respect to rental
income earned by aircraft used in international traffic. If we were not eligible for the exemption under Section 883 of the
Code, we expect that the U.S. source rental income of Aircastle Bermuda generally would be subject to U.S. federal taxation,
on a gross income basis, at a rate of not in excess of 4% as provided in Section 887 of the Code. If, contrary to expectations,
Aircastle Bermuda did not comply with certain administrative guidelines of the Internal Revenue Service, such that 90%
or more of Aircastle Bermuda’s U.S. source rental income were attributable to the activities of personnel based in the United
States, Aircastle Bermuda’s U.S. source rental income would be treated as income effectively connected with the conduct
of a trade or business in the United States. In such case, Aircastle Bermuda’s U.S. source rental income would be subject
to U.S. federal income taxation on its net income at a maximum rate of 35% as well as state and local taxation. In addition,
Aircastle Bermuda would be subject to the U.S. federal branch profits tax on its effectively connected earnings and profits
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at a rate of 30%. The imposition of such taxes would adversely affect our business and would result in decreased cash
available for distribution to our shareholders.
One or more of our Irish subsidiaries could fail to qualify for treaty benefits, which would subject certain of their income
to U.S. federal income taxation, which would adversely affect our business and result in decreased cash available for
distribution to our shareholders.
Qualification for the benefits of the double tax treaty between the United States and Ireland (the “Irish Treaty”) depends
on many factors, including being able to establish the identity of the ultimate beneficial owners of our common shares. Each
of the Irish subsidiaries may not satisfy all the requirements of the Irish Treaty and thereby may not qualify each year for
the benefits of the Irish Treaty or may be deemed to have a permanent establishment in the United States. Moreover, the
provisions of the Irish Treaty may change. Failure to so qualify, or to be deemed to have a permanent establishment in the
United States, could result in the rental income from aircraft used for flights within the United States being subject to
increased U.S. federal income taxation. The imposition of such taxes would adversely affect our business and would result
in decreased cash available for distribution to our shareholders.
We may become subject to an increased rate of Irish taxation which would adversely affect our business and would result
in decreased earnings available for distribution to our shareholders.
Our Irish subsidiaries and affiliates are expected to be subject to corporation tax on their income from leasing, managing
and servicing aircraft at the 12.5% tax rate applicable to trading income. This expectation is based on certain assumptions,
including that we will maintain at least the current level of our business operations in Ireland. If we are not successful in
achieving trading status in Ireland, the income of our Irish subsidiaries and affiliates will be subject to corporation tax at
the 25% rate applicable to non-trading activities, which would adversely affect our business and would result in decreased
earnings available for distribution to our shareholders.
We may be subject to an increased rate of Singapore taxation which would adversely affect our business and would
result in decreased earnings available for distribution to our shareholders.
Our Singapore subsidiaries are subject to Singapore income tax on their income from leasing, managing and servicing
aircraft. Singapore's authorities have awarded our Singapore subsidiaries a reduced rate of tax until July 2017, provided
that we satisfy certain conditions and requirements. If we cannot meet such conditions and requirements, or if the award is
not renewed, we would be subject to additional Singapore income tax. This would adversely affect our business and would
result in decreased earnings available for distribution to our shareholders.
We may become subject to income or other taxes in the non-U.S. jurisdictions in which our aircraft operate, where our
lessees are located or where we perform certain services which would adversely affect our business and result in decreased
cash available for distributions to shareholders.
Certain Aircastle entities are expected to be subject to the income tax laws of Ireland, Mauritius, Singapore and the
United States. In addition, we may be subject to income or other taxes in other jurisdictions by reason of our activities and
operations, where our aircraft operate or where the lessees of our aircraft (or others in possession of our aircraft) are located.
Although we have adopted operating procedures to reduce the exposure to such taxation, we may be subject to such taxes
in the future and such taxes may be substantial. In addition, if we do not follow separate operating guidelines relating to
managing a portion of our aircraft portfolio through offices in Ireland and Singapore, income from aircraft not owned in
such jurisdictions would be subject to local tax. Changes in tax law could impose withholding taxes on lease payments
during the term of a lease. Our leases typically require our lessees to indemnify us in respect of taxes but some leases may
not require such indemnification or a lessee may fail to make such indemnification payment. The imposition of such taxes
could adversely affect our business and result in decreased earnings available for distribution to our shareholders.
We expect to continue to be a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) and may be a controlled foreign corporation
(“CFC”), for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
We expect to continue to be treated as a PFIC and may be a CFC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If you are a
U.S. person and do not make a qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election with respect to us and each of our PFIC subsidiaries,
unless we are a CFC and you own 10% of our voting shares, you would be subject to special deferred tax and interest charges
with respect to certain distributions on our common shares, any gain realized on a disposition of our common shares and
certain other events. The effect of these deferred tax and interest charges could be materially adverse to you. Alternatively,
27
if you are such a shareholder and make a QEF election for us and each of our PFIC subsidiaries, or if we are a CFC and you
own 10% or more of our voting shares, you will not be subject to those charges, but could recognize taxable income in a
taxable year with respect to our common shares in excess of any distributions that we make to you in that year, thus giving
rise to so-called “phantom income” and to a potential out-of-pocket tax liability.
Distributions made to a U.S. person that is an individual will not be eligible for taxation at reduced tax rates generally
applicable to dividends paid by certain United States corporations and “qualified foreign corporations” on or after January 1,
2003. The more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate dividends could cause individuals to perceive investment in
our shares to be relatively less attractive than investment in the shares of other corporations, which could adversely affect
the value of our shares.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We lease approximately 19,200 square feet of office space in Stamford, Connecticut for our corporate operations. The
lease for the Stamford facility expires in December, 2022. We lease approximately 3,380 square feet of office space in
Dublin, Ireland for our acquisition, aircraft leasing and asset management operations in Europe. The lease for the Irish
facility expires in June 2016. We lease approximately 2,600 square feet of office space in Singapore for our acquisition,
aircraft leasing and asset management operations in Asia. The lease for the Singapore facility expires in July 2016.
We believe our current facilities are adequate for our current needs and that suitable additional space will be available
as and when needed.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The Company is not a party to any material legal or adverse regulatory proceedings.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
Executive Officers of the Registrant
Executive officers are elected by our board of directors, and their terms of office continue until the next annual meeting
of the board or until their successors are elected and have been duly qualified. There are no family relationships among our
executive officers.
Set forth below is information pertaining to our executive officers who held office as of February 6, 2015:
Ron Wainshal, 50, became our Chief Executive Officer in May 2005 and a member of our Board in May 2010. Prior
to joining Aircastle, Mr. Wainshal was in charge of the Asset Management group of General Electric Capital Aviation Services
(“GECAS”) from 2003 to 2005. After joining GECAS in 1998, Ron led many of GECAS’ U.S. airline restructuring efforts
and its bond market activities, and played a major marketing and structured finance role in the Americas. Before joining
GECAS, he was a principal and co-owner of a financial advisory company specializing in transportation infrastructure from
1994 to 1998 and prior to that held positions at Capstar Partners and The Transportation Group in New York and Ryder
System in Miami. He received a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA
from the University of Chicago’s Booth Graduate School of Business. Mr. Wainshal is a director of Everyware Global, Inc.
28
Michael Inglese, 53, became our Chief Financial Officer in April 2007. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Inglese
served as an Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PanAmSat Holding Corporation, where he served as
Chief Financial Officer from June 2000 until the closing of PanAmSat’s sale to Intelsat in July 2006. Mr. Inglese joined
PanAmSat in May 1998 as Vice President, Finance after serving as Chief Financial Officer for DIRECTV Japan, Inc. He is
a Chartered Financial Analyst who holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rutgers University College of Engineering
and his MBA from Rutgers Graduate School of Business Management.
Michael Kriedberg, 53, became our Chief Commercial Officer in April 2013. Prior to joining the Company, Mr.
Kriedberg served as an Executive Vice President, Aviation Financing Operations of GECAS from August 2009. From
January 2008 to August 2009, Mr. Kriedberg was the Chief Investment Officer of GE Capital Corporation (“GECC”) and
President of the Bank Loan Group division of GECC from August 2006 to January 2008. Mr. Kriedberg holds a bachelor
degree in Economics from SUNY Albany and a Master’s degree in Accounting from Pace University.
Christopher L. Beers, 50, became our General Counsel in November 2014. Prior to joining Aircastle, Mr. Beers held
senior positions at GE Capital since 2000, including Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel at GECAS from
2009 to 2014, and Senior Vice President and General Counsel of GE Transportation Finance from 2006 to 2009. Previously,
Mr. Beers was a Senior Associate at the law firm of Milbank Tweed Hadley and McCloy in New York City. Mr. Beers holds
a BS in Economics from Arizona State University and a JD from Pace Law School.
Joseph Schreiner, 57, became our Executive Vice President, Technical in October 2004. Prior to joining Aircastle,
Mr. Schreiner oversaw the technical department at AAR Corp, a provider of products and services to the aviation and defense
industries from 1998 to 2004 where he managed aircraft and engine evaluations and inspections, aircraft lease transitions,
reconfiguration and heavy maintenance. Prior to AAR, Mr. Schreiner spent 19 years at Boeing (McDonnell-Douglas) in
various technical management positions. Mr. Schreiner received a BS from the University of Illinois and an MBA from
Pepperdine University.
Aaron Dahlke, 46, became our Chief Accounting Officer in June 2005. Prior to that, Mr. Dahlke was Vice President
and Controller of Boullioun Aviation Services Inc. from January 2003 to May 2005. Prior to Boullioun, Mr. Dahlke was at
ImageX.com, Inc. and Ernst & Young LLP. He received a B.S. in Accounting from California State University,
San Bernardino. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
29
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTER AND
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Our common shares are listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AYR.” As of February 6,
2015, there were approximately 20,710 record holders of our common shares.
The following table sets forth the quarterly high and low prices of our common shares on the New York Stock Exchange
for the periods indicated since our initial public offering and dividends during such periods:
Year Ending December 31, 2013:
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Year Ending December 31, 2014:
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
High
Low
$ 14.20
$ 12.43
$ 16.29
$ 12.89
$ 18.12
$ 15.94
$ 19.50
$ 17.02
$ 20.07
$ 17.82
$ 19.49
$ 16.38
$ 19.55
$ 16.36
$ 21.58
$ 15.73
Dividends
Declared
Per
Share ($)
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
0.165
0.165
0.165
0.200
0.200
0.200
0.200
0.220
Our ability to pay, maintain or increase cash dividends to our shareholders is subject to the discretion of our board of
directors and will depend on many factors, including the difficulty we may experience in raising capital in a market that has
experienced significant volatility in recent years and our ability to finance our aircraft acquisition commitments; our ability
to negotiate favorable lease and other contractual terms; the level of demand for our aircraft; the economic condition of the
commercial aviation industry generally; the financial condition and liquidity of our lessees; the lease rates we are able to
charge and realize; our leasing costs; unexpected or increased expenses; the level and timing of capital expenditures; principal
repayments and other capital needs; the value of our aircraft portfolio; our compliance with loan to value, debt service
coverage, interest rate coverage and other financial covenants in our financings; our results of operations, financial condition
and liquidity; general business conditions; restrictions imposed by our securitizations or other financings; legal restrictions
on the payment of dividends, including a statutory dividend test and other limitations under Bermuda law; and other factors
that our board of directors deems relevant. Some of these factors are beyond our control and a change in any such factor
could affect our ability to pay dividends on our common shares. In the future we may not choose to pay dividends or may
not be able to pay dividends, maintain our current level of dividends, or increase them over time. Increases in demand for
our aircraft and operating lease payments may not occur and may not increase our actual cash available for dividends to our
common shareholders. The failure to maintain or pay dividends may adversely affect our share price.
30
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
During the fourth quarter of 2014, we purchased our common shares as follows:
Total
Number
of Shares
Purchased
Average
Price
Paid
per Share
Total Number of
Shares Purchased
as Part of Publicly
Announced Plans
or Programs(a)
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Maximum
Number (or
Approximate
Dollar Value) of
Shares that May
Yet Be Purchased
Under the Plans or
Programs(a)
10,970 (b) $
—
—
10,970
$
0.01
—
—
0.01
— $
100,000,000
—
—
— $
100,000,000
100,000,000
100,000,000
Period
October
November
December
Total
______________
(a) On October 31, 2014, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of $100.0 million of the Company's common shares.
(b) Reflects the repurchase of unvested common shares from two former employees of the Company.
Performance Graph
The following stock performance graph shall not be deemed “filed” with the SEC or subject to Section 18 of the
Exchange Act, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
The following graph compares the cumulative five year total return to holders of our common shares relative to the
cumulative total returns of the S&P 500 Index and a customized peer group over the five year period ended December 31,
2014. The peer group consists of three companies: AerCap Holdings NV (NYSE: AER), Air Lease Corporation (NYSE:
AL) and FLY Leasing Limited (NYSE: FLY). An investment of $100 (with reinvestment of all dividends) is assumed to
have been made in our common shares, the S&P 500 Index and in the peer group on December 31, 2009, and the relative
performance of each is tracked through December 31, 2014. The stock performance shown on the graph below represents
historical stock performance and is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.
31
* $100 invested on 12/31/09 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends.
12/31/09
12/31/10
12/31/11
12/31/12
12/31/13
12/31/14
Aircastle Limited
$
100.00
$
110.74
$
140.95
$
146.26
$
233.42
$
S&P 500
Peer Group
100.00
100.00
115.06
157.64
117.49
130.10
136.30
134.32
180.44
264.23
271.76
205.14
274.37
32
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The selected historical consolidated financial, operating and other data as of December 31, 2013 and 2014 and for
each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014 presented in this table are derived from our audited
consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report. The selected
consolidated financial data as of December 31, 2010 and 2011 presented in this table are derived from our audited
consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto, which are not included in this Annual Report. You should read
these tables along with Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”
and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Selected Financial Data:
Consolidated Statements of Operation:
Lease rental revenue
Total revenues
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Depreciation
Interest, net
Net income
Earnings per common share — Basic:
Net income
Earnings per common share — Diluted:
Net income
Cash dividends declared per share
Other Operating Data:
EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted net income
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows:
Cash flows provided by operations
Cash flows used in investing activities
Year Ended December 31,
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands, except share data)
$ 531,076
$ 580,209
$ 623,503
$
644,929
$
714,654
527,710
45,774
220,476
178,262
65,816
605,197
45,953
242,103
204,150
124,270
686,572
48,370
269,920
222,808
32,868
708,645
53,436
284,924
243,757
29,781
818,602
55,773
299,365
238,378
100,828
$
$
$
0.83
0.83
0.40
$
$
$
1.64
1.64
0.50
$
$
$
0.46
0.46
0.615
$
$
$
0.40
0.40
0.695
$
$
$
1.25
1.25
0.82
$ 491,231
$ 594,800
$ 546,285
$
600,088
$
658,606
506,942
82,461
607,870
144,963
647,622
57,009
717,209
59,260
792,283
167,642
$ 356,530
$ 359,377
$ 427,277
$
424,037
$
458,786
(541,115)
(445,420)
(741,909)
(682,933)
(861,602)
Cash flows provided by financing activities
281,876
141,608
637,327
295,292
(82,141)
Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:
Cash and cash equivalents
Flight equipment held for lease, net of accumulated
depreciation
Net investment in finance leases
Total assets
Borrowings under Senior Notes, securitizations and term
debt financings
Shareholders’ equity
Other Data:
$ 239,957
$ 295,522
$ 618,217
$
654,613
$
169,656
4,065,780
4,387,986
4,662,661
5,044,410
5,579,718
—
—
119,951
145,173
106,651
4,859,059
5,224,459
5,812,160
6,251,893
6,227,013
2,707,958
2,986,516
1,342,718
1,404,608
3,598,676
1,415,626
3,737,362
1,645,407
3,796,454
1,720,335
Number of Aircraft (at the end of period)
Total debt to total capitalization
Total unencumbered assets
136
66.9%
144
68.0%
159
71.8%
162
69.4%
148
68.8%
$ 834,604
$ 972,471
$ 2,709,915
$ 3,309,821
$ 3,510,588
33
We define EBITDA as income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes, interest expense, and
depreciation and amortization. We use EBITDA to assess our consolidated financial and operating performance, and we
believe this non-US GAAP measure is helpful in identifying trends in our performance. This measure provides an assessment
of controllable expenses and affords management the ability to make decisions which are expected to facilitate meeting
current financial goals as well as achieving optimal financial performance. It provides an indicator for management to
determine if adjustments to current spending decisions are needed. EBITDA provides us with a measure of operating
performance because it assists us in comparing our operating performance on a consistent basis as it removes the impact
of our capital structure (primarily interest charges on our outstanding debt) and asset base (primarily depreciation and
amortization) from our operating results. Accordingly, this metric measures our financial performance based on operational
factors that management can impact in the short-term, namely the cost structure, or expenses, of the organization. EBITDA
is one of the metrics used by senior management and the board of directors to review the consolidated financial performance
of our business.
We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA (as defined above) further adjusted to give effect to adjustments required
in calculating covenant ratios and compliance as that term is defined in the indenture governing our senior unsecured notes.
Adjusted EBITDA is a material component of these covenants.
The table below shows the reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for the years ended
December 31, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Net income
Depreciation
Year Ended December 31,
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
$ 65,816
$ 124,270
$ 32,868
$ 29,781
$ 100,828
220,476
242,103
269,920
284,924
299,365
Amortization of net lease premiums (discounts) and lease incentives
20,081
16,445
12,844
32,411
6,172
Interest, net
Income tax provision
EBITDA
Adjustments:
Impairment of aircraft
Loss on extinguishment of debt
Non-cash share based payment expense
Loss (gain) on mark to market of interest rate derivative contracts
Contract termination expense
Adjusted EBITDA
178,262
204,150
222,808
243,757
238,378
6,596
7,832
7,845
9,215
13,863
$ 491,231
$ 594,800
$ 546,285
$ 600,088
$ 658,606
7,342
—
7,509
860
—
6,436
—
5,786
848
—
96,454
117,306
—
4,232
(597)
1,248
—
4,569
(4,754)
—
93,993
36,570
4,244
(1,130)
—
$ 506,942
$ 607,870
$ 647,622
$ 717,209
$ 792,283
Management believes that Adjusted Net Income ("ANI") when viewed in conjunction with the Company's results
under US GAAP and the below reconciliation, provides useful information about operating and period-over-period
performance, and provides additional information that is useful for evaluating the underlying operating performance of our
business without regard to periodic reporting elements related to interest rate derivative accounting.
34
The table below shows the reconciliation of net income to ANI for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2011, 2012,
2013 and 2014.
Net income
$ 65,816
$ 124,270
$ 32,868
$ 29,781
$ 100,828
Year Ended December 31,
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
Loss on extinguishment of debt(2)
Ineffective portion and termination of cash flow hedges(1)
Loss (gain) on mark to market of interest rate derivative contracts(2)
Loan termination payment(1)
Write-off of deferred financing fees(1)
Stock compensation expense(3)
Term Financing No. 1 hedge loss amortization charges(1)
Securitization No. 1 hedge loss amortization charges(1)
Contract termination expense
Adjusted net income
_____________
(1)
(2)
(3)
Included in Interest, net.
Included in Other income (expense)
Included in Selling, general and administrative expenses
—
5,805
860
—
2,471
7,509
—
—
—
—
8,407
848
3,196
2,456
5,786
—
—
—
—
2,893
—
2,393
36,570
660
(597)
(4,754)
(1,130)
—
3,034
4,232
13,331
—
1,248
2,954
3,975
4,569
17,843
2,499
—
—
—
4,244
14,854
11,616
—
$ 82,461
$ 144,963
$ 57,009
$ 59,260
$ 167,642
35
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS
This management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations contains forward-looking
statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. You should read the following discussion in conjunction with
Item 6 — “Selected Financial Data” and our historical consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto appearing
elsewhere in this report. The results of operations for the periods reflected herein are not necessarily indicative of results
that may be expected for future periods, and our actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-
looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to those described under Item 1A. — “Risk
Factors” and elsewhere in this report. Please see “Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. Our consolidated
financial statements are prepared in accordance with US GAAP and, unless otherwise indicated, the other financial
information contained in this report has also been prepared in accordance with US GAAP. Unless otherwise indicated, all
references to “dollars” and “$” in this report are to, and all monetary amounts in this report are presented in, U.S. dollars.
OVERVIEW
We acquire, lease, and sell commercial jet aircraft with large, global operator bases and long useful lives. As of
December 31, 2014, our aircraft portfolio consisted of 148 aircraft that were leased to 54 lessees located in 34 countries.
We also may occasionally make investments in other aviation assets, including debt investments secured by commercial jet
aircraft. Our aircraft fleet is managed by an experienced team based in the United States, Ireland and Singapore. As of
December 31, 2014, the net book value of our flight equipment and finance lease aircraft was $5.69 billion compared to
$5.19 billion at the end of 2013. Our revenues and net income for the year ended December 31, 2014 were $818.6 million
and $100.8 million respectively, and for the fourth quarter 2014 were $238.3 million and $72.8 million, respectively.
Revenues
Our revenues are comprised primarily of operating lease rentals on flight equipment held for lease, revenue from
retained maintenance payments related to lease expirations, lease termination payments, lease incentive amortization and
interest recognized from finance leases.
Typically, our aircraft are subject to net leases whereby the lessee pays lease rentals and is generally responsible for
maintaining the aircraft and paying operational, maintenance and insurance costs arising during the term of the lease. Our
aircraft lease agreements generally provide for the periodic payment of a fixed amount of rent over the life of the lease and
the amount of the contracted rent will depend upon the type, age, specification and condition of the aircraft and market
conditions at the time the lease is committed. The amount of rent we receive will depend on a number of factors, including
the credit-worthiness of our lessees and the occurrence of delinquencies, restructurings and defaults. Our lease rental revenues
are also affected by the extent to which aircraft are off-lease and our ability to remarket aircraft that are nearing the end of
their leases in order to minimize their off-lease time. Our success in re-leasing aircraft is affected by market conditions
relating to our aircraft and by general industry conditions and trends. An increase in the percentage of off-lease aircraft or
a reduction in lease rates upon remarketing would negatively impact our revenues.
Under an operating lease, the lessee will be responsible for performing maintenance on the relevant aircraft and will
typically be required to make payments to us for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value
components of the aircraft. These maintenance payments are based on hours or cycles of utilization or on calendar time,
depending upon the component, and would be made either monthly in arrears or at the end of the lease term. For maintenance
payments made monthly in arrears during a lease term, we will typically be required to reimburse all or a portion of these
payments to the lessee upon their completion of the relevant heavy maintenance, overhaul or parts replacement. We record
maintenance payments paid by the lessee during a lease as accrued maintenance liabilities in recognition of our obligation
in the lease to refund such payments, and therefore we do not recognize maintenance revenue during the lease. Maintenance
revenue recognition would occur at the end of a lease, when we are able to determine the amount, if any, by which reserve
payments received exceed the amount we are required under the lease to reimburse to the lessee for heavy maintenance,
overhaul or parts replacement. The amount of maintenance revenue we recognize in any reporting period is inherently
volatile and is dependent upon a number of factors, including the timing of lease expiries, including scheduled and
unscheduled expiries, the timing of maintenance events and the utilization of the aircraft by the lessee.
36
Many of our leases contain provisions which may require us to pay a portion of the lessee's costs for heavy maintenance,
overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components. We account for these expected payments as lease incentives,
which are amortized as a reduction of revenue over the life of the lease. We estimate the amount of our portion for such
costs, typically for the first major maintenance event for the airframe, engines, landing gear and auxiliary power units,
expected to be paid to the lessee based on assumed utilization of the related aircraft by the lessee, the anticipated cost of the
maintenance event and the estimated amounts the lessee is responsible to pay.
This estimated lease incentive is not recognized as a lease incentive liability at the inception of the lease. We recognize
the lease incentive as a reduction of lease revenue on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease, with the offset being
recorded as a lease incentive liability which is included in maintenance payments on the balance sheet. The payment to the
lessee for the lease incentive liability is first recorded against the lease incentive liability and any excess above the lease
incentive liability is recorded as a prepaid lease incentive asset which is included in other assets on the balance sheet and
continues to amortize over the remaining life of the lease.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses are comprised of depreciation of flight equipment held for lease, interest expense, selling, general
and administrative expenses, aircraft impairment charges and maintenance and other costs. Because our operating lease
terms generally require the lessee to pay for operating, maintenance and insurance costs, our portion of maintenance and
other costs relating to aircraft reflected in our statement of income primarily relates to expenses for unscheduled lease
terminations.
Income Tax Provision
We have obtained an assurance from the Minister of Finance of Bermuda under the Exempted Undertakings Tax
Protection Act 1966 that, in the event that any legislation is enacted in Bermuda imposing any tax computed on profits or
income, or computed on any capital asset, gain or appreciation or any tax in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax, such
tax shall not, until March 2035, be applicable to us or to any of our operations or to our shares, debentures or other obligations
except insofar as such tax applies to persons ordinarily resident in Bermuda or to any taxes payable by us in respect of real
property owned or leased by us in Bermuda. Consequently, the provision for income taxes recorded relates to income earned
by certain subsidiaries of the Company which are located in, or earn income in, jurisdictions that impose income taxes,
primarily Ireland, Singapore and the United States.
All of our aircraft-owning subsidiaries that are recognized as corporations for U.S. tax purposes are non-
U.S. corporations. These non-U.S. subsidiaries generally earn income from sources outside the United States and typically
are not subject to U.S. federal, state or local income taxes, unless they operate within the U.S., in which case they may be
subject to federal, state and local income taxes. The aircraft owning subsidiaries resident in Ireland, Mauritius and Singapore
are subject to tax in those respective jurisdictions.
We have a U.S.-based subsidiary which provides management services to our non-U.S. subsidiaries and is subject to
U.S. federal, state and local income taxes. We also have Ireland and Singapore based subsidiaries which provide management
services to our non-U.S. subsidiaries and are subject to tax in those respective jurisdictions.
Segments
We operate in one segment.
Acquisitions and Sales
During 2014, we acquired 35 aircraft for $1.77 billion, including 21 aircraft for $749.2 million during the fourth quarter.
Approximately 74% of our 2014 acquisitions by value were aircraft less than five years old that are on long term leases with
relatively strong operators. Additionally, we acquired $467.4 million in mid-aged narrow-body aircraft, including a 12
aircraft purchase and lease-back transaction with a major European flag carrier. In many cases, we believe we were successful
in winning business due to our ability to move quickly and reliably given our cash resources and team strengths.
At December 31, 2014, we had commitments to acquire 16 aircraft for $686.0 million, including four 777-300ER
aircraft which were part of our previously announced purchase/lease-back transaction with LATAM. Our commitment to
acquire the LATAM 777 aircraft expired in January 2015, as the airline was unable to economically unwind its existing
financings for these aircraft. As of February 6, 2015, after taking into account two aircraft acquisitions for $119.0 million
37
thus far in 2015, we now have commitments to acquire 11 aircraft for $298.8 million that we expect to complete by June
30, 2015.
During 2014, we sold 47 aircraft for $833.0 million, which resulted in a net gain of $23.1 million. We repaid debt
associated with this flight equipment in the amount of $50.2 million.
Nineteen of our 2014 dispositions were "exit sales" of aircraft nearing the end of their economic lives. Exit sales
usually follow from a determination that the best economic decision for an aircraft is to sell it as it reaches lease expiry
rather than to reinvest and enable a follow-on lease. In most cases, exit sales aircraft involved older generation technology;
the average age of these aircraft was 22 years.
We consider 25 of our aircraft sales as "opportunistic" as they were intended to capture strong market demand and
enabled us to realize gains. They generally represent situations where we believe we can deploy our capital more efficiently
by reinvesting in other assets. These opportunistic asset sales were a mix of mid-aged narrow-body and wide-body aircraft
with an average age of 16.4 years.
We also sold three relatively new aircraft to our joint venture with Teachers’ which are included in the “opportunistic”
category in the table below. More specifically, our sales to the Teachers’ joint venture consisted of two Boeing 777-300ER
aircraft leased to LATAM and Thai Airways, respectively, and one Embraer E195 aircraft leased to Azul Airlines. We utilize
this joint venture vehicle to enable us to pursue larger transactions and to manage exposure concentrations.
Finally, as part of our strategy to reduce our freighter fleet, we classified two older 747-400 converted freighter aircraft
as “Flight Equipment Held for Sale” during 2014. One of these aircraft was sold in January 2015 and the other is under a
consignment contract and is under a consignment contract and is in the process of being parted out.
(Dollars in thousands)
Number of
Aircraft
Maintenance
Revenue
Lease
Incentive
Revenue(1)
Gain (Loss) on
Sale of Flight
Equipment
Impairment
Pre-tax
Impact
Opportunistic sales
Exit Sales
Total Sales
Freighters Held for Sale(2)
Total
_______________
28
19
47
2
49
$
3,171
$
— $
38,363
$
— $
56,129
59,300
9,137
$
68,437
$
$
776
776
3,626
(15,217)
23,146
—
(24,940)
(24,940)
(30,877)
4,402
$
23,146
$
(55,817)
$
40,168
41,534
16,748
58,282
(18,114)
(1) Included in Amortization of lease premiums, discounts and lease incentives on our consolidated statement of income.
(2) Included in Flight equipment held for sale in Other assets on our consolidated balance sheet.
38
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the aircraft owned by us as of December 31, 2012,
2013 and 2014:
AIRCASTLE AIRCRAFT INFORMATION (dollars in millions)
Owned
Aircraft as of
December 31,
2012(1)
Owned
Aircraft as of
December 31,
2013(1)
Owned
Aircraft as of
December 31,
2014(1)
Flight Equipment Held for Lease
Unencumbered Flight Equipment included in Flight Equipment Held for Lease
$
$
Number of Aircraft
Number of Unencumbered Aircraft
Number of Lessees
Number of Countries
Weighted Average Age — Passenger (years)(2)
Weighted Average Age — Freighter (years)(2)
Weighted Average Age — Combined (years)(2)
Weighted Average Remaining Passenger Lease Term (years)(3)
Weighted Average Remaining Freighter Lease Term (years)(3)
Weighted Average Remaining Combined Lease Term (years)(3)
Weighted Average Fleet Utilization during the Fourth Quarter(4)
Weighted Average Fleet Utilization for the Year Ended(4)
Portfolio Yield for the Fourth Quarter(5)
Portfolio Yield for the Year Ended(5)
____________
$
$
4,783
2,092
159
72
69
36
10.5
11.1
10.7
4.8
5.3
5.0
99.0%
99.8%
13.7%
13.8%
$
$
5,190
2,655
162
80
64
37
9.2
13.0
9.9
5.2
4.2
5.0
99.5%
98.7%
13.6%
13.6%
5,686
3,341
148
95
54
34
7.6
12.7
8.4
5.7
3.3
5.4
99.9%
99.6%
13.3%
13.3%
(1) Calculated using net book value of flight equipment held for lease and net investment in finance leases as at period end.
(2) Weighted average age (years) by net book value.
(3) Weighted average remaining lease term (years) by net book value.
(4) Aircraft on-lease days as a percent of total days in period weighted by net book value.
(5) Lease rental revenue for the period as a percent of the average net book value of flight equipment held for lease for the period.
Our owned aircraft portfolio as of December 31, 2014 is listed in Exhibit 99.1 to this report.
39
PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFICATION
Aircraft Type
Passenger:
Narrowbody
Midbody
Widebody
Total Passenger
Freighter
Total
Manufacturer
Boeing
Airbus
Embraer
Total
Regional Diversification
Europe
Asia and Pacific
North America
South America
Middle East and Africa
Off-lease(1)
Total
_______________
Owned Aircraft as of
December 31, 2014
Number of
Aircraft
% of Net
Book Value
96
29
8
133
15
148
76
67
5
148
65
46
17
13
6
1
36%
33%
17%
86%
14%
100%
51%
46%
3%
100%
29%
40%
7%
14%
10%
—%
148
100%
(1) Consists of one Airbus A320-200 aircraft which was subject to a commitment to lease and was delivered to our customer in February 2015.
40
Our largest customer represents 7% of the net book value of flight equipment held for lease (includes net book value
of flight equipment held for lease and net investment in finance leases) at December 31, 2014. Our top 15 customers for
aircraft we owned at December 31, 2014, representing 65 aircraft and 62% of the net book value of flight equipment held
for lease, are as follows:
Percent of Net Book Value
Greater than 6% per customer
3% to 6% per customer
Less than 3% per customer
Customer
LATAM
Iberia
South African Airways
Thai Airways
Singapore Airlines
Martinair (1)
Emirates
Garuda
Air Asia X
Virgin Australia
AirBridge Cargo(2)
Avianca
Jet Airways
Lion Air
Azul
Total top 15 customers
All other customers
Total all customers
Country
Chile
Spain
South Africa
Thailand
Singapore
Netherlands
United Arab Emirates
Indonesia
Malaysia
Australia
Russia
Colombia
India
Indonesia
Brazil
Number
of
Aircraft
3
18
4
2
4
5
2
4
2
2
2
2
6
4
5
65
83
148
(1) Martinair is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air France-KLM. If combined with one other affiliated customer, the two customers represents 5% of flight
equipment held for lease.
(2) Guaranteed by Volga-Dnepr Airlines.
Finance
Aircastle is a publicly listed company that has been trading on the New York Stock Exchange since August 2006. Since
our inception in late 2004, we have raised approximately $1.7 billion in equity capital from private and public investors as
well as approximately $11.2 billion in debt capital for both growth and refinancing purposes through export credit agency-
backed debt, commercial bank debt, the aircraft securitization markets and the unsecured bond market. This debt capital
has been sourced from a variety of providers demonstrating our funding expertise and flexibility in adapting to changing
capital markets conditions.
We intend to fund new investments through cash on hand, funds generated from operations, maintenance payments
received from lessees, secured borrowings for aircraft, draws on our Revolving Credit Facility and proceeds from any future
aircraft sales. We may repay all or a portion of such borrowings from time to time with the net proceeds from subsequent
long-term debt financings, additional equity offerings or cash generated from operations and asset sales. Therefore, our
ability to execute our business strategy, particularly the acquisition of additional commercial jet aircraft or other aviation
assets, depends to a significant degree on our ability to obtain additional debt and equity capital on terms we deem attractive.
See “Liquidity and Capital Resources — Secured Debt Financings” and ”Liquidity and Capital Resources —
Unsecured Debt Financings” below.
41
Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2013 to the year ended December 31, 2014:
Revenues:
Lease rental revenue
Finance lease revenue
Amortization of net lease discounts and lease incentives
Maintenance revenue (including contra maintenance revenue of $0 and $31,254, respectively)
Total lease rentals
Other revenue
Total revenues
Expenses:
Depreciation
Interest, net
Selling, general and administrative
Impairment of aircraft
Maintenance and other costs
Total operating expenses
Other income (expense):
Gain on sale of flight equipment
Loss on extinguishment of debt
Other
Total other income
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and earnings of unconsolidated equity method
investment
Income tax provision
Earnings of unconsolidated equity method investment, net of tax
Net income
Revenues:
Year Ended
December 31,
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
$ 644,929
$ 714,654
16,165
(32,411)
68,342
10,906
(6,172)
88,006
697,025
807,394
11,620
11,208
708,645
818,602
284,924
243,757
53,436
117,306
13,631
299,365
238,378
55,773
93,993
7,239
713,054
694,748
37,220
23,146
—
(36,570)
6,132
43,352
1,207
(12,217)
38,943
111,637
9,215
53
13,863
3,054
$ 29,781
$ 100,828
Total revenues increased by 15.5%, or $110.0 million, for the year ended December 31, 2014 as compared to the year
ended December 31, 2013, primarily as a result of the following:
Lease rental revenue. The increase in lease rental revenue of $69.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 as
compared to the same period in 2013 was primarily the result of:
• $158.7 million of revenue reflecting the full year impact of 17 aircraft purchased in 2013 and the impact of 34
aircraft purchased in 2014; and
• $10.6 million due to lease extensions, amendments and transitions.
This increase was offset partially by a decrease in lease rental revenue of:
• $92.4 million due to aircraft sales; and
• $7.2 million from the effect of lease terminations and other changes.
Finance lease revenue: For the year ended December 31, 2014, $10.9 million of interest income from finance leases
was recognized as compared to $16.2 million of interest income from finance leases recorded for the same period in 2013
due to the sale of six aircraft during the second quarter of 2014.
42
Amortization of net lease discounts and lease incentives.
Amortization of lease incentives
Amortization of lease premiums
Amortization of lease discounts
Amortization of net lease discounts and lease incentives
Year Ended
December 31,
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
$ (25,356) $ (6,584)
(9,003)
(9,099)
1,948
9,511
$ (32,411) $ (6,172)
As more fully described above under “Revenues”, lease incentives represent our estimated portion of the lessee’s cost
for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components which is amortized over the life of the
related lease. As we enter into new leases, the amortization of lease incentives generally increases and, conversely, if a
related lease terminates, the related unused lease incentive liability will reduce the amortization of lease incentives. The
decrease in amortization of lease incentives of $18.8 million primarily resulted from five unscheduled lease transitions, two
scheduled lease transitions and one change in lease incentive estimate as compared with ten unscheduled lease transitions,
three scheduled lease transitions, and one change in lease incentive estimate in 2013.
As more fully described above under “Revenues”, lease discounts represent the present value of the amount below
current lease rates for acquired aircraft with attached leases. The increase in amortization of lease discounts of $7.6 million
for the year ended December 31, 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013 primarily resulted from additional amortization
on six aircraft purchased in 2014 and the full year amortization from four aircraft purchased in 2013.
Maintenance revenue.
Unscheduled lease terminations
Scheduled lease terminations
Maintenance revenue
Year Ended December 31,
2013
2014
Dollars
(in thousands)
Number of
Leases
Dollars
(in thousands)
Number of
Leases
$
$
47,734
20,608
68,342
10
$
7
17
$
45,373
42,633
88,006
10
25
35
Unscheduled lease terminations. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we recorded maintenance revenue totaling
$45.4 million from unscheduled lease terminations primarily associated with ten aircraft returned in 2014. Comparatively,
for the same period in 2013, we recorded maintenance revenue totaling $47.7 million from unscheduled lease terminations
associated with ten aircraft returned in 2013.
Scheduled lease terminations. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we recorded maintenance revenue from
scheduled lease terminations totaling $42.6 million associated with 25 aircraft. Comparatively, for the same period in 2013,
we recorded $20.6 million, associated with maintenance revenue from seven scheduled lease terminations.
Other revenue was $11.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2014, which was primarily due to approximately
$10.2 million recognized in additional fees paid by lessees in connection with early termination of 14 leases and approximately
$1.0 million in administrative fees from the joint venture with Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. For the year ended December
31, 2013, other revenue was $11.6 million which was primarily due to $1.7 million of interest income on our debt investments
and approximately $9.9 million recognized in additional fees paid by lessees in connection with the early termination of 13
leases.
43
Operating Expenses:
Total operating expenses decreased by 2.6%, or $18.3 million, for the year ended December 31, 2014 as compared to
the year ended December 31, 2013 primarily as a result of the following:
Depreciation expense increased by $14.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 over the same period in 2013.
The net increase is primarily the result of:
• a $54.1 million increase in depreciation for aircraft acquired; and
• a $3.7 million increase due to changes to asset lives and residual values.
This increase was offset by:
• a $40.8 million decrease in depreciation for aircraft sales; and
• a $2.6 million decrease due to capitalized aircraft improvements being fully depreciated.
Interest, net consisted of the following:
Interest on borrowings, net settlements on interest rate derivatives, and other liabilities(1)
Hedge ineffectiveness losses (gains)
Amortization of interest rate derivatives related to deferred losses
Amortization of deferred financing fees and notes discount(2)
Interest Expense
Less interest income
Interest, net
______________
Year Ended
December 31,
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
$ 196,176
$ 189,135
371
33,265
14,719
738
34,979
13,961
244,531
238,813
(774)
(435)
$ 243,757
$ 238,378
(1) For the year ended December 31, 2013, includes the loan termination fee of $2,954 related to two ECA aircraft sold in June 2013.
(2) For the year ended December 31, 2013, includes the write-off of deferred financing fees of $3,975 related to the repayment of two ECA
Financings.
Interest, net decreased by $5.4 million, or 2.2%, over the year ended December 31, 2013. The net decrease is primarily
a result of:
• a $7.0 million decrease in interest expense on our borrowings driven by loan breakage fees of $3.0 million in
connection with the early repayment of two ECA loans in 2013 and a $4.0 million decrease due primarily to a
lower weighted average interest rate on our borrowings; and
• a $0.8 million decrease in amortization of deferred financing fees primarily due to the write-off of fees related
to the early repayment of two ECA loans in June 2013.
These decreases were partially offset by:
• a $1.7 million increase in amortization of deferred losses related to terminated interest rate derivatives reflecting
the repayment of Securitization No. 1.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2014 increased by $2.3 million or 4.4%
over the same period in 2013 primarily due to an increase in personnel costs. Non-cash share based expense was $4.6 million
and $4.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Impairment of aircraft was $94.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2014, See “Summary of Impairments
and Recoverability Assessment” below for a detailed discussion of the related impairment charge for these aircraft.
Impairment of aircraft was $117.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2013.
Maintenance and other costs were $7.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, a decrease of $6.4 million over
the same period in 2013. The net decrease is primarily related to lower maintenance costs of $3.4 million related to unscheduled
44
terminations for the year ended December 31, 2013 and $3.6 million related to scheduled terminations versus the same
period in 2013. This decrease is partially offset by an increase of $0.6 million in maintenance costs attributable to scheduled
terminations and returns as well as other routine costs such as inspections.
Other Income (Expense):
Total other income (expense) for the year ended December 31, 2014 was $12.2 million expense as compared to $43.4
million of income the same period in 2013. The decrease of $55.6 million is primarily a result of:
Gain on sale of flight equipment consisted of 28 "opportunistic" aircraft sales reflecting favorable current market
conditions in 2014 versus eight in 2013. These sales are intended to capture strong market demand and enable us to realize
gains and generally represent situations where we believe we can deploy our capital more efficiently by reinvesting in other
assets.
Loss on sale of flight equipment consisted of 19 "exit sales" aircraft dispositions nearing the end of their economic
lives versus 14 in 2013. Exit sales usually follow from a determination that the best economic decision for an aircraft is to
sell it as it reaches lease expiry rather than to reinvest and enable a follow-on lease.
(Dollars in thousands)
Number of
Aircraft
Maintenance
Revenue
Lease
Incentive
Revenue(1)
Gain (Loss) on
Sale of Flight
Equipment
Impairment
Pre-tax
Impact
Opportunistic sales
Exit Sales
Total Sales
Freighters Held for Sale(2)
Total
_______________
28
19
47
2
49
$
3,171
$
— $
38,363
$
— $
56,129
59,300
9,137
$
68,437
$
$
776
776
3,626
(15,217)
23,146
—
(24,940)
(24,940)
(30,877)
4,402
$
23,146
$
(55,817)
$
40,168
41,534
16,748
58,282
(18,114)
(1) Included in Amortization of lease premiums, discounts and lease incentives on our consolidated statement of income.
(2) Included in Flight equipment held for sale in Other assets on our consolidated balance sheet.
Loss on extinguishment of debt of $36.6 million relates to the early payment of our 9.75% Senior Notes due 2018 in
April, 2014.
Other decreased by $4.9 million, primarily related to the mark to market value of an undesignated interest rate derivative.
Income Tax Provision:
Our provision for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014 was $9.2 million and $13.9 million,
respectively. Income taxes have been provided based on the applicable tax laws and rates of those countries in which
operations are conducted and income is earned, primarily Ireland, Singapore and the United States. The increase in our
income tax provision of $4.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013, was
primarily attributable to changes in operating income subject to tax in Ireland, Singapore, the U.S. and other jurisdictions.
The loss on extinguishment of debt in 2014 of $36.6 million related to Bermuda operations and provided no tax benefit.
The impairment charge in 2013 of $117.3 million was related to Bermuda and Ireland, which resulted in a $2.0 million Irish
tax benefit.
All of our aircraft-owning subsidiaries that are recognized as corporations for U.S. tax purposes are non-
U.S. corporations. These non-U.S. subsidiaries generally earn income from sources outside the United States and typically
are not subject to U.S. federal, state or local income taxes, unless they operate within the U.S., in which case they may be
subject to federal, state and local income taxes. The aircraft owning subsidiaries resident in Ireland, Mauritius and Singapore
are subject to tax in those respective jurisdictions.
45
We have a U.S.-based subsidiary which provides management services to our non-U.S. subsidiaries and is subject to
U.S. federal, state and local income taxes. We also have Ireland and Singapore based subsidiaries which provide management
services to our non-U.S. subsidiaries and are subject to tax in those respective jurisdictions.
The Company received an assurance from the Bermuda Minister of Finance that it would be exempted from local
income, withholding and capital gains taxes until March 2035. Consequently, the provision for income taxes recorded relates
to income earned by certain subsidiaries of the Company which are located in, or earn income in, jurisdictions that impose
income taxes, primarily the United States and Ireland.
Other Comprehensive Income:
Net income
Net change in fair value of derivatives, net of tax expense of $482 and $828, respectively
Derivative loss reclassified into earnings
Total comprehensive income
Year Ended
December 31,
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
$ 29,781
$ 100,828
17,120
33,265
2,466
34,979
$ 80,166
$ 138,273
Other comprehensive income was $138.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, an increase of $58.1 million
from the $80.2 million of other comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2013. Other comprehensive income
for the year ended December 31, 2014 primarily consisted of:
•
•
•
$100.8 million of net income;
$2.5 million gain from a change in fair value of interest rate derivatives, net of taxes which is due primarily to
net settlements for the year ended December 31, 2014 partially offset by a slight loss due to a downward shift in
the 1 Month LIBOR forward curve; and
$35.0 million of amortization of deferred net losses reclassified into earnings primarily related to terminated
interest rate derivatives.
Other comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2013 primarily consisted of:
•
•
•
$29.8 million of net income;
$17.1 million gain from a change in fair value of interest rate derivatives, net of taxes which is due primarily to net
settlements for the year ended December 31, 2013 partially offset by a slight downward shift in the 1 Month LIBOR
forward curve; and
$33.3 million of amortization of deferred net losses reclassified into earnings related to terminated interest rate
derivatives.
The amount of loss expected to be reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into interest expense
over the next 12 months consists of net interest settlements on active interest rate derivatives in the amount of $3.0 million
and the amortization of deferred net losses from terminated interest rate derivatives in the amount of $23.4 million. See
“Liquidity and Capital Resources — Hedging” below for more information on deferred net losses as related to terminated
interest rate derivatives.
46
Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2012 to the year ended December 31, 2013:
Revenues:
Lease rental revenue
Finance lease revenue
Amortization of net lease discounts and lease incentives
Maintenance revenue
Total lease rentals
Other revenue
Total revenues
Expenses:
Depreciation
Interest, net
Selling, general and administrative
Impairment of aircraft
Maintenance and other costs
Total operating expenses
Other income:
Gain on sale of flight equipment
Other
Total other income
Income from continuing operations before income taxes
Income tax provision
Net income
Revenues:
Year Ended
December 31,
2012
2013
(Dollars in thousands)
$ 623,503
$ 644,929
8,393
16,165
(12,844)
(32,411)
53,320
68,342
672,372
697,025
14,200
11,620
686,572
708,645
269,920
284,924
222,808
243,757
48,370
53,436
96,454
117,306
14,656
13,631
652,208
713,054
5,747
602
6,349
40,713
7,845
—
37,220
6,132
43,352
38,943
9,215
53
$ 32,868
$ 29,781
Total revenues increased by 3.2%, or $22.1 million, for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to the year
ended December 31, 2012, primarily as a result of the following:
Lease rental revenue. The increase in lease rental revenue of $21.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 as
compared to the same period in 2012 was primarily the result of:
• $103.0 million of revenue from the full year impact of 17 aircraft purchased in 2012 and the impact of 24 aircraft
purchased in 2013.
This increase was offset partially by a decrease in revenue of:
• $52.7 million due to aircraft sales;
• $22.2 million due to lease extensions, amendments and transitions; and
• $6.6 million from the effect of lease terminations and other changes.
Finance lease revenue: For the year ended December 31, 2013, $16.2 million of interest income from finance leases
was recognized as compared to $8.4 million of interest income from finance leases recorded for the same period in 2012
due to the addition of two new finance leases in 2013 and the full year revenue from the 2012 additions.
47
Amortization of net lease discounts and lease incentives.
Amortization of lease incentives
Amortization of lease premiums
Amortization of lease discounts
Amortization of net lease discounts and lease incentives
Year Ended
December 31,
2012
2013
(Dollars in thousands)
$
(9,387) $ (25,356)
(5,141)
(9,003)
1,684
1,948
$ (12,844) $ (32,411)
As more fully described above under "Revenues", lease incentives represent our estimated portion of the lessee’s cost
for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components, which is amortized over the life of the
related lease. As we enter into new leases, the amortization of lease incentives generally increases, and conversely, if a
related lease terminates, the related unused lease incentive liability will reduce the amortization of lease incentives. The
increase in amortization of lease incentives of $16.0 million primarily resulted from ten unscheduled lease transitions, three
scheduled lease transitions, and one change in lease incentive estimate as compared with eight unscheduled lease transitions,
three scheduled lease transitions, two unscheduled changes in lease terms and one change in lease incentive estimate in
2012.
As more fully described above under "Revenues", lease premiums represent the present value of the amount above
current lease rates for acquired aircraft with attached leases. The increase in amortization of lease premiums of $3.9 million
for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to the same period in 2012 primarily resulted from additional amortization
on seven aircraft purchased in 2013 and the full year amortization from five aircraft purchased in 2012.
Maintenance revenue.
Unscheduled lease terminations
Scheduled lease terminations
Maintenance revenue
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
Dollars
(in thousands)
Number of
Leases
Dollars
(in thousands)
Number of
Leases
$
$
34,894
18,426
53,320
10
$
5
15
$
47,734
20,608
68,342
10
7
17
Unscheduled lease terminations. For the year ended December 31, 2013, we recorded maintenance revenue of $47.7
million from unscheduled lease terminations primarily associated with ten aircraft returned in 2013. Comparatively, for the
same period in 2012, we recorded maintenance revenue totaling $34.9 million from unscheduled lease terminations associated
with ten aircraft returned in 2012.
Scheduled lease terminations. For the year ended December 31, 2013, we recorded maintenance revenue from
scheduled lease terminations totaling $20.6 million associated with seven aircraft. Comparatively, for the same period in
2012, we recorded $18.4 million, associated with maintenance revenue from five scheduled lease terminations.
Other revenue was $11.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2013, which was primarily due to $1.7 million
of interest income on our debt investments and approximately $9.9 million recognized in additional fees paid by lessees in
connection with early termination of 13 leases. For the year ended December 31, 2012, other revenue was $14.2 million
which was primarily due to additional fees paid by lessees in connection with the early termination of 11 leases.
Operating Expenses:
Total operating expenses increased by 9.3%, or $60.8 million, for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to
the year ended December 31, 2012 primarily as a result of the following:
48
Depreciation expense increased by $15.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 over the same period in 2012.
The net increase is primarily the result of:
• a $28.3 million increase in depreciation for aircraft acquired; and
•
This increase was offset by:
a $5.2 million increase due to changes to asset lives and residual values.
• a $15.5 million decrease in depreciation for aircraft sales; and
•
a $3.3 million decrease due to capitalized aircraft improvements being fully depreciated.
Interest, net consisted of the following:
Interest on borrowings, net settlements on interest rate derivatives, and other liabilities(1)
Hedge ineffectiveness losses (gains)
Amortization of interest rate derivatives related to deferred losses
Amortization of deferred financing fees and notes discount(2)
Interest Expense
Less interest income
Less capitalized interest
Interest, net
______________
Year Ended
December 31,
2012
2013
(Dollars in thousands)
$ 178,601
$ 196,176
2,893
30,777
12,449
371
33,265
14,719
224,720
244,531
(597)
(1,315)
(774)
—
$ 222,808
$ 243,757
(1) For the year ended December 31, 2013, includes the loan termination fee of $2,954 related to two ECA aircraft sold in
June 2013.
(2) For the year ended December 31, 2012, includes the write-off of deferred financing fees of $2,914 related to the pay-
off of Term Financing No. 1 and $120 related to the replacement of the 2010 Revolving Credit Facility. For the year
ended December 31, 2013, includes the write-off of deferred financing fees of $3,975 related to the repayment of two
ECA Financings.
Interest, net increased by $20.9 million, or 9.4%, over the year ended December 31, 2012. The net increase is primarily
a result of:
• a $17.6 million increase in interest on our borrowings driven by loan breakage fees of $3.0 million in connection with
the early repayment of two ECA Loans and the impact of higher weighted average debt outstanding ($3.46 billion for
the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to $3.12 billion for the year ended December 31, 2012) of $19.4
million, partially offset by the effect of lower rates during the same period in the prior year of $4.8 million;
• a $2.5 million increase in the amortization of deferred losses primarily due to deferred swap loss amortization related
to the repayment of Term Financing in April 2012 and the repayment of two ECA loans in June 2013;
• a $2.3 million increase in amortization of deferred financing fees primarily due to the write-off of fees related to the
early repayment of two ECA loans in June 2013; and
• a $1.3 million decrease in capitalized interest reflecting the final aircraft delivery from our A330 program in April
2012.
These increases were offset partially by:
• a $2.5 million decrease resulting from changes in measured hedge ineffectiveness due to changes in our debt forecast.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2013 increased by $5.1 million or 10.5%
over the same period in 2012 primarily due to an increase in the number of employees and greater stock compensation
expense. Non-cash share based expense was $4.2 million and $4.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and
2013, respectively.
49
Impairment of aircraft was $117.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2013 related to six Boeing 747-400
converted freighters and one Boeing 737-700 aircraft, all of which did not pass their recoverability assessments and we
recorded transactional impairments for four Boeing 767-300ER aircraft and one Airbus A319-100 aircraft.
Impairment of aircraft was $96.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2012, related to eight Boeing 737-300 /
-400 aircraft, one Boeing 757-200 aircraft and five Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, one Airbus A310-300F aircraft and three
Airbus A320-200 aircraft, all of which did not pass their recoverability assessments.
Maintenance and other costs were $13.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, a decrease of $1.0 million
over the same period in 2012. The net decrease is primarily related to lower maintenance costs of $2.1 million related to
unscheduled terminations for the year ended December 31, 2013 versus the same period in 2012. This decrease is partially
offset by an increase of $1.3 million in maintenance costs attributable to scheduled terminations and returns as well as other
routine costs such as inspections.
Other Income:
Total other income for the year ended December 31, 2013 was $43.4 million as compared to $6.3 million for the same
period in 2012. The increase is primarily a result of $31.5 million increase in gains on sale of 22 aircraft sold in 2013 as
compared to eight aircraft sold in 2012.
Gain on sale of flight equipment consisted of eight "opportunistic" aircraft sales reflecting favorable current market
conditions in 2013 versus none in 2012. These sales are intended to capture strong market demand and enable us to realize
gains and generally represent situations where we believe we can deploy our capital more efficiently by reinvesting in other
assets.
Loss on sale of flight equipment consisted of 14 "exit sales" aircraft dispositions nearing the end of their economic
lives in 2013 versus eight in 2012. Exit sales usually follow from a determination that the best economic decision for an
aircraft is to sell it as it reaches lease expiry rather than to reinvest and enable a follow-on lease.
(Dollars in thousands)
Number of
Aircraft
Maintenance
Revenue
Lease
Incentive
Revenue(1)
Gain (Loss) on
Sale of Flight
Equipment
Impairment
Pre-tax
Impact
Opportunistic sales
Exit Sales
Total
_______________
8
14
22
$
$
— $
— $
30,925
30,925
$
456
456
$
34,990
2,230
37,220
$
$
— $
(13,515)
(13,515)
$
34,990
20,096
55,086
(1) Included in Amortization of lease premiums, discounts and lease incentives on our consolidated statement of income.
Income Tax Provision:
Our provision for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013 was $7.8 million and $9.2 million,
respectively. Income taxes have been provided based on the applicable tax laws and rates of those countries in which
operations are conducted and income is earned, primarily Ireland and the United States. The increase in our income tax
provision of approximately $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to the same period in 2012 was
primarily attributable to changes in operating income subject to tax in the U.S. and Ireland, and other jurisdictions. The
impairment charge of $117.3 million was attributable to Bermuda and Ireland, which resulted in a $2.0 million Irish tax
benefit.
All of our aircraft-owning subsidiaries that are recognized as corporations for U.S. tax purposes are non-
U.S. corporations. These non-U.S. subsidiaries generally earn income from sources outside the United States and typically
are not subject to U.S. federal, state or local income taxes, unless they operate within the U.S., in which case they may be
50
subject to federal, state and local income taxes. The aircraft owning subsidiaries resident in Ireland, Mauritius and Singapore
are subject to tax in these jurisdictions.
We have a U.S.-based subsidiary which provides management services to our non-U.S. subsidiaries and is subject
to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes. In addition, we have Ireland and Singapore based subsidiaries which provide
management services to our non-U.S. subsidiaries and are subject to tax in those respective jurisdictions.
The Company received an assurance from the Bermuda Minister of Finance that it would be exempted from local
income, withholding and capital gains taxes until March 2035. Consequently, the provision for income taxes recorded relates
to income earned by certain subsidiaries of the Company which are located in, or earn income in, jurisdictions that impose
income taxes, primarily the United States and Ireland.
Other Comprehensive Income:
Net income
Net change in fair value of derivatives, net of tax expense of $586 and $482, respectively
Derivative loss reclassified into earnings
Total comprehensive income (loss)
Year Ended
December 31,
2012
2013
(Dollars in thousands)
$
32,868
$ 29,781
30,614
30,777
17,120
33,265
$
94,259
$ 80,166
Other comprehensive income was $80.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, a decrease of $14.1 million
from the $94.3 million of other comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2012. Other comprehensive income
for the year ended December 31, 2013 primarily consisted of:
•
•
•
$29.8 million of net income;
$17.1 million gain from a change in fair value of interest rate derivatives, net of taxes which is due primarily to net
settlements for the year ended December 31, 2013, partially offset by a slight loss due to a downward shift in the 1
Month LIBOR forward curve; and
$33.3 million of amortization of deferred net losses reclassified into earnings primarily related to terminated interest
rate derivatives.
Other comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2012 primarily consisted of:
•
•
•
$32.9 million of net income;
$30.6 million gain from a change in fair value of interest rate derivatives, net of taxes which is due primarily to
net settlements for the year ended December 31, 2012, partially offset by a slight downward shift in the 1 Month
LIBOR forward curve; and
$30.8 million of amortization of deferred net losses reclassified into earnings related to terminated interest rate
derivatives.
Summary of Impairments and Recoverability Assessment
Annual Fleet-Wide Impairments
We perform our annual fleet-wide recoverability assessment during the third quarter of each year. This recoverability
assessment is a comparison of the carrying value of each aircraft to its undiscounted expected future cash flows. We develop
the assumptions used in the recoverability assessment, including those relating to current and future demand for each aircraft
type, based on management's experience in the aircraft leasing industry as well as information received from third party
sources. Estimates of the undiscounted cash flows for each aircraft type are impacted by changes in contracted and future
expected lease rates, residual values, expected scrap values, economic conditions and other factors.
In the 2014 assessment, we reduced our forecast of future cash flows for certain freighter aircraft to reflect the cumulative
effect of increasing supply of such aircraft over the past three years, relative to a modest increase in demand observed in
2014.
51
More specifically, we determined the cash flows expected to be generated by two of our McDonnell Douglas MD-11
freighter aircraft did not support their carrying values. As a result, we impaired these two aircraft during the third quarter
of 2014, which had an aggregate net book value as of June 30, 2014 of $53.8 million, writing down their book values by a
total of $19.5 million. We also shortened their expected lives from 25 to 21 years and reduced their residual values.
In addition, for our five Boeing 747-400 production freighters, all of which passed the annual recoverability assessment
in 2014, we shortened the expected lives from 35 years to 30 years from the date of manufacture.
For changes we made to our aircraft mentioned above and other adjustments to lives and/or residual values, we estimate
an increase in depreciation expense for the year ended December 31, 2015 of approximately $7.8 million.
Other than the aircraft discussed above, management believes that the net book value of each aircraft is currently
supported by the estimated future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by that aircraft, and accordingly, no
other aircraft were impaired as a consequence of this recoverability assessment. However, if our expectations warrant, we
may change our cash flow assumptions and require future impairment charges. While we believe that the estimates and
related assumptions used in the recoverability assessment are appropriate, actual results could differ from those estimates.
Other Impairments
In addition to impairment from our fleet wide review, during 2014 we recorded impairment charges of $42.7 million
on six passenger and one freighter aircraft that were returned to us early as a result of lease terminations or amendments
which we refer to as “Transactional Impairments”. We recorded maintenance revenue of $42.5 million and other revenue
of $0.5 million and reversed lease incentives of $0.5 million related to these aircraft.
We also recorded impairment charges of $30.9 million during 2014 related to two 747-400 converted freighter aircraft
which we refer to as “Freighters Held for Sale”, and recorded maintenance revenue of $9.1 million and other revenue of
$0.2 million and reversed lease incentives of $3.6 million related to these aircraft. One of these converted freighters was
sold in January 2015 and the other is under a consignment contract and is in the process of being parted out.
A summary of Other Impairments for the year ended December 31, 2014 follows:
Impairment Charges
Maintenance revenue recorded
Lease incentives reversed
Other revenue recorded
Total
Freighters
Held for
Sale
Transactional
Impairments
(Dollars in thousands)
$ (30,877)
$
(42,681)
9,137
3,626
183
$ (17,931)
$
42,490
456
515
780
As part of our recoverability assessment during the third quarter of 2013, we impaired six Boeing 747-400 converted
freighter aircraft and one Boeing 737-700 aircraft and recorded impairment charges of $88.6 million and $8.9 million,
respectively.
In addition, during 2013 we recorded Transactional Impairment charges of $19.7 million on five passenger aircraft
that were returned to us early as a result of lease terminations or amendments, which were partially offset by maintenance
revenue of $28.2 million and other revenue of $1.8 million related to these aircraft.
Aircraft Monitoring List
At December 31, 2014, we considered five aircraft with a total net book value of $136.4 million, including four freighter
aircraft with a total net book value of $116.6 million to be more susceptible to failing future recoverability assessments due
to their sensitivity to changes in contractual cash flows, future cash flow estimates and aircraft residual or scrap values.
52
APPLICATION OF CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated
financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with US GAAP, which requires us to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes. Our
estimates and assumptions are based on historical experiences and currently available information. Actual results may differ
from such estimates under different conditions, sometimes materially. A summary of our significant accounting policies is
presented in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Critical accounting
policies and estimates are defined as those that are both most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results
and require our most subjective judgments, estimates and assumptions. Our most critical accounting policies and estimates
are described below.
Lease Revenue Recognition
Our operating lease rentals are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. We will neither recognize
revenue nor record a receivable from a customer when collectability is not reasonably assured. Estimating whether
collectability is reasonably assured requires some level of subjectivity and judgment. When collectability is not reasonably
assured, the customer is placed on non-accrual status and revenue is recognized when cash payments are received.
Management determines whether customers should be placed on non-accrual status. When we are reasonably assured that
payments will be received in a timely manner, the customer is placed on accrual status. The accrual/non-accrual status of a
customer is maintained at a level deemed appropriate based on factors such as the customer’s credit rating, payment
performance, financial condition and requests for modifications of lease terms and conditions. Events or circumstances
outside of historical customer patterns can also result in changes to a customer’s accrual status.
Maintenance Payments and Maintenance Revenue
Under our leases, the lessee must pay operating expenses accrued or payable during the term of the lease, which would
normally include maintenance, overhaul, fuel, crew, landing, airport and navigation charges; certain taxes, licenses, consents
and approvals; aircraft registration; and insurance premiums. Typically, our aircraft are subject to net operating leases whereby
the lessee pays lease rentals and is generally responsible for maintaining the aircraft and paying operational, maintenance
and insurance costs, although in a majority of cases, we are obligated to pay a portion of specified maintenance or modification
costs. Our aircraft lease agreements generally provide for the periodic payment of a fixed amount of rent over the life of the
lease, and the amount of the contracted rent will depend upon the type, age, specification and condition of the aircraft and
market conditions at the time the lease is committed. The amount of rent we receive will depend on a number of factors,
including the credit-worthiness of our lessees and the occurrence of delinquencies, restructurings and defaults. Our lease
rental revenues are also affected by the extent to which aircraft are off-lease and our ability to remarket aircraft that are
nearing the end of their leases in order to minimize their off-lease time. Our success in re-leasing aircraft is affected by
market conditions relating to our aircraft and by general industry conditions and trends. An increase in the percentage of
off-lease aircraft or a reduction in lease rates upon remarketing would negatively impact our revenues.
Under an operating lease, the lessee will be responsible for performing maintenance on the relevant aircraft and will
typically be required to make payments to us for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value
components of the aircraft. These maintenance payments are based on hours or cycles of utilization or on calendar time,
depending upon the component, and would be made either monthly in arrears or at the end of the lease term. For maintenance
payments made monthly in arrears during a lease term, we will typically be required to reimburse all or a portion of these
payments to the lessee upon completion of the relevant heavy maintenance, overhaul or parts replacement. We record
maintenance payments paid by the lessee during a lease as accrued maintenance liabilities in recognition of our obligation
in the lease to refund such payments, and therefore we do not recognize maintenance revenue during the lease. Maintenance
revenue recognition would occur at the end of a lease, when we are able to determine the amount, if any, by which reserve
payments received exceed the amount we are required under the lease to reimburse to the lessee for heavy maintenance,
overhaul or parts replacement. If a lease requires end of lease term maintenance payments, typically the lessee would be
required to pay us for its utilization of the aircraft during the lease; however, in some cases, we may owe a net payment to
the lessee in the event heavy maintenance is performed and paid for by the lessee during the lease term and the aircraft is
returned to us in better condition that at lease inception. End of lease term maintenance payments made to us are recognized
as maintenance revenue, and end of lease term maintenance payments we make to a lessee are recorded as contra maintenance
revenue.
53
The amount of maintenance revenue or contra maintenance revenue we recognize in any reporting period is inherently
volatile and is dependent upon a number of factors, including the timing of lease expiries, including scheduled and
unscheduled expiries, the timing of maintenance events and the utilization of the aircraft by the lessee.
Lease Incentives and Amortization
Many of our leases contain provisions which may require us to pay a portion of the lessee’s costs for heavy maintenance,
overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components. We account for these expected payments as lease incentives,
which are amortized as a reduction of revenue over the life of the lease. We estimate the amount of our portion for such
costs, typically for the first major maintenance event for the airframe, engines, landing gear and auxiliary power units,
expected to be paid to the lessee based on assumed utilization of the related aircraft by the lessee, the anticipated cost of the
maintenance event and the estimated amounts the lessee is responsible to pay.
This estimated lease incentive is not recognized as a lease incentive liability at the inception of the lease. We recognize
the lease incentive as a reduction of lease revenue on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease, with the offset being
recorded as a lease incentive liability, which is included in maintenance payments on the balance sheet. The payment to the
lessee for the lease incentive liability is first recorded against the lease incentive liability, and any excess above the lease
incentive liability is recorded as a prepaid lease incentive asset, which is included in other assets on the balance sheet and
continues to amortize over the remaining life of the lease.
Flight Equipment Held for Lease and Depreciation
Flight equipment held for lease is stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method, typically over a 25 year
life from the date of manufacture for passenger aircraft and over a 30- to 35- year life for freighter aircraft, depending on
whether the aircraft is a converted or purpose-built freighter, to estimated residual values. Estimated residual values are
generally determined to be approximately 15% of the manufacturer’s estimated realized price for passenger aircraft when
new and 5% — 10% for freighter aircraft when new. Management may make exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case
basis when, in its judgment, the residual value calculated pursuant to this policy does not appear to reflect current expectations
of value. Examples of situations where exceptions may arise include but are not limited to:
•
•
•
flight equipment where estimates of the manufacturers' realized sales prices are not relevant (e.g., freighter
conversions);
flight equipment where estimates of the manufacturers’ realized sales prices are not readily available; and
flight equipment which may have a shorter useful life due to obsolescence.
In accounting for flight equipment held for lease, we make estimates about the expected useful lives, the fair value of
attached leases, acquired maintenance liabilities and the estimated residual values. In making these estimates, we rely upon
actual industry experience with the same or similar aircraft types and our anticipated utilization of the aircraft. As part of
our due diligence review of each aircraft we purchase, we prepare an estimate of the expected maintenance payments and
any excess costs which may become payable by us, taking into consideration the then-current maintenance status of the
aircraft and the relevant provisions of any existing lease.
For planned major maintenance activities for aircraft off-lease, the Company capitalizes the actual maintenance costs
by applying the deferral method. Under the deferral method, we capitalize the actual cost of major maintenance events,
which are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the period until the next maintenance event is required.
When we acquire an aircraft with a lease, determining the fair value of the attached lease requires us to make assumptions
regarding the current fair values of leases for specific aircraft. We estimate a range of current lease rates of like aircraft in
order to determine if the attached lease is within a fair value range. If a lease is below or above the range of current lease
rates, we present value the estimated amount below or above fair value range over the remaining term of the lease. The
resulting lease discount or premium is amortized into lease rental income over the remaining term of the lease.
Impairment of Flight Equipment
We perform a recoverability assessment of all aircraft in our fleet, on an aircraft-by-aircraft basis, at least annually. In
addition, a recoverability assessment is performed whenever events or changes in circumstances, or indicators, indicate that
the carrying amount or net book value of an asset may not be recoverable. Indicators may include, but are not limited to, a
significant lease restructuring or early lease termination, significant air traffic decline, the introduction of newer technology
aircraft or engines, an aircraft type is no longer in production or a significant airworthiness directive is issued. When we
54
perform a recoverability assessment, we measure whether the estimated future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be
generated by the aircraft exceed its net book value. The undiscounted cash flows consist of cash flows from currently
contracted leases, future projected lease rates, transition costs, estimated down time and estimated residual or scrap values
for an aircraft. In the event that an aircraft does not meet the recoverability test, the aircraft will be adjusted to fair value,
resulting in an impairment charge.
Management develops the assumptions used in the recoverability analysis based on current and future expectations
of the global demand for a particular aircraft type and historical experience in the aircraft leasing market and aviation industry,
as well as information received from third party industry sources. The factors considered in estimating the undiscounted
cash flows are impacted by changes in future periods due to changes in contracted lease rates, residual values, economic
conditions, technology, airline demand for a particular aircraft type and many of the risk factors discussed in Item 1A. “Risk
Factors.” See further discussion of our aircraft more susceptible to failing our recoverability assessment under "Summary
of Impairments and Recoverability Assessment" above and “Fair Value Measurements” below.
Net Investment in Finance Leases
If a lease meets specific criteria at the inception of a new lease or at any lease modification date, we recognize the
lease as a Net investment in finance leases on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The net investment in finance leases consists
of lease receivables, less the unearned income, plus the estimated unguaranteed residual value of the leased flight equipment
at the lease end date. The unearned income is recognized as Finance lease revenue in our Consolidated Statements of Income
over the lease term in a manner that produces a constant rate of return on the Net investment in finance lease.
Collectability of finance leases is evaluated periodically on an individual customer level. The evaluation of the
collectability of the finance leases considers the credit of the lessee and the value of the underlying aircraft. An allowance
for credit losses is established if there is evidence that we will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the original
contractual terms of the Net Investment in Finance Leases. At December 31, 2014, we had no allowance for credit losses
for our Net investment in finance leases.
Derivative Financial Instruments
In the normal course of business we utilize derivative instruments to manage our exposure to interest rate risks. All
interest rate derivatives are recognized on the balance sheet at their fair value. We determine fair value for our United States
dollar-denominated interest rate derivatives by calculating reset rates and discounting cash flows based on cash rates, futures
rates and swap rates in effect at the period close. The changes in fair values related to the effective portion of the interest
rate derivatives are recorded in other comprehensive income on our consolidated balance sheet. The ineffective portion of
the interest rate derivative is calculated and recorded in interest expense on our consolidated statement of income at each
quarter end. For any interest rate derivatives not designated as a hedge, all mark-to-market adjustments are recognized in
other income (expense) on our consolidated statement of income.
At inception of the hedge, we choose a method to assess effectiveness and to calculate ineffectiveness, which we must
use for the life of the hedge relationship. We have three hedges which are designated using the hypothetical derivative
method for assessment of effectiveness and calculation of ineffectiveness. The hypothetical derivative method involves a
comparison of the change in the fair value of an actual interest rate derivative to the change in the fair value of a hypothetical
interest rate derivative with critical terms that reflect the hedged debt. When the change in the value of the interest rate
derivative exceeds the change in the hypothetical interest rate derivative, the calculated ineffectiveness is recorded in interest
expense on our consolidated statement of income. The effectiveness of these relationships is tested by regressing historical
changes in the interest rate derivative against historical changes in the hypothetical interest rate derivative.
Fair Value Measurements
We measure the fair value of interest rate derivative assets and liabilities on a recurring basis. Fair value is the amount
that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at
the measurement date. Our valuation model for interest rate derivatives classified in Level 2 maximizes the use of observable
inputs, including contractual terms, interest rate curves, cash rates and futures rates and minimizes the use of unobservable
inputs, including an assessment of the risk of non-performance by the interest rate derivative counterparty in valuing derivative
assets, an evaluation of the Company’s credit risk in valuing derivative liabilities and an assessment of market risk in valuing
the derivative asset or liability. We use our interest rate derivative counterparty’s valuation of our interest rate derivatives
55
to validate our models. Our interest rate derivatives are sensitive to market changes in LIBOR as discussed in Item 7A.
“Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.”
We measure the fair value of certain assets and liabilities on a non-recurring basis, when US GAAP requires the
application of fair value, including events or changes in circumstances that indicate that the carrying amounts of assets may
not be recoverable. Assets subject to these measurements include aircraft. We record aircraft at fair value when we determine
the carrying value may not be recoverable. Fair value measurements for aircraft impaired are based on an income approach
that uses Level 3 inputs, which include our assumptions and appraisal data as to future cash proceeds from leasing and
selling aircraft.
Income Taxes
Aircastle uses an asset and liability based approach in accounting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and
liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributed to differences between the financial statement and tax
basis of existing assets and liabilities using enacted rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to
affect taxable income. A valuation allowance is established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount
estimated by us to be realizable. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more
likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities. We did not have any
unrecognized tax benefits.
RECENT UNADOPTED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
See Note 1. - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Proposed Accounting Pronouncements.
PROPOSED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
See Note 1. - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Proposed Accounting Pronouncements.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our primary sources of liquidity currently are cash on hand, cash generated by our aircraft leasing operations, loans
secured by additional aircraft we acquire, our revolving credit facility and unsecured borrowings. Our business is very capital
intensive, requiring significant investments in order to expand our fleet during periods of growth and investments in
maintenance and improvements on our existing portfolio. Our business also generates a significant amount of cash from
operations, primarily from lease rentals and maintenance collections. These sources have historically provided liquidity for
these investments and for other uses, including the payment of dividends to our shareholders. In the past, we have also met
our liquidity and capital resource needs by utilizing several sources, including:
•
lines of credit, our securitizations, term financings, secured borrowings supported by export credit agencies for
new aircraft acquisitions and bank financings secured by aircraft purchases;
unsecured indebtedness, including an unsecured revolving credit facility and unsecured senior notes;
sales of common shares; and
asset sales.
•
•
•
Going forward, we expect to continue to seek liquidity from these sources subject to pricing and conditions that we
consider satisfactory.
During 2014, we met our liquidity and capital resource needs with $458.8 million of cash from operations, over $1.0
billion of cash from debt financings, and $833.0 million of cash from aircraft sales (including $289.3 million from the sale
of three aircraft to our joint venture with Teachers').
In January 2015, we increased our revolving credit facility to $600.0 million, and we also issued $500.0 million of
5.5% Senior Notes due 2022.
56
As of December 31, 2014, we are in compliance with all applicable covenants in our financings. We have also
determined as of December 31, 2014 that our consolidated subsidiaries "restricted net assets" as defined by Rule 4-08(e)(3)
of Regulation S-X are less than 25 percent of our consolidated net assets.
We believe that cash on hand, funds generated from operations, maintenance payments received from lessees, secured
borrowings for aircraft, draws on our Revolving Credit Facility and proceeds from any future aircraft sales will be sufficient
to satisfy our liquidity and capital resource needs over the next twelve months. Our liquidity and capital resource needs
include payments due under our aircraft purchase obligations, required principal and interest payments under our long-term
debt facilities, expected capital expenditures, lessee maintenance payment reimbursements and lease incentive payments
over the next twelve months.
Cash Flows
Net cash flow provided by operating activities
Net cash flow used in investing activities
Net cash flow provided by financing activities
Operating Activities:
Year Ended
December 31,
2012
Year Ended
December 31,
2013
Year Ended
December 31,
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
$
427,277
$
424,037
$
458,786
(741,909)
(682,933)
(861,602)
637,327
295,292
(82,141)
Cash flow from operations was $458.8 million and $424.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013,
respectively. The increase in cash from operations of $34.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 versus the same
period in 2013 was primarily a result of:
• a $79.2 million increase in cash from lease rentals.
These inflows were offset partially by:
• a $17.9 million decrease in cash from working capital;
• a $13.8 million decrease in cash from maintenance revenue;
• a $6.3 million increase in cash paid for interest;
• a $5.3 million decrease in cash from finance leases; and
• a $4.7 million increase in cash paid for taxes.
Cash flow from operations was $424.0 million and $427.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012,
respectively. The decrease in cash from operations of $3.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 versus the same
period in 2012 was primarily a result of:
• a $15.1 million increase in cash from lease rentals
• a $7.8 million increase in cash from finance leases; and
• a $4.5 million increase in cash from maintenance revenue.
These inflows were offset partially by:
• a $28.3 million increase in cash paid for interest; and
• a $8.5 million decrease in cash from working capital.
57
Investing Activities:
Cash used in investing activities was $861.6 million and $682.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2014 and
2013, respectively. The increase in cash used in investing activities of $178.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014
versus the same period in 2013 was primarily a result of:
• a $408.8 million increase in the acquisition and improvement of flight equipment; and
• a $42.0 million decrease in principal repayments on debt investments.
These outflows were offset partially by:
• a $264.9 million increase in the proceeds from the sale of flight equipment; and
• a $6.1 million decrease in aircraft purchase deposits and progress payments, net of returned deposits and aircraft
sales deposits.
Cash used in investing activities was $682.9 million and $741.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2013 and
2012, respectively. The decrease in cash used in investing activities of $59.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013
versus the same period in 2012 was primarily a result of:
• a $506.6 million increase in the proceeds from the sale of flight equipment;
• a $85.6 million decrease in the net investment in finance leases;
• a $43.6 million decrease in purchase of debt investments;
• a $35.4 million increase in principal repayments on debt investments; and
• a $14.5 million decrease in aircraft purchase deposits and progress payments, net of returned deposits and aircraft
sales deposits.
These inflows were offset partially by:
• a $570.5 million increase in the acquisition and improvement of flight equipment; and
• a $35.8 million decrease in restricted cash and cash equivalents related to sale of flight equipment; and
• a $20.2 million increase in unconsolidated equity method investment
Financing Activities:
Cash used in financing activities was $82.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 as compared to cash provided
by financing activities of $295.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The net increase in cash used in financing
activities of $377.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 versus the same period in 2013 was a result of:
• a $474.4 million increase in securitization and term debt repayments primarily due to the repayment of $219.9
million for Securitization No. 1 in February 2014 and $450.0 million for our 9.75% Senior Notes due 2018 in April
2014;
• a $199.5 million decrease in issuances of common shares, net of repurchased shares primarily due to the sale of
shares to Marubeni in July 2013;
• a $60.2 million decrease in maintenance deposits received net of maintenance deposits returned;
• a $33.4 million increase in payments for terminated interest rate derivatives;
• a $32.8 million increase in debt extinguishment costs related to the repayment of our 9.75% Senior Notes due 2018
in April 2014;
• a $32.5 million decrease in security deposits received net of security deposits returned;
• a $14.4 million increase in dividends; and
• a $5.0 million of higher deferred financing costs.
The decreases were offset partially by:
• a $440.0 million increase in proceeds from notes and debt financings; and
58
• a $34.7 million decrease in restricted cash and cash equivalents related to security deposits and maintenance
payments.
Cash provided from financing activities was $295.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to
$637.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The net decrease in cash provided by financing activities of $342.0
million for the year ended December 31, 2013 versus the same period in 2012 was a result of:
• a $896.5 million decrease in proceeds from notes and debt financings;
• a $110.6 million decrease in restricted cash and cash equivalents related to security deposits and maintenance
payments; and
• a $8.4 million increase in dividends.
The decreases were offset partially by:
• a $337.3 million decrease in securitization and term debt repayments primarily due to the repayment of $583.1
million for Term Financing No. 1 in April 2012;
• a $241.6 million increase in issuances of common shares, net of repurchased shares primarily due to the sale of
shares to Marubeni in July 2013;
• a $50.8 million decrease in payments for terminated interest rate derivatives;
• a $20.8 million of lower deferred financing costs;
• a $18.5 million increase in maintenance deposits received net of maintenance deposits returned; and
• a $4.5 million increase in security deposits received net of security deposits returned.
Debt Obligations
For complete information on our debt obligations, please refer to Note 7 - Borrowings from Secured and Unsecured
Debt Financings in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements below.
Contractual Obligations
Our contractual obligations consist of principal and interest payments on variable and fixed rate liabilities, interest
payments on interest rate derivatives, aircraft acquisition and rent payments pursuant to our office leases. Total contractual
obligations increased from $5.28 billion at December 31, 2013 to approximately $5.30 billion at December due primarily
to:
• an increase in borrowings; and
• an increase in purchase obligations for aircraft to be acquired.
These increases were partially offset by a decrease in interest obligations.
59
The following table presents our actual contractual obligations and their payment due dates as of December 31,
2014.
Contractual Obligations
Principal payments:
Senior Notes due 2017
Senior Notes due 2018
Senior Notes due 2019
Senior Notes due 2020
Senior Notes due 2021
Revolving Credit Facility
Securitization No. 2(1)
ECA Term Financings(2)
Bank Financings(3)
Total principal payments
Interest payments:
Interest payments on debt obligations(4)
Interest payments on interest rate derivatives(5)
Total interest payments
Office leases(6)
Purchase obligations(7)
Total
_____________
Payments Due By Period as of December 31, 2014
Total
Less than
1 year
1-3 years
3-5 years
More than
5 years
(Dollars in thousands)
$
500,000
$
— $ 500,000
$
— $
400,000
500,000
300,000
500,000
200,000
391,680
449,886
560,825
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
169,441
218,701
45,394
63,225
95,727
150,176
—
—
—
400,000
500,000
—
—
300,000
500,000
200,000
3,538
102,742
106,090
—
—
206,023
241,334
3,802,391
278,060
964,604
1,312,370
1,247,357
803,001
173,470
317,580
218,872
93,079
6,544
3,537
3,007
—
809,545
177,007
320,587
218,872
6,673
1,108
686,040
686,040
1,669
—
1,515
—
—
93,079
2,381
—
$ 5,304,649
$ 1,142,215
$1,286,860
$ 1,532,757
$ 1,342,817
(1) Estimated principal payments for this non-recourse financing are based on excess cash flows available from forecasted lease rentals, net maintenance funding
and proceeds from asset dispositions after the payment of forecasted operating expenses and interest payments, including interest payments on existing
interest rate derivative agreements and policy provider fees.
Includes scheduled principal payments based upon eight fixed rate, 12-year, fully amortizing loans.
Includes principal payments based upon individual loan amortization schedules.
(2)
(3)
(4) Future interest payments on variable rate, LIBOR-based debt obligations are estimated using the interest rate in effect at December 31, 2014.
(5) Future interest payments on derivative financial instruments are estimated using the spread between the floating interest rates and the fixed interest rates in
effect at December 31, 2014.
(6) Represents contractual payment obligations for our office leases in Stamford, Connecticut; Dublin, Ireland and Singapore.
(7) At December 31, 2014, we had commitments to acquire 16 aircraft for $686.0 million, including four 777-300ER aircraft which were part of our previously
announced purchase/lease-back transaction with LATAM. Our commitment to acquire the LATAM 777 aircraft expired in January 2015, as the airline was
unable to economically unwind its existing financings for these aircraft. As of February 6, 2015, after taking into account two aircraft acquisitions for $119.0
million thus far in 2015, we now have commitments to acquire 11 aircraft for $298.8 million that we expect to complete by June 30, 2015.
.
Capital Expenditures
We make capital expenditures from time to time in connection with improvements made to our aircraft. These
expenditures include the cost of major overhauls necessary to place an aircraft in service and modifications made at the
request of lessees. For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, we incurred a total of $41.1 million, $21.7
million and $14.0 million, respectively, of capital expenditures (including lease incentives) related to the acquisition and
improvement of aircraft.
As of December 31, 2014, the weighted average age (by net book value) of our aircraft was approximately 8.4 years.
In general, the costs of operating an aircraft, including maintenance expenditures, increase with the age of the aircraft. Under
our leases, the lessee is primarily responsible for maintaining the aircraft. We may incur additional maintenance and
modification costs in the future in the event we are required to remarket an aircraft, or a lessee fails to meet its maintenance
obligations under the lease agreement. At December 31, 2014, we had a $333.5 million maintenance payment liability on
our balance sheet, which is a $109.0 million decrease from December 31, 2013. The decrease primarily consisted of net
maintenance cash inflows of $6.9 million and a decrease in maintenance liabilities of $115.9 million. These maintenance
60
reserves are paid by the lessee to provide for future maintenance events. Provided a lessee performs scheduled maintenance
of the aircraft, we are required to reimburse the lessee for scheduled maintenance payments. In certain cases, we are also
required to make lessor contributions, in excess of amounts a lessee may have paid, towards the costs of maintenance events
performed by or on behalf of the lessee.
Actual maintenance payments to us by lessees in the future may be less than projected as a result of a number of
factors, including defaults by the lessees. Maintenance reserves may not cover the entire amount of actual maintenance
expenses incurred and, where these expenses are not otherwise covered by the lessees, there can be no assurance that our
operational cash flow and maintenance reserves will be sufficient to fund maintenance requirements, particularly as our
aircraft age. See Item 1A. “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — Risks related to our leases — If lessees are
unable to fund their maintenance obligations on our aircraft, our cash flow and our ability to meet our debt obligations or
to pay dividends to our shareholders could be adversely affected.”
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have entered into a joint venture with an affiliate of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, in which we have a 30% equity
interest, which does not qualify for consolidated accounting treatment. The assets and liabilities of this joint venture are off
our balance sheet and we only record our net investment under the equity method of accounting. See Footnote 5 -
Unconsolidated Equity Method Investment.
Foreign Currency Risk and Foreign Operations
At December 31, 2014 all of our leases are payable to us in U.S. dollars. However, we incur Euro- and Singapore
dollar-denominated expenses in connection with our subsidiaries in Ireland and Singapore. For the year ended December 31,
2014, expenses, such as payroll and office costs, denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar aggregated
approximately $15.3 million in U.S. dollar equivalents and represented approximately 27.5% of total selling, general and
administrative expenses. Our international operations are a significant component of our business strategy and permit us to
more effectively source new aircraft, service the aircraft we own and maintain contact with our lessees. Therefore, it is likely
that our international operations and our exposure to foreign currency risk will increase over time. Although we have not
yet entered into foreign currency hedges because our exposure to date has not been significant, if our foreign currency
exposure increases we may enter into hedging transactions in the future to mitigate this risk. For the years ended December 31,
2012, 2013 and 2014, we incurred insignificant net gains and losses on foreign currency transactions.
Hedging
Except for the table below, for complete information on our derivatives, please refer to Note 14 - Derivatives in the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements below.
61
The following table summarizes the deferred (gains) and losses and related amortization into interest expense for our
terminated interest rate derivative contracts for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013, and 2014:
Original
Maximum
Notional
Amount
Effective
Date
Maturity
Date
Fixed
Rate
%
Termination
Date
Deferred
(Gain) or
Loss Upon
Termination
Amount of Deferred
(Gain) or Loss
Amortized (including
Accelerated
Amortization) into
Interest Expense
For the Year Ended
December 31,
2012
2013
2014
Amount of
Deferred
(Gain) or
Loss
Expected to
be
Amortized
over the
Next Twelve
Months
Unamortized
Deferred
(Gain) or
Loss at
December
31,
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
Hedged Item
Securitization No. 2
Securitization No. 2
Senior Notes due 2017
and 2020
200,000
410,000
150,000
Jan-07
Feb-07
Jul-07
Aug-12
Apr-17
Dec-17
5.06
5.14
5.14
Jun-07
Jun-07
Mar-08
Term Financing No. 1
440,000
Jun-07
Feb-13
4.88
Partial -
Mar-08
Full – Jun-08
Term Financing No. 1
248,000
Aug-07
May-13
5.33
Jun-08
Senior Notes due 2019
710,068
Jun-08
May-13
4.04 De-designated
- Mar-12
Terminated -
Apr-12
(1,850)
(3,119)
15,281
26,281
9,888
19,026
—
(332)
(190)
(341)
—
—
(303)
(334)
3,220
1,740
1,446
1,300
—
4,771
384
—
1,349
— 13,331
722
5,695
—
—
—
—
(219)
1,166
—
—
—
Senior Notes due 2019
491,718
May-13
May-15
5.31 De-designated
31,403
4,401
— 12,148
14,854
4,401
Senior Notes due 2018
360,000
Jan-08
Feb-19
5.16
231,000
Apr-10
Oct-15
5.17
- Mar-12
Terminated -
Apr-12
Partial -
Jun-08
Full – Oct-08
Partial -
Jun-08
Full – Dec-08
23,077
5,454
645
1,173
1,570
1,469
15,310
1,002
3,602
3,863
727
1,002
238,000
Jan-11
Apr-16
5.23
Dec-08
238,000
Jul-11
Sep-16
5.27
Dec-08
451,911
108,089
Jun-06
Jun-06
Jun-16
Jun-16
5.78
5.78
Feb-14
Feb-14
19,430
17,254
20,762
6,101
3,529
3,755
3,468
3,171
2,872
2,014
2,170
1,985
12,208
3,587
—
—
—
—
8,554
2,514
$
198,844
$
35,941
$ 30,676
$ 30,766
$ 34,341
$
2,864
1,791
8,455
2,485
23,414
ECA Term Financing
for New A330 Aircraft
ECA Term Financing
for New A330 Aircraft
ECA Term Financing
for New A330 Aircraft
Senior Notes due 2018
Senior Notes due 2018
Total
The amount of deferred net loss expected to be amortized in 2016 is $9.0, 2017 is $2.2 million and thereafter is $1.3
million.
Inflation
Inflation affects our lease rentals, asset values and costs, including selling, general and administrative expenses and
other expenses. We do not believe that our financial results have been, or will be, adversely affected by inflation in a material
way.
Management’s Use of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
We define EBITDA as income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes, interest expense, and depreciation
and amortization. We use EBITDA to assess our consolidated financial and operating performance, and we believe this non-
US GAAP measure is helpful in identifying trends in our performance.
This measure provides an assessment of controllable expenses and affords management the ability to make decisions
which are expected to facilitate meeting current financial goals as well as achieving optimal financial performance. It provides
an indicator for management to determine if adjustments to current spending decisions are needed.
EBITDA provides us with a measure of operating performance because it assists us in comparing our operating
performance on a consistent basis as it removes the impact of our capital structure (primarily interest charges on our
62
outstanding debt) and asset base (primarily depreciation and amortization) from our operating results. Accordingly, this
metric measures our financial performance based on operational factors that management can impact in the short-term,
namely the cost structure, or expenses, of the organization. EBITDA is one of the metrics used by senior management and
the board of directors to review the consolidated financial performance of our business.
We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA (as defined above) further adjusted to give effect to adjustments required in
calculating covenant ratios and compliance as that term is defined in the indenture governing our senior unsecured notes.
Adjusted EBITDA is a material component of these covenants.
The table below shows the reconciliation of net income to EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and
2014, respectively.
Net income
Depreciation
Amortization of net lease discounts and lease incentives
Interest, net
Income tax provision
EBITDA
Adjustments:
Impairment of Aircraft
Loss on extinguishment of debt
Non-cash share based payment expense
Gain on mark to market of interest rate derivative contracts
Contract termination expense
Adjusted EBITDA
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
$
32,868
$
29,781
$ 100,828
269,920
284,924
299,365
12,844
32,411
6,172
222,808
243,757
238,378
7,845
9,215
13,863
$ 546,285
$ 600,088
$ 658,606
96,454
117,306
—
4,232
(597)
1,248
93,993
36,570
4,244
—
4,569
(4,754)
(1,130)
—
—
$ 647,622
$ 717,209
$ 792,283
Management’s Use of Adjusted Net Income (“ANI”)
Management believes that ANI when viewed in conjunction with the Company’s results under US GAAP and the
below reconciliation, provide useful information about operating and period-over-period performance, and provide additional
information that is useful for evaluating the underlying operating performance of our business without regard to periodic
reporting elements related to interest rate derivative accounting and gains or losses related to flight equipment and debt
investments.
The table below shows the reconciliation of net income to ANI for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and
2014, respectively.
63
Net income
Loss on extinguishment of debt(2)
Loan termination payment(1)
Ineffective portion and termination of cash flow hedges(1)
Gain on mark to market of interest rate derivative contracts(2)
Write-off of deferred financing fees(1)
Stock compensation expense(3)
Term Financing No. 1 hedge loss amortization charges(1)
Securitization No. 1 hedge loss amortization charges(1)
Contract termination expense
Adjusted net income
______________
(1)
(2)
(3)
Included in Interest, net.
Included in Other income (expense).
Included in Selling, general and administrative expenses.
Weighted-average shares:
Common shares outstanding
Restricted common shares
Total weighted-average shares
Percentage of weighted-average shares:
Common shares outstanding
Restricted common shares(a)
Total
Weighted-average common shares outstanding — Basic and Diluted(b)
Adjusted net income allocation:
Adjusted net income
Less: Distributed and undistributed earnings allocated to restricted common shares(a)
Adjusted net income allocable to common shares — Basic and Diluted
Adjusted net income per common share — Basic
Adjusted net income per common share — Diluted
____________
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands)
$
32,868
$
29,781
$
100,828
—
—
2,893
(597)
3,034
4,232
13,331
—
1,248
—
2,954
2,393
36,570
—
660
(4,754)
(1,130)
3,975
4,569
17,843
2,499
—
—
4,244
14,854
11,616
—
$
57,009
$
59,260
$
167,642
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
70,716,963
73,652,996
80,389,349
587,813
593,616
588,077
71,304,776
74,246,612
80,977,426
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
99.18%
0.82%
99.20%
0.80%
99.27%
0.73%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
70,716,963
73,652,996
80,389,349
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
$
$
$
$
57,009
$
59,260
$
167,642
(470)
56,539
0.80
0.80
$
$
$
(474)
58,786
0.80
0.80
$
$
$
(1,217)
166,425
2.07
2.07
(a) For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, distributed and undistributed earnings to restricted shares is 0.82%, 0.80% and 0.73%, respectively,
of net income. The amount of restricted share forfeitures for all periods presented is immaterial to the allocation of distributed and undistributed earnings.
(b) For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, we have no dilutive shares.
64
Limitations of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and ANI
An investor or potential investor may find EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and ANI important measures in evaluating
our performance, results of operations and financial position. We use these non-US GAAP measures to supplement our
US GAAP results in order to provide a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business.
EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and ANI have limitations as analytical tools and should not be viewed in isolation or as
substitutes for US GAAP measures of earnings. Material limitations in making the adjustments to our earnings to calculate
EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and ANI, and using these non-US GAAP measures as compared to US GAAP net income,
income from continuing operations and cash flows provided by or used in operations, include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
depreciation and amortization, though not directly affecting our current cash position, represent the wear and tear
and/or reduction in value of our aircraft, which affects the aircraft’s availability for use and may be indicative of
future needs for capital expenditures;
the cash portion of income tax (benefit) provision generally represents charges (gains), which may significantly
affect our financial results;
elements of our interest rate derivative accounting may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of our hedging policy;
loss on the extinguishment of debt related to our 9.75% Senior Notes due 2018;
hedge loss amortization charges related to Term Financing No. 1 and Securitization No. 1; and
adjustments required in calculating covenant ratios and compliance as that term is defined in the indenture
governing our senior unsecured notes.
EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and ANI are not alternatives to net income, income from operations or cash flows provided
by or used in operations as calculated and presented in accordance with US GAAP. You should not rely on these non-
US GAAP measures as a substitute for any such US GAAP financial measure. We strongly urge you to review the
reconciliations to US GAAP net income, along with our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual
Report. We also strongly urge you to not rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business. In addition, because
EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and ANI are not measures of financial performance under US GAAP and are susceptible to
varying calculations, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and ANI as presented in this Annual Report, may differ from and may
not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Interest rate risk is the exposure to loss resulting from changes in the level of interest rates and the spread between
different interest rates. These risks are highly sensitive to many factors, including U.S. monetary and tax policies, U.S. and
international economic factors and other factors beyond our control. We are exposed to changes in the level of interest rates
and to changes in the relationship or spread between interest rates. Our primary interest rate exposures relate to our lease
agreements, floating rate debt obligations and interest rate derivatives. Rent payments under our aircraft lease agreements
typically do not vary during the term of the lease according to changes in interest rates. However, our borrowing agreements
generally require payments based on a variable interest rate index, such as LIBOR. Therefore, to the extent our borrowing
costs are not fixed, increases in interest rates may reduce our net income by increasing the cost of our debt without any
corresponding increase in rents or cash flow from our securities.
Changes in interest rates may also impact our net book value as our interest rate derivatives are periodically marked-
to-market through shareholders’ equity. Generally, we are exposed to loss on our fixed pay interest rate derivatives to the
extent interest rates decrease below their contractual fixed rate.
The relationship between spreads on derivative instruments may vary from time to time, resulting in a net aggregate
book value increase or decrease. Changes in the general level of interest rates can also affect our ability to acquire new
investments and our ability to realize gains from the settlement of such assets.
65
Sensitivity Analysis
The following discussion about the potential effects of changes in interest rates is based on a sensitivity analysis, which
models the effects of hypothetical interest rate shifts on our financial condition and results of operations. Although we believe
a sensitivity analysis provides the most meaningful analysis permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC, it is constrained
by several factors, including the necessity to conduct the analysis based on a single point in time and by the inability to
include the extraordinarily complex market reactions that normally would arise from the market shifts modeled. Although
the following results of a sensitivity analysis for changes in interest rates may have some limited use as a benchmark, they
should not be viewed as a forecast. This forward-looking disclosure also is selective in nature and addresses only the potential
interest expense impacts on our financial instruments and, in particular, does not address the mark-to-market impact on our
interest rate derivatives. It also does not include a variety of other potential factors that could affect our business as a result
of changes in interest rates.
A hypothetical 100-basis point increase/decrease in our variable interest rates would increase/decrease the minimum
contracted rentals on our portfolio as of December 31, 2014 by $3.8 million and $1.8 million, respectively, over the next
twelve months. As of December 31, 2014, a hypothetical 100-basis point increase/decrease in our variable interest rate on
our borrowings would result in an interest expense increase/decrease of $3.6 million and $1.7 million, respectively, net of
amounts received from our interest rate derivatives, over the next twelve months.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, referred to in Item 15(A)(1) of this Form 10-K, are filed as
part of this report and appear in this Form 10-K beginning on page F-1.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Management’s Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The term “disclosure controls and procedures” is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). This term refers to the controls and procedures of a company that are designed to ensure
that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files under the Exchange Act is recorded,
processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the SEC and that such information is accumulated
and communicated to the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial
Officer (“CFO”) as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. An evaluation was performed under
the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the CEO and CFO, of the effectiveness
of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2014. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s
management, including the CEO and CFO, concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective
as of December 31, 2014.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial
reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). The Company’s internal control over financial reporting
is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.
Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions or because the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate.
66
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our CEO and CFO, we conducted an
assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014. The assessment
was based on criteria established in the framework Internal Control — Integrated Framework, issued by the Committee of
Sponsoring Organizations ("COSO") of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). Based on this
assessment, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2014.
Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited our Consolidated Financial
Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, audited the effectiveness of our controls over financial reporting
as of December 31, 2014. Ernst & Young LLP has issued its report which is included below.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter
ended December 31, 2014 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting.
67
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Shareholders of
Aircastle Limited
We have audited Aircastle Limited and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based
on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations
of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). Aircastle Limited and subsidiaries’ management is
responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of
internal control over financial reporting included in Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial
Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on
our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United
States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding
of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the
design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as
we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures
that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and
dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts
and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of
the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition,
use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also,
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, Aircastle Limited and subsidiaries maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States),
the consolidated balance sheets of Aircastle Limited and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2013 and 2014, and the related
consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the
three years in the period ended December 31, 2014 of Aircastle Limited and subsidiaries and our report dated February 19,
2015 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Stamford, Connecticut
February 19, 2015
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
68
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
69
PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The name, age and background of each of our directors nominated for election will be contained under the caption
“Election of Directors” in our Proxy Statement for our 2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. The identification
of our Audit Committee and our Audit Committee financial experts will be contained in our Proxy Statement for our 2015
Annual General Meeting of Shareholders under the captions “CORPORATE GOVERNANCE — Committees of the Board
of Directors — The Audit Committee.” Information regarding our Code of Business Ethics and Conduct, any material
amendments thereto and any related waivers will be contained in our Proxy Statement for our 2015 Annual General Meeting
of Shareholders under the captions “CORPORATE GOVERNANCE — Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.” All of the
foregoing information is incorporated herein by reference. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is posted on Aircastle’s
Website at www.aircastle.com under Investors — Corporate Governance. Pursuant to Item 401(b) of Regulation S-K, the
requisite information pertaining to our executive officers is reported immediately following Item 4 of Part I of this report.
Information on compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act will be contained in our Proxy Statement for our
2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders under the captions “OWNERSHIP OF AYR COMMON SHARES —
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Information on compensation of our directors and certain named executive officers will be contained in our Proxy
Statement for our 2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders under the captions “Directors’ Compensation” and
“EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION,” respectively, and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Information on the number of shares of Aircastle’s common shares beneficially owned by each director, each named
executive officer and by all directors and executive officers as a group will be contained under the captions “OWNERSHIP
OF THE COMPANY’S COMMON SHARES — Security Ownership by Management” and information on each beneficial
owner of more than 5% of Aircastle’s common shares is contained under the captions “OWNERSHIP OF THE COMPANY’S
COMMON SHARES — Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners” in our Proxy Statement for our 2015 Annual
General Meeting of Shareholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Information relating to certain transactions between Aircastle and its affiliates and certain other persons will be set
forth under the caption “CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS” in our Proxy Statement
for our 2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
Information relating to director independence will be set forth under the caption “PROPOSAL NUMBER ONE —
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS — Director Independence” in our Proxy Statement for our 2015 Annual General Meeting of
Shareholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Information relating to audit fees, audit-related fees, tax fees and all other fees billed in fiscal 2014 and by Ernst &
Young LLP, for services rendered to Aircastle is set forth under the caption “INDEPENDENT AUDITOR FEES” in the
Proxy Statement for our 2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and is incorporated herein by reference. In addition,
information relating to the pre-approval policies and procedures of the Audit Committee is set forth under the caption
“INDEPENDENT AUDITOR FEES — Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures” in our Proxy Statement for our 2014 Annual
General Meeting of Shareholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
70
ITEM 15.
EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
PART IV
(A) 1.
Consolidated Financial Statements.
The following is a list of the “Consolidated Financial Statements” of Aircastle Limited and its subsidiaries
included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which are filed herewith pursuant to Item 8:
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2014.
Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2013 and
December 31, 2014.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2012, December 31,
2013 and December 31, 2014.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2013 and
December 31, 2014.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2011,
December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2013.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
2.
3.
Financial Statement Schedules.
There are no Financial Statement Schedules filed as part of this Annual Report, since the required
information is included in the Consolidated Financial Statements, including the notes thereto, or the
circumstances requiring inclusion of such schedules are not present.
Exhibits.
The exhibits filed herewith are listed on the Exhibit Index filed as part of this report on Form 10-K.
71
(B) EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No.
Description of Exhibit
3.1
3.2
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.9
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
Memorandum of Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Registration
Statement on Form S-1 (Amendment No. 2) (No. 333-134669) filed on July 25, 2006).
Amended Bye-laws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (No. 333-182242) filed on June 20, 2012).
Specimen Share Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Registration
Statement on Form S-1 (Amendment No. 2) (No. 333-134669) filed on July 25, 2006).
Indenture, dated as of July 30, 2010, by and among Aircastle Limited and Wells Fargo Bank, National
Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's current report on Form
8-K filed with the SEC on August 4, 2010).
First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 9, 2011, by and among Aircastle Limited and Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's
current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 12, 2011).
Indenture, dated as of April 4, 2012, by and among Aircastle Limited and Wells Fargo Bank, National
Association as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's current report on Form
8-K filed with the SEC on April 4, 2012).
Indenture, dated as of November 30, 2012, by and among Aircastle Limited and Wells Fargo Bank,
National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's current report
on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2012).
Shareholder Agreement, dated as of June 6, 2013, by and between Aircastle Limited and Marubeni
Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the company's current report on Form 8-K filed
with the SEC on June 6, 2013).
Indenture, dated as of December 5, 2013, by and among Aircastle Limited and Citigroup Global Markets,
Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 5,
2013).
First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 5, 2013, by and among Aircastle Limited and Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company's
current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 5, 2013).
Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 26, 2014 by and among Aircastle Limited and Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's
current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 26, 2014.
Form of Restricted Share Purchase Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company's
Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-134669) filed on June 2, 2006). #
Form of Amended Restricted Share Grant Letter (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the
Company's Annual Report on form 10-K filed March 5, 2010). #
Form of Amended Restricted Share Agreement for Certain Executive Officers under the Amended and
Restated Aircastle Limited 2005 Equity and Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 10, 2011). #
Form of Amended International Restricted Share Grant Letter (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to
the Company's Annual Report on form 10-K filed March 5, 2010). #
Letter Agreement, dated February 3, 2005, between Aircastle Limited and David Walton (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-134669) filed on
June 2, 2006). #
Letter Agreement, dated February 24, 2006, between Aircastle Advisor LLC and Joseph Schreiner
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No.
333-134669) filed on June 2, 2006). #
E - 1
Exhibit No.
Description of Exhibit
10.7
10.8
10.9
10.10
10.11
10.12
10.13
10.14
10.15
10.16
10.17
10.18
Letter Agreement, dated April 29, 2005, between Aircastle Advisor LLC and Jonathan Lang (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-134669)
filed on June 2, 2006). #
Letter Agreement, dated March 8, 2006 between Aircastle Advisor LLC and Jonathan M. Lang
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No.
333-134669) filed on June 2, 2006). #
Trust Indenture, dated as of June 15, 2006, among ACS Aircraft Finance Bermuda Limited, as Issuer, ACS
Aircraft Finance Ireland PLC, as Guarantor, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as
the Cash Manager, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the person accepting
appointment as the Trustee under the Indenture, CALYON, Financial Guaranty Insurance Company and
Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the Drawing Agent (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.26 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Amendment No. 2) (No.
333-134669) filed on July 25, 2006).
Trust Indenture, dated as of June 15, 2006, among ACS Aircraft Finance Ireland PLC, as Issuer, ACS
Aircraft Finance Bermuda Limited, as Guarantor, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity
as the Cash Manager, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the person accepting
appointment as the Trustee under the Indenture, CALYON, Financial Guaranty Insurance Company and
Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the Drawing Agent (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.27 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Amendment No. 2) (No.
333-134669) filed on July 25, 2006).
Amended and Restated Aircastle Limited 2005 Equity and Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.28 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Amendment No. 2) (No.
333-134669) filed on July 25, 2006). #
Trust Indenture, dated as of June 8, 2007, among ACS 2007-1 Limited, as Issuer, ACS Aircraft Finance
Ireland 2 Limited, as Guarantor, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the Cash
Manager, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the person accepting appointment as
the Trustee under the Indenture, HSH Nordbank AG, New York Branch, Financial Guaranty Insurance
Company and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the Drawing Agent
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC
on June 12, 2007).
Trust Indenture, dated as of June 8, 2007, among ACS Aircraft Finance Ireland 2 Limited, as Issuer, ACS
2007-1 Limited, as Guarantor, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the Cash
Manager, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the person accepting appointment as
the Trustee under the Indenture, HSH Nordbank AG, New York Branch, Financial Guaranty Insurance
Company and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the Drawing Agent
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC
on June 12, 2007).
Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR Freighter LLC and Airbus SAS
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.43 to the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the
SEC on August 14, 2007).
Amendment No. 1 to the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR
Freighter LLC and Airbus SAS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2010). Ø
Amendment No. 2 to the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR
Freighter LLC and Airbus SAS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2010). Ø
Amendment No. 3 to the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR
Freighter LLC and Airbus SAS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.26 to the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2010).
Amendment No. 4 to the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR
Freighter LLC and Airbus SAS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.27 to the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2010).
E - 2
Exhibit No.
Description of Exhibit
10.19
Amendment No. 5 to the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR Freighter
LLC and Airbus SAS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.28 to the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2010).
10.20
Amendment No. 6 to the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR Freighter
LLC and Airbus SAS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29 to the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2010).
10.21
Amendment No. 7 to the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR Freighter
LLC and Airbus SAS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.30 to the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2010).
10.22
Amendment No. 8 to the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR Freighter
LLC and Airbus SAS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.31 to the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2010).
10.23
10.24
10.25
10.26
10.27
10.28
10.29
10.30
10.31
10.32
10.33
Amendment No. 9 to the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2007, by and between AYR Freighter
LLC and Airbus SAS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's quarterly report on Form
10-Q filed with the SEC on August 10, 2010).
Form of Lease Agreement, dated as of December 16, 2009, between Wells Fargo Bank Northwest, National
Association, a national banking association, not in its individual capacity but solely as Owner Trustee, as
Lessor and South African Airways (Pty) Ltd., as Lessee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.35 to the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2010).
Amendment No. 1 to Form of Lease Agreement, dated as of December 16, 2009, between Wells Fargo
Bank Northwest, National Association, a national banking association, not in its individual capacity but
solely as Owner Trustee, as Lessor and South African Airways (Pty) Ltd., as Lessee (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August
10, 2010).
Form of Lease Novation Agreement, dated as of December 15, 2010, by and among Wells Fargo Bank
Northwest, National Association, a US national banking association, not in its individual capacity but
solely as Owner Trustee, as Existing Lessor, South African Airways (Pty) Ltd., as Lessee, and the New
Lessor (as defined therein) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.40 to the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 10, 2011).
Letter Agreement, dated July 13, 2010, between Aircastle Advisor LLC and Ron Wainshal (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 15,
2010). #
Form of Senior Executive Employment Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the
Company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 8, 2010). #
Form of Amended and Restated Indemnification Agreement with directors and officers (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November
8, 2011).
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of December 14, 2011, by and among Aircastle Limited and
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. as Initial Purchaser named therein (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1
to the Company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 15, 2011).
Separation Agreement, dated January 22, 2012, among Aircastle Advisor LLC and J. Robert Peart
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC
on January 23, 2012).
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of April 4, 2012, by and among Aircastle Limited and Goldman,
Sachs & Co., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as representatives of the
several Initial Purchasers named therein (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's
current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 4, 2012).
Share Purchase agreement, dated August 7, 2012, between Aircastle Limited and the sellers therein
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.2 to the Company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC
on August 13, 2012).
E - 3
Exhibit No.
10.34
10.35
10.36
10.37
10.38
10.39
10.40
10.41
10.42
10.43
12.1
21.1
23.1
31.1
31.2
32.1
32.2
99.1
Description of Exhibit
Registration Rights Letter Agreement dated August 10, 2012, between Aircastle Limited and Ontario
Teachers' Pension Plan Board (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.3 of the Company's current report on
Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 13, 2012).
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 30, 2012, by and among Aircastle Limited and J.P.
Morgan Securities LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co and RBC Capital Markets,
LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on November 30, 2012).
Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2014, by and among Aircastle
Limited, the several lenders from time to time parties thereto, and Citibank N.A., in its capacity as agent
for the lenders (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-
Q filed with the SEC on May 7, 2014).
Form of Aircraft Lease Agreement, dated February 21, 2014, between Wells Fargo Bank Northwest,
National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as owner trustee, as lessor, and LATAM
Airlines Group S.A., as lessee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company's Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 7, 2014).
Aircraft Lease Shared Terms, dated February 21, 2014, for LATAM Airlines Group S.A., as lessee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the
SEC on May 7, 2014).
Form of Aircraft Purchase Agreement, dated February 21, 2014, between Wells Fargo Bank Northwest,
National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as owner trustee, as purchaser, and LATAM
Airlines Group S.A (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q filed with the SEC on May 7, 2014).
Framework Deed, dated February 21, 2014, between Aircastle Holding Corporation Limited and LATAM
Airlines Group S.A. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company's Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 7, 2014).
Form of Restricted Share Agreement for Certain Executive Officers Under the Aircastle Limited 2014
Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Form 10-Q filed with
the SEC on November 4, 2014).
Form of Non-Officer Director Restricted Share Agreement Under the Aircastle Limited 2014 Omnibus
Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Form 10-Q filed with the SEC
on November 4, 2014).
Separation Agreement, dated September 5, 2014, among Aircastle Advisor LLC and David Walton
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 4,
2014).
Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges *
Subsidiaries of the Registrant *
Consent of Ernst & Young LLP *
Certification by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 *
Certification by the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 *
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 *
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 *
Owned Aircraft Portfolio at December 31, 2014 *
E - 4
Exhibit No.
101
Description of Exhibit
The following materials from the Company's annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2014, formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets
as of December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2014, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Income for the years
ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2014, (iii) Consolidated Statements of
Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2013 and December 31,
2014, (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2012, December 31,
2013 and December 31, 2014, (v) Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity and
Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2013 and December
31, 2014 and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements *
_____________
#
*
Ø
Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
Filed herewith.
Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment.
E - 5
Index to Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2013 and 2014
Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and
2014
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2012,
2013, and 2014
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Page No.
F - 2
F - 3
F - 4
F - 5
F - 6
F - 7
F - 8
F - 1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Shareholders of
Aircastle Limited
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Aircastle Limited and subsidiaries as of December 31,
2013 and 2014, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity
and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014. These financial statements are the
responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based
on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United
States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts
and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits
provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial
position of Aircastle Limited and subsidiaries at December 31, 2013 and 2014 and the consolidated results of their operations
and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014, in conformity with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States),
Aircastle Limited and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria
established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated February 19, 2015 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Stamford, Connecticut
February 19, 2015
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
F - 2
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Dollars in thousands, except share data)
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents
Accounts receivable
Restricted cash and cash equivalents
Restricted liquidity facility collateral
Flight equipment held for lease, net of accumulated depreciation of $1,430,325 and
$1,294,063
Net investment in finance leases
Unconsolidated equity method investment
Other assets
Total assets
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
LIABILITIES
Borrowings from secured financings (including borrowings of ACS Ireland VIEs of
$152,545 and $64,183, respectively)
Borrowings from unsecured financings
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities
Lease rentals received in advance
Liquidity facility
Security deposits
Maintenance payments
Fair value of derivative liabilities
Total liabilities
Commitments and Contingencies
December 31,
2013
2014
$
$
654,613
2,825
122,773
107,000
169,656
3,334
98,884
65,000
5,044,410
145,173
21,123
153,976
$ 6,251,893
5,579,718
106,651
46,453
157,317
$ 6,227,013
$ 1,586,835
2,150,527
111,661
49,235
107,000
118,804
442,432
39,992
4,606,486
$ 1,396,454
2,400,000
137,984
53,216
65,000
117,689
333,456
2,879
4,506,678
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Preference shares, $.01 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and
outstanding
Common shares, $.01 par value, 250,000,000 shares authorized, 80,806,975 shares issued
and outstanding at December 31, 2013; and 80,983,249 shares issued and outstanding at
December 31, 2014
Additional paid-in capital
Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Total shareholders’ equity
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
—
—
808
1,562,106
158,398
(75,905)
1,645,407
$ 6,251,893
810
1,565,180
192,805
(38,460)
1,720,335
$ 6,227,013
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F - 3
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenues:
Lease rental revenue
Finance lease revenue
Amortization of net lease discounts and lease incentives
Maintenance revenue (including contra maintenance revenue of $0, $0 and
$31,254, respectively)
Total lease rentals
Other revenue
Total revenues
Expenses:
Depreciation
Interest, net
Selling, general and administrative (including non-cash share based payment
expense of $4,232, $4,569 and $4,244, respectively)
Impairment of aircraft
Maintenance and other costs
Total expenses
Other income (expense):
Gain on sale of flight equipment
Loss on extinguishment of debt
Other
Total other income (expense)
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
$ 623,503
8,393
(12,844)
$ 644,929
16,165
(32,411)
$ 714,654
10,906
(6,172)
53,320
672,372
14,200
686,572
68,342
697,025
11,620
708,645
88,006
807,394
11,208
818,602
269,920
222,808
284,924
243,757
299,365
238,378
48,370
96,454
14,656
652,208
53,436
117,306
13,631
713,054
55,773
93,993
7,239
694,748
5,747
—
602
6,349
37,220
23,146
— (36,570)
1,207
(12,217)
6,132
43,352
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and earnings of
unconsolidated equity method investment
Income tax provision
Earnings of unconsolidated equity method investment, net of tax
Net income
Earnings per common share — Basic:
Net income per share
Earnings per common share — Diluted:
Net income per share
Dividends declared per share
40,713
7,845
—
$ 32,868
38,943
9,215
53
$ 29,781
111,637
13,863
3,054
$ 100,828
$
$
$
0.46
$
0.40
$
1.25
0.46
0.615
$
$
0.40
0.695
$
$
1.25
0.820
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F - 4
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
(Dollars in thousands)
Net income
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Net change in fair value of derivatives, net of tax expense of $586, $482 and
$828, respectively
Net derivative loss reclassified into earnings
Other comprehensive income
Total comprehensive income
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
$ 32,868
$ 29,781
$ 100,828
30,614
30,777
61,391
$ 94,259
17,120
33,265
50,385
$ 80,166
2,466
34,979
37,445
$ 138,273
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F - 5
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Dollars in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation
Amortization of deferred financing costs
Amortization of net lease discounts and lease incentives
Deferred income taxes
Non-cash share based payment expense
Cash flow hedges reclassified into earnings
Security deposits and maintenance payments included in earnings
Gain on the sale of flight equipment
Loss on extinguishment of debt
Impairment of aircraft
Other
Changes on certain assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
Other assets
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities
Lease rentals received in advance
Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition and improvement of flight equipment
Proceeds from sale of flight equipment
Restricted cash and cash equivalents related to sale of flight equipment
Aircraft purchase deposits and progress payments, net of returned deposits and aircraft sales deposits
Net investment in finance leases
Collections on finance leases
Unconsolidated equity method investment and associated costs
Distributions from unconsolidated equity method investment in excess of earnings
Purchase of debt investment
Principal repayments on debt investment
Other
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of shares net of repurchases
Proceeds from notes and term debt financings
Securitization and term debt financing repayments
Deferred financing costs
Restricted secured liquidity facility collateral
Secured liquidity facility collateral
Restricted cash and cash equivalents related to financing activities
Debt extinguishment costs
Security deposits and maintenance payments received
Security deposits and maintenance payments returned
Payments for terminated cash flow hedges and payment for option
Dividends paid
Net cash provided by financing activities
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Cash paid during the year for interest, net of capitalized interest
Cash paid during the year for income taxes
Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing activities:
Security deposits, maintenance liabilities and other liabilities settled in sale of flight equipment
Advance lease rentals, security deposits and maintenance reserves assumed in asset acquisitions
Term debt financings assumed in asset acquisitions
Year Ended December 31,
2013
2014
2012
$
32,868
$
29,781
$
100,828
269,920
12,449
12,844
6,828
4,232
30,777
(54,180)
(5,747)
—
96,454
675
(2,530)
919
17,732
4,036
427,277
(693,227)
61,489
35,762
(20,553)
(91,500)
3,852
—
—
(43,626)
6,585
(691)
(741,909)
(44,180)
1,459,690
(847,415)
(31,691)
3,000
(3,000)
99,748
—
159,575
(63,974)
(50,757)
(43,669)
637,327
322,695
295,522
618,217
167,069
2,468
284,924
14,719
32,411
4,416
4,569
33,265
(60,112)
(37,220)
—
117,306
(5,323)
3,397
1,164
3,016
(2,276)
424,037
(1,263,706)
568,045
—
(6,094)
(11,595)
9,508
(20,189)
—
—
42,001
(903)
(682,933)
197,437
563,230
(510,162)
(10,865)
—
—
(10,831)
—
200,678
(82,137)
—
(52,058)
295,292
36,396
618,217
654,613
195,350
487
$
$
$
4,135
24,261
$
$
— $
58,862
88,882
84,721
$
$
$
$
$
$
299,365
13,961
6,172
2,863
4,244
34,979
(107,031)
(23,146)
36,570
93,993
(878)
(509)
(11,146)
1,345
7,176
458,786
(1,672,460)
832,961
—
—
(14,258)
10,312
(18,255)
667
—
—
(569)
(861,602)
(2,092)
1,003,200
(984,517)
(15,843)
42,000
(42,000)
23,889
(32,835)
178,805
(152,900)
(33,427)
(66,421)
(82,141)
(484,957)
654,613
169,656
201,611
5,144
84,215
56,298
39,061
$
$
$
$
$
$
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F - 6
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity
(Dollars in thousands, except share amounts)
Balance, December 31, 2011
72,258,472
$
723
$ 1,400,090
$
191,476
Common Shares
Shares
Amount
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
Retained
Earnings
(Deficit)
Issuance of common shares to directors and employees
270,412
2
(2)
(3,889,155)
(39)
(44,141)
Repurchase of common shares from directors and
employees
Amortization of share based payments
Excess tax benefit from stock based compensation
Dividends declared
Net income
Net change in fair value of derivatives, net of $586 tax
expense
Net derivative loss reclassified into earnings
Balance, December 31, 2012
Issuance of common shares to directors and employees
—
—
—
—
—
—
68,639,729
12,796,051
—
—
—
—
—
—
686
128
Repurchase of common shares from stockholders, directors
and employees
(628,805)
(6)
Amortization of share based payments
Excess tax benefit from stock based compensation
Dividends declared
Net income
Net change in fair value of derivatives, net of $482 tax
expense
Net derivative loss reclassified into earnings
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
$
(187,681) $
Total
Shareholders’
Equity
—
—
—
—
(43,669)
32,868
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
30,614
30,777
4,232
376
—
—
—
—
1,404,608
—
(44,180)
4,232
376
(43,669)
32,868
30,614
30,777
1,360,555
180,675
(126,290)
1,415,626
205,130
(7,815)
4,569
(333)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(52,058)
29,781
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
17,120
33,265
205,258
(7,821)
4,569
(333)
(52,058)
29,781
17,120
33,265
Balance, December 31, 2013
80,806,975
808
1,562,106
158,398
(75,905)
1,645,407
Issuance of common shares to stockholders, directors and
employees
Repurchase of common shares from stockholders, directors
and employees
354,547
(178,273)
Amortization of share based payments
Excess tax benefit from stock based compensation
Dividends declared
Net income
Net change in fair value of derivatives, net of $828 tax
expense
Net derivative loss reclassified into earnings
—
—
—
—
—
—
4
(2)
—
—
—
—
—
—
(4)
(2,090)
4,244
924
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(66,421)
100,828
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2,466
34,979
—
(2,092)
4,244
924
(66,421)
100,828
2,466
34,979
Balance, December 31, 2014
80,983,249
$
810
$ 1,565,180
$
192,805
$
(38,460) $
1,720,335
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F - 7
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Organization and Basis of Presentation
Aircastle Limited (“Aircastle,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”) is a Bermuda exempted company that was
incorporated on October 29, 2004 under the provisions of Section 14 of the Companies Act of 1981 of Bermuda. Aircastle’s
business is investing in aviation assets, including acquiring, leasing, managing and selling high-utility commercial jet aircraft.
From time to time, we also make investments in other aviation assets, including debt investments secured by commercial
jet aircraft.
Aircastle is a holding company that conducts its business through subsidiaries. Aircastle directly or indirectly owns
all of the outstanding common shares of its subsidiaries. The consolidated financial statements presented are prepared in
accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”). We operate in one segment.
The Company’s management has reviewed and evaluated all events or transactions for potential recognition and/or
disclosure since the balance sheet date of December 31, 2014 through the date on which the consolidated financial statements
included in this Form 10-K were issued.
Effective June 1, 2014, the Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) Accounting
Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-08 (“ASU 2014-08”), Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property,
Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360), Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an
Entity, which changes the criteria for determining which disposals can be presented as discontinued operations and modifies
related disclosure requirements. This ASU raises the threshold for disposals to qualify as discontinued operations by focusing
on strategic shifts that have or will have a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. This ASU also allows
companies to have significant continuing involvement and continuing cash flows with the disposed component and requires
additional disclosures for discontinued operations and new disclosures for individually material disposal transactions that
do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation. ASU 2014-08 applies prospectively to new disposals and new
classifications of disposal groups as held for sale after the effective date and should be applied prospectively. Early adoption
of the guidance is permitted for new disposals (or new classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial
statements previously issued or available for issuance. The adoption of ASU 2014-08 did not have a material impact on the
Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Aircastle and all of its subsidiaries. Aircastle consolidates
seven Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”) of which Aircastle is the primary beneficiary. All intercompany transactions and
balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
We consolidate VIEs in which we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary. We use judgment when deciding
(a) whether an entity is subject to consolidation as a VIE, (b) who the variable interest holders are, (c) the potential expected
losses and residual returns of the variable interest holders, and (d) which variable interest holder is the primary beneficiary.
When determining which enterprise is the primary beneficiary, we consider (1) the entity’s purpose and design, (2) which
variable interest holder has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance,
and (3) the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be
significant to the VIE. When certain events occur, we reconsider whether we are the primary beneficiary of VIEs. We do
not reconsider whether we are a primary beneficiary solely because of operating losses incurred by an entity.
Risk and Uncertainties
In the normal course of business, Aircastle encounters several significant types of economic risk including credit,
market, aviation industry and capital market risks. Credit risk is the risk of a lessee’s inability or unwillingness to make
contractually required payments and to fulfill its other contractual obligations. Market risk reflects the change in the value
of derivatives and financings due to changes in interest rate spreads or other market factors, including the value of collateral
underlying derivatives and financings. Aviation industry risk is the risk of a downturn in the commercial aviation industry
which could adversely impact a lessee’s ability to make payments, increase the risk of unscheduled lease terminations and
F - 8
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
depress lease rates and the value of the Company’s aircraft. Capital market risk is the risk that the Company is unable to
obtain capital at reasonable rates to fund the growth of our business or to refinance existing debt facilities.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. While
Aircastle believes that the estimates and related assumptions used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements
are appropriate, actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents
Aircastle considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash
equivalents.
Restricted cash and cash equivalents consists primarily of rent collections, maintenance payments and security deposits
received from lessees pursuant to the terms of various lease agreements held in lockbox accounts in accordance with our
financings. Changes in restricted cash and cash equivalents related to rent collections are reflected within operating activities
of our consolidated statements of cash flows for non-cash trapped financings. Changes in restricted cash and cash equivalents
related to rent collections are reflected within financing activities of our consolidated statements of cash flows for cash
trapped financings. Changes in restricted cash related to the sale of flight equipment are reflected within investing activities
of our consolidated statements of cash flows. Changes in restricted cash and cash equivalents related to maintenance payments
and security deposits are reflected within financing activities of our consolidated statements of cash flows.
Virtually all of our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents are held by seven major financial
institutions.
Flight Equipment Held for Lease and Depreciation
Flight equipment held for lease is stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method, typically over a 25-
year life from the date of manufacture for passenger aircraft and over a 30- to 35-year life for freighter aircraft, depending
on whether the aircraft is a converted or purpose-built freighter, to estimated residual values. Estimated residual values are
generally determined to be approximately 15% of the manufacturer’s estimated realized price for passenger aircraft when
new and 5% - 10% for freighter aircraft when new. Management may make exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis
when, in its judgment, the residual value calculated pursuant to this policy does not appear to reflect current expectations
of value. Examples of situations where exceptions may arise include but are not limited to:
•
•
•
flight equipment where estimates of the manufacturer’s realized sales prices are not relevant (e.g., freighter
conversions);
flight equipment where estimates of the manufacturers’ realized sales prices are not readily available; and
flight equipment which may have a shorter useful life due to obsolescence.
Major improvements and modifications incurred in connection with the acquisition of aircraft that are required to get
the aircraft ready for initial service are capitalized and depreciated over the remaining life of the flight equipment.
For planned major maintenance activities for aircraft off-lease, the Company capitalizes the actual maintenance costs
by applying the deferral method. Under the deferral method, we capitalize the actual cost of major maintenance events,
which are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the period until the next maintenance event is required.
In accounting for flight equipment held for lease, we make estimates about the expected useful lives, the fair value of
attached leases, acquired maintenance liabilities and the estimated residual values. In making these estimates, we rely upon
actual industry experience with the same or similar aircraft types and our anticipated lessee’s utilization of the aircraft.
When we acquire an aircraft with a lease, determining the fair value of attached leases requires us to make assumptions
regarding the current fair values of leases for specific aircraft. We estimate a range of current lease rates of like aircraft in
order to determine if the attached lease is within a fair value range. If a lease is below or above the range of current lease
F - 9
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
rates, we present value the estimated amount below or above the fair value range over the remaining term of the lease. The
resulting lease discount or premium is amortized into lease rental income over the remaining term of the lease.
Impairment of Flight Equipment
We perform a recoverability assessment of all aircraft in our fleet, on an aircraft-by-aircraft basis annually during the
third quarter. In addition, a recoverability assessment is performed whenever events or changes in circumstances, or indicators,
suggest that the carrying amount or net book value of an asset may not be recoverable. Indicators may include, but are not
limited to, a significant lease restructuring or early lease termination, significant change in aircraft model's storage levels,
the introduction of newer technology aircraft or engines, an aircraft type is no longer in production or a significant
airworthiness directive is issued. When we perform a recoverability assessment, we measure whether the estimated future
undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the aircraft exceed its net book value. The undiscounted cash flows
consist of cash flows from currently contracted lease rental and maintenance payments, future projected lease rates, transition
costs, estimated down time, estimated residual or scrap values for an aircraft, economic conditions and other factors. In the
event that an aircraft does not meet the recoverability test, the aircraft will be adjusted to fair value, resulting in an impairment
charge. See Note 2. — Fair Value Measurements.
Management develops the assumptions used in the recoverability analysis based on current and future expectations of
the global demand for a particular aircraft type and historical experience in the aircraft leasing market and aviation industry,
as well as information received from third party industry sources. The factors considered in estimating the undiscounted
cash flows are impacted by changes in future periods due to changes in projected lease rental and maintenance payments,
residual values, economic conditions, technology, airline demand for a particular aircraft type and other factors.
In monitoring the aircraft in our fleet for impairment charges, we identify those aircraft that are most susceptible to
failing the recoverability assessment and monitor those aircraft more closely, which may result in more frequent recoverability
assessments. The recoverability in the value of these aircraft is more sensitive to changes in contractual cash flows, future
cash flow estimates and residual values or scrap values for each aircraft. These are typically older aircraft for which lessee
demand is declining.
Net Investment in Finance Leases
If a lease meets specific criteria at the inception of a new lease or at any lease modification date, we recognize the
lease as a Net investment in finance leases on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Net investment in finance leases consists
of lease receivables, less the unearned income, plus the estimated unguaranteed residual value of the leased flight equipment
at the lease end date. The unearned income is recognized as Finance lease revenue in our Consolidated Statements of Income
over the lease term in a manner that produces a constant rate of return on the Net investment in finance lease.
Collectability of finance leases is evaluated periodically on an individual customer level. The evaluation of the
collectability of the finance leases considers the credit of the lessee and the value of the underlying aircraft. An allowance
for credit losses is established if there is evidence that we will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the original
contractual terms of the Net investment in finance leases. At December 31, 2014, we had no allowance for credit losses for
our Net investment in finance leases.
Unconsolidated Equity Method Investment
Aircastle accounts for its interest in an unconsolidated joint venture using the equity method as we do not control the
joint venture entity. Under the equity method, the investment is initially recorded at cost and the carrying amount is affected
by its share of the unconsolidated joint venture's undistributed earnings and losses, and distributions of dividends and capital.
Capitalization of Interest
We capitalize interest related to progress payments made in respect of flight equipment on forward order and on
prepayments made in respect of the conversion of passenger-configured aircraft to freighter-configured aircraft, and add
such amount to prepayments on flight equipment. The amount of interest capitalized is the actual interest costs incurred on
funding specific assets or the amount of interest costs which could have been avoided in the absence of such payments for
the related assets.
F - 10
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Security Deposits
Most of our operating leases require the lessee to pay Aircastle a security deposit or provide a letter of credit. Security
deposits represent cash received from the lessee that is held on deposit until lease expiration. Aircastle’s operating leases
also obligate the lessees to maintain flight equipment and comply with all governmental requirements applicable to the flight
equipment, including without limitation, operational, maintenance, registration requirements and airworthiness directives.
Maintenance Payments
Typically, under an operating lease, the lessee is responsible for performing all maintenance but might be required to
make payments to us for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components of the aircraft.
These maintenance payments are based on hours or cycles of utilization or on calendar time, depending upon the component,
and are required to be made monthly in arrears or at the end of the lease term. Whether to permit a lessee to make maintenance
payments at the end of the lease term, rather than requiring such payments to be made monthly, depends on a variety of
factors, including the creditworthiness of the lessee, the level of security deposit which may be provided by the lessee and
market conditions at the time we enter into the lease. If a lease requires monthly maintenance payments, we would typically
be obligated to reimburse the lessee for costs they incur for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-
value components to the extent of maintenance payments received in respect of the specific maintenance event, usually
shortly following completion of the relevant work. If a lease requires end of lease term maintenance payments, typically the
lessee would be required to pay us for its utilization of the aircraft during the lease; however, in some cases, we may owe a
net payment to the lessee in the event heavy maintenance is performed and paid for by the lessee during the lease term and
the aircraft is returned to us in better condition that at lease inception.
We record monthly maintenance payments by the lessee as accrued maintenance payments liabilities in recognition
of our contractual commitment to refund such receipts. In these contracts, we do not recognize such maintenance payments
as maintenance revenue during the lease. Reimbursements to the lessee upon the receipt of evidence of qualifying maintenance
work are charged against the existing accrued maintenance payments liability. We currently defer maintenance revenue
recognition of all monthly maintenance payments collected until the end of the lease, when we are able to determine the
amount, if any, by which the monthly maintenance payments received from a lessee exceed costs to be incurred by that
lessee in performing heavy maintenance. End of lease term maintenance payments made to us are recognized as maintenance
revenue, and end of lease term maintenance payments we make to a lessee are recorded as contra maintenance revenue.
Lease Incentives and Amortization
Many of our leases contain provisions which may require us to pay a portion of the lessee’s costs for heavy maintenance,
overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components. We account for these expected payments as lease incentives,
which are amortized as a reduction of revenue over the life of the lease. We estimate the amount of our portion for such
costs, typically for the first major maintenance event for the airframe, engines, landing gear and auxiliary power units,
expected to be paid to the lessee based on assumed utilization of the related aircraft by the lessee, the anticipated amount of
the maintenance event cost and the estimated amounts the lessee is responsible to pay.
This estimated lease incentive is not recognized as a lease incentive liability at the inception of the lease. We recognize
the lease incentive as a reduction of lease revenue on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease, with the offset being
recorded as a lease incentive liability which is included in maintenance payments on the balance sheet. The payment to the
lessee for the lease incentive liability is first recorded against the lease incentive liability, and any excess above the lease
incentive liability is recorded as a prepaid lease incentive asset, which is included in other assets on the balance sheet and
continues to amortize over the remaining life of the lease.
Lease acquisition costs related to reconfiguration of the aircraft cabin, other lessee specific modifications and other
direct costs are capitalized and amortized into revenue over the initial life of the lease, assuming no lease renewals, and are
included in other assets.
Income Taxes
Aircastle uses an asset and liability based approach in accounting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and
liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributed to differences between the financial statement and tax
basis of existing assets and liabilities using enacted rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to
F - 11
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
affect taxable income. A valuation allowance is established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount
estimated by us to be realizable. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more
likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities. We did not have any
unrecognized tax benefits.
Derivative Financial Instruments
In the normal course of business we utilize interest rate derivatives to manage our exposure to interest rate risks.
Specifically, our interest rate derivatives are hedging variable rate interest payments on our various debt facilities. If certain
conditions are met, an interest rate derivative may be specifically designated as a cash flow hedge. All of our designated
interest rate derivatives are cash flow hedges. We have one interest rate derivative that is not designated for accounting
purposes.
On the date that we enter into an interest rate derivative, we formally document the intended use of the interest rate
derivative and its designation as a cash flow hedge, if applicable. We also assess (both at inception and on an ongoing basis)
whether the interest rate derivative has been highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows of the variable rate
interest payments on our debt and whether the interest rate derivative is expected to remain highly effective in future periods.
If it were to be determined that the interest rate derivative is not (or has ceased to be) highly effective as a cash flow hedge,
we would discontinue cash flow hedge accounting prospectively.
At inception of an interest rate derivative designated as a cash flow hedge, we establish the method we will use to
assess effectiveness and the method we will use to measure any ineffectiveness. We have three hedges which are designated
using the “hypothetical derivative method” for assessment of effectiveness and calculation of ineffectiveness. The
hypothetical derivative method involves a comparison of the change in the fair value of the interest rate derivative to the
change in the fair value of a hypothetical interest rate derivative with critical terms that reflect the hedged variable-rate debt.
The effectiveness of these relationships is assessed by regressing historical changes in the interest rate derivative against
historical changes in the hypothetical interest rate derivative. When the change in the interest rate derivative exceeds the
change in the hypothetical interest rate derivative, the calculated ineffectiveness is recorded in interest expense on our
consolidated statement of income.
All interest rate derivatives are recognized on the balance sheet at their fair value. We determine fair value for our
United States dollar-denominated interest rate derivatives by calculating reset rates and discounting cash flows based on
cash rates, futures rates and swap rates in effect at the period close. See Note 2 — Fair Value Measurements for more
information.
For our interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, the effective portion of the interest rate derivative’s
gain or loss is initially reported as a component of other comprehensive income and subsequently reclassified into earnings
when the interest payments on the debt are recorded in earnings. The ineffective portion of the interest rate derivative is
calculated and recorded in interest expense on our consolidated statement of income at each quarter end. For any interest
rate derivative not designated as a cash flow hedge, the gain or loss is recognized in other income (expense) - other on our
consolidated statement of income.
We may choose to terminate certain interest rate derivatives prior to their contracted maturities. Any related net gains
or losses in accumulated other comprehensive income at the date of termination are not reclassified into earnings if it remains
probable that the interest payments on the debt will occur. The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income are
reclassified into earnings as the interest payments on the debt affect earnings. Terminated interest rate derivatives are reviewed
periodically to determine if the forecasted transactions remain probable of occurring. To the extent that the occurrence of
the interest payments on the debt are deemed remote, the related portion of the accumulated other comprehensive income
balance is reclassified into earnings immediately.
Lease Revenue Recognition
We lease flight equipment under net operating leases with lease terms typically ranging from three to seven years. We
generally do not offer renewal terms or purchase options in our leases, although certain of our operating leases allow the
lessee the option to extend the lease for an additional term. Operating leases with fixed rentals and step rentals are recognized
on a straight-line basis over the term of the initial lease, assuming no renewals. Operating lease rentals that adjust based on
F - 12
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
a London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) index are recognized on a straight-line basis over the period the rentals are
fixed and accruable. Revenue is not recognized when collection is not reasonably assured. When collectability is not
reasonably assured, the customer is placed on non-accrual status, and revenue is recognized when cash payments are received.
Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive income consists of net income and other gains and losses, net of income taxes, if any, affecting
shareholders’ equity that, under US GAAP, are excluded from net income. At December 31, 2013 and 2014, such amount
consists of the effective portion of fluctuations in the fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges.
Share Based Compensation
Aircastle recognizes compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions in the financial statements based
on the fair value of the equity instruments issued. Aircastle uses the straight line method of accounting for compensation
cost on share-based payment awards that contain pro-rata vesting provisions.
Deferred Financing Costs
Deferred financing costs, which are included in other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheet, are amortized using
the interest method for amortizing loans over the lives of the relevant related debt.
Leasehold Improvements, Furnishings and Equipment
Improvements made in connection with the leasing of office facilities are capitalized as leasehold improvements and
are amortized on a straight line basis over the minimum lease period. Furnishings and equipment are capitalized at cost and
are amortized over the estimated life of the related assets or remaining lease terms, which range between three and five
years.
Proposed Accounting Pronouncements
In May 2013, the FASB issued re-exposure draft, “Leases” (the “Lease Re-ED”), which would replace the existing
guidance in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 840 (“ASC 840”), Leases. In March 2014, the FASB decided
that the accounting for leases by lessors would basically remain unchanged from the concepts existing in current ASC 840
accounting. In addition, the FASB decided that a lessor should be precluded from recognizing selling profit and revenue at
lease commencement for any sales-type or direct finance lease that does not transfer control of the underlying asset to the
lessee. This requirement aligns the notion of what constitutes a sale in the lessor accounting guidance with that in the
forthcoming revenue recognition standard, which evaluates whether a sale has occurred from the customer’s perspective.
We anticipate that the final standard may have an effective date no earlier than 2017. We believe that when and if the proposed
guidance becomes effective, it will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
On May 28, 2014, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (the “IASB”) (collectively, the Boards),
jointly issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Lease contracts within the scope of
ASC 840, Leases, are specifically excluded from ASU No. 2014-09. The standard’s core principle is that a company will
recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to
which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard is effective for public entities
beginning after December 15, 2016. The standard allows for either “full retrospective” adoption, meaning the standard is
applied to all of the periods presented, or “modified retrospective” adoption, meaning the standard is applied only to the
most current period presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently evaluating its existing revenue recognition
policies to determine the affect this new guidance will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
On August 27, 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern
(Subtopic 205-40). The standard requires management of public companies to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt
about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and, if so, disclose that fact. Management should evaluate whether
there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raises substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue
as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or available to be issued, when
applicable). The standard is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016 and interim periods thereafter, and
early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s
consolidated financial statements.
F - 13
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Note 2. Fair Value Measurements
Fair value measurements and disclosures require the use of valuation techniques to measure fair value that maximize
the use of observable inputs and minimize use of unobservable inputs. These inputs are prioritized as follows:
• Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
• Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly,
such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities or market corroborated inputs.
• Level 3: Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data and which require us to develop our own
assumptions about how market participants price the asset or liability.
The valuation techniques that may be used to measure fair value are as follows:
• The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving
identical or comparable assets or liabilities.
• The income approach uses valuation techniques to convert future amounts to a single present amount based on
current market expectation about those future amounts.
• The cost approach is based on the amount that currently would be required to replace the service capacity of an
asset (replacement cost).
The following tables set forth our financial assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2013 and 2014 that we measured
at fair value on a recurring basis by level within the fair value hierarchy. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are
classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to their fair value measurement.
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash and cash equivalents
Total
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash and cash equivalents
Total
Liabilities
Derivative liabilities
Fair Value
as of
December 31,
2013
Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2013
Using Fair Value Hierarchy
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
$
$
654,613
$ 654,613
$
— $
122,773
122,773
—
777,386
$ 777,386
$
— $
—
—
—
$
39,992
$
— $ 39,992
$
— Income
Fair Value
as of
December 31,
2014
Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2014
Using Fair Value Hierarchy
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
$
$
169,656
$ 169,656
$
— $
98,884
98,884
—
268,540
$ 268,540
$
— $
—
—
—
$
2,879
$
— $
2,879
$
— Income
Valuation
Technique
Market
Market
Valuation
Technique
Market
Market
Our cash and cash equivalents, along with our restricted cash and cash equivalents balances, consist largely of money
market securities that are considered to be highly liquid and easily tradable. These securities are valued using inputs observable
in active markets for identical securities and are therefore classified as Level 1 within our fair value hierarchy. Our interest
rate derivatives included in Level 2 consist of United States dollar-denominated interest rate derivatives, and their fair values
F - 14
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
are determined by applying standard modeling techniques under the income approach to relevant market interest rates (cash
rates, futures rates, swap rates) in effect at the period close to determine appropriate reset and discount rates and incorporates
an assessment of the risk of non-performance by the interest rate derivative counterparty in valuing derivative assets and an
evaluation of the Company’s credit risk in valuing derivative liabilities.
The following table reflects the activity for the classes of our assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring
basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014:
Balance as of December 31, 2012
Purchases
Total gains/(losses), net:
Included in other revenue
Settlements
Balance as of December 31, 2013
Total gains/(losses), net:
Included in other revenue
Settlements
Balance as of December 31, 2014
$
Assets
Debt Investments
40,388
—
1,613
(42,001)
—
—
—
—
For the year ended December 31, 2013, we had no transfers into or out of Level 3; however in 2013, we settled the
debt investment during the first quarter of 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we had no transfers into or out of
Level 3.
We measure the fair value of certain assets and liabilities on a non-recurring basis, when US GAAP requires the
application of fair value, including events or changes in circumstances that indicate that the carrying amounts of assets may
not be recoverable. Assets subject to these measurements include our investment in an unconsolidated joint venture and
aircraft. We account for our investment in an unconsolidated joint venture under the equity method of accounting and record
impairment when its fair value is less than its carrying value. We record aircraft at fair value when we determine the carrying
value may not be recoverable. Fair value measurements for aircraft in impairment tests are based on an income approach
which uses Level 3 inputs, which include the Company’s assumptions and appraisal data as to future cash proceeds from
leasing and selling aircraft.
Aircraft Valuation
Annual Fleet-Wide Impairments
We perform our annual fleet-wide recoverability assessment during the third quarter of each year. This recoverability
assessment is a comparison of the carrying value of each aircraft to its undiscounted expected future cash flows. We develop
the assumptions used in the recoverability assessment, including those relating to current and future demand for each aircraft
type, based on management's experience in the aircraft leasing industry as well as information received from third party
sources. Estimates of the undiscounted cash flows for each aircraft type are impacted by changes in contracted and future
expected lease rates, residual values, expected scrap values, economic conditions and other factors.
In the 2014 assessment, we reduced our forecast of future cash flows for certain freighter aircraft to reflect the cumulative
effect of increasing supply of such aircraft over the past three years, relative to a modest increase in demand observed in
2014.
More specifically, we determined the cash flows expected to be generated by two of our McDonnell Douglas MD-11
freighter aircraft did not support their carrying values. As a result, we impaired these two aircraft during the third quarter
of 2014, which had an aggregate net book value as of June 30, 2014 of $53,777, writing down their book values by a total
of $19,515. We also shortened their expected lives from 25 to 21 years and reduced their residual values.
F - 15
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
In addition, for our five Boeing 747-400 production freighters, all of which passed the annual recoverability assessment
in 2014, we shortened the expected lives from 35 years to 30 years from the date of manufacture.
For changes we made to our aircraft mentioned above and other adjustments to lives and/or residual values, we estimate
an increase in depreciation expense for the year ended December 31, 2015 of approximately $7,757.
Other than the aircraft discussed above, management believes that the net book value of each aircraft is currently
supported by the estimated future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by that aircraft, and accordingly, no
other aircraft were impaired as a consequence of this recoverability assessment. However, if our expectations warrant, we
may change our cash flow assumptions and require future impairment charges. While we believe that the estimates and
related assumptions used in the recoverability assessment are appropriate, actual results could differ from those estimates.
Other Impairments
In addition to impairment from our fleet wide review, during 2014 we recorded impairment charges of $42,681 on six
passenger and one freighter aircraft that were returned to us early as a result of lease terminations or amendments which we
refer to as “Transactional Impairments”. We recorded maintenance revenue of $42,490 and other revenue of $515 and
reversed lease incentives of $456 related to these aircraft.
We also recorded impairment charges of $30,877 during 2014 related to two 747-400 converted freighter aircraft which
we refer to as “Freighters Held for Sale”, and recorded maintenance revenue of $9,137 and other revenue of $183 and
reversed lease incentives of $3,626 related to these aircraft. One of these converted freighters was sold in January 2015 and
the other is under a consignment contract and is in the process of being parted out.
A summary of Other Impairments for the year ended December 31, 2014 follows:
Impairment Charges
Maintenance revenue recorded
Lease incentives reversed
Other revenue recorded
Total
Freighters
Held for
Sale
Transactional
Impairments
(Dollars in thousands)
$ (30,877)
$
(42,681)
9,137
3,626
183
$ (17,931)
$
42,490
456
515
780
Following our recoverability assessment during the third quarter of 2013, we impaired six Boeing 747-400 converted
freighter aircraft and one Boeing 737-700 aircraft and recorded impairment charges of $88,647 and $8,945, respectively.
In addition, during 2013 we recorded impairment charges of $19,713 on five passenger aircraft that were returned to
us early as a result of lease terminations or amendments. We recorded maintenance revenue of $28,178 and other revenue
of $1,784 related to these aircraft.
Financial Instruments
Our financial instruments, other than cash, consist principally of cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents,
accounts receivable, accounts payable, amounts borrowed under financings and interest rate derivatives. The fair value of
cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximates the
carrying value of these financial instruments because of their short-term nature.
The fair values of our securitization which contain third party credit enhancements are estimated using a discounted
cash flow analysis, based on our current incremental borrowing rates of borrowing arrangements that do not contain third
party credit enhancements. The fair values of our credit facilities, ECA term financings and bank financings are estimated
F - 16
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
using a discounted cash flow analysis, based on our current incremental borrowing rates for similar types of borrowing
arrangements. The fair value of our Senior Notes is estimated using quoted market prices.
The carrying amounts and fair values of our financial instruments at December 31, 2013 and 2014 are as follows:
Securitizations
Credit Facilities
ECA term financings
Bank financings
Senior Notes
December 31, 2013
December 31, 2014
Carrying
Amount
of Asset
(Liability)
Fair Value
of Asset
(Liability)
Carrying
Amount
of Asset
(Liability)
Fair Value
of Asset
(Liability)
$
(828,871) $ (779,901) $
(391,680) $ (376,752)
—
(493,708)
(264,256)
—
(200,000)
(200,000)
(506,227)
(268,435)
(449,886)
(471,918)
(554,888)
(560,285)
(2,150,527)
(2,325,965)
(2,200,000)
(2,300,615)
All of our financial instruments are classified as Level 2 with the exception of our senior Notes, which are classified
as Level 1.
Note 3. Lease Rental Revenues and Flight Equipment Held for Lease
Minimum future annual lease rentals contracted to be received under our existing operating leases of flight equipment
at December 31, 2014 were as follows:
Year Ending December 31,
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Thereafter
Total
Amount
691,622
627,726
513,672
416,091
349,364
981,858
$ 3,580,333
Geographic concentration of lease rental revenue earned from flight equipment held for lease was as follows:
Region
Europe
Asia and Pacific
North America
Middle East and Africa
South America
Total
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
39%
32%
11%
11%
7%
33%
38%
10%
10%
9%
29%
40%
9%
9%
13%
100% 100% 100%
The classification of regions in the tables above and the table and discussion below is determined based on the principal
location of the lessee of each aircraft.
F - 17
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
For the year ended December 31, 2012, one customer accounted for 9% of lease rental revenues, and four additional
customers accounted for a combined 25% of lease rental revenues. No other customer accounted for more than 5% of lease
rental revenues.
For the year ended December 31, 2013, one customer accounted for 8% of lease rental revenues, and three additional
customers accounted for a combined 17% of lease rental revenues. No other customer accounted for more than 5% of lease
rental revenues.
For the year ended December 31, 2014, one customer accounted for 6% of lease rental revenues, and two additional
customers accounted for a combined 11% of lease rental revenues. No other customer accounted for more than 5% of lease
rental revenues.
The following table sets forth revenue attributable to individual countries representing at least 10% of total revenue
(including maintenance revenue) in any year based on each lessee’s principal place of business for the years indicated:
2012
2013
2014
Country
Russia(1)
United States(2)
China(3)
______________
Revenue
$
—
$ 78,493
% of
Total
Revenue
Revenue
% of
Total
Revenue
% of
Total
Revenue
Revenue
—% $
—
—% $ 86,512
11% $ 74,274
75,502
11%
—
10%
—%
—
—
11%
—%
—%
(1) Total revenue attributable to Russia was less than 10% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012 and 2013. For the twelve months
ended December 31, 2014, includes $29,867 of maintenance revenue related to early lease terminations.
(2) Total revenue attributable to the United States was less than 10% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014.
(3) Total revenue attributable to China was less than 10% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2013 and 2014.
Geographic concentration of net book value of flight equipment held for lease was as follows:
Region
Europe
Asia and Pacific
North America
South America
Middle East and Africa
Off-lease
Total
______________
December 31, 2013
December 31, 2014
Number of
Aircraft
Net Book
Value %
Number of
Aircraft
Net Book
Value %
64
56
19
14
7
2 (1)
30%
41%
10%
7%
11%
1%
65
46
17
13
6
1 (2)
29%
40%
7%
14%
10%
—%
162
100%
148
100%
(1) Consists of two Boeing 747-400 converted freighter aircraft, one of which was subject to a commitment to lease and was delivered to our
customer in the first quarter of 2014 and the other is in the process of being parted-out.
(2) Consists of one Airbus A320-200 aircraft which was subject to a commitment to lease and was delivered to our customer in February 2015.
At December 31, 2013 and 2014, no country represented at least 10% of net book value of flight equipment based on
each lessee's principal place of business.
At December 31, 2013 and 2014, the amounts of lease incentive liabilities recorded in maintenance payments on the
consolidated balance sheets were $28,611 and $22,833, respectively.
F - 18
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Note 4. Net Investment in Finance Leases
At December 31, 2014, our net investment in finance leases represents six aircraft leased to three customers in the
United States, one aircraft leased to a customer in Canada and one aircraft leased to a customer in Croatia. The following
table lists the components of our net investment in finance leases at December 31, 2014:
Total lease payments to be received
Less: Unearned income
Estimated residual values of leased flight equipment (unguaranteed)
Net investment in finance leases
At December 31, 2014, minimum future lease payments on finance leases are as follows:
Year Ending December 31,
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Thereafter
Total lease payments to be received
Amount
$ 76,093
(20,731)
51,289
$ 106,651
Amount
$ 16,009
16,009
15,024
6,980
6,900
15,171
$ 76,093
Note 5. Unconsolidated Equity Method Investment
On December 19, 2013, the Company and an affiliate of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan ("Teachers' ") formed a joint
venture (the "JV"), in which we have a 30% equity interest, to invest in leased aircraft. Teachers' holds more than 9.7% of
our outstanding common shares. Accordingly, the formation of the JV and the sale of two A330 aircraft by us to the JV in
December 2013 were submitted to, and approved by, our Audit Committee as arm's length related party transactions under
our related party policy. During the last half of 2014, we sold two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and one Embraer E195 aircraft,
all of which we had acquired during 2014, to the JV; these transactions were also approved by our Audit Committee as arm's
length related party transactions under our related party agreement. The assets and liabilities of this joint venture are off our
balance sheet and we record our net investment under the equity method of accounting.
We will source and service these investments and will provide marketing, asset management and administrative services
to the joint venture and will be paid market-based fees for those services. The Company is not obligated to source investments
for the joint venture or to offer any minimum number of investments to the joint venture, and neither partner is obliged to
invest in a specific transaction. While the Company has no obligation to make additional investments in the JV, we have
agreed to return to the JV any portion of distributions from the JV which comprise lessee maintenance payments and security
deposits, to the extent that the JV must reimburse such maintenance payments or security deposits to the lessee. The Company
has recorded a $3,576 guarantee liability which is reflected in Maintenance payments on the balance sheet and a $5,100
guarantee liability which is reflected in Security deposits on the balance sheet.
F - 19
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Investment in joint venture at December 31, 2012
Investment in joint venture
Earnings from joint venture, net of tax
Investment in joint venture at December 31, 2013
Investment in joint venture
Earnings from joint venture, net of tax
Distributions
Investment in joint venture at December 31, 2014
Note 6. Variable Interest Entities
$
$
—
21,070
53
21,123
26,050
3,054
(3,774)
46,453
Aircastle consolidates seven VIEs of which it is the primary beneficiary. The operating activities of these VIEs are
limited to acquiring, owning, leasing, maintaining, operating and, under certain circumstances, selling the 14 aircraft
discussed below.
Securitizations
In connection with Securitization No. 1, two of our subsidiaries, ACS Aircraft Finance Ireland plc (“ACS Ireland”)
and ACS Aircraft Finance Bermuda Limited (“ACS Bermuda”) issued Class A-1 notes, and each has fully and unconditionally
guaranteed the other's obligations under the notes. In connection with Securitization No. 2, two of our subsidiaries, ACS
Aircraft Finance Ireland 2 Limited (“ACS Ireland 2”) and ACS 2007-1 Limited (“ACS Bermuda 2”) issued Class A-1 notes
and each has fully and unconditionally guaranteed the other's obligations under the notes. ACS Ireland and ACS Ireland 2
are collectively referred to as the “ACS Ireland VIEs.” In February 2014, we repaid the outstanding amount plus accrued
interest and fees due under Securitization No. 1 and ACS Ireland became a wholly owned subsidiary of Aircastle.
Aircastle is the primary beneficiary of ACS Ireland 2, as we have both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that
most significantly impact the economic performance of such VIE and we bear the significant risk of loss and participate in
gains through Class E-1 Securities. Although Aircastle has not guaranteed the ACS Ireland 2 debt, Aircastle wholly owns
the ACS Bermuda 2 which has fully and unconditionally guaranteed the ACS Ireland 2 VIE obligations. The activity that
most significantly impacts the economic performance is the leasing of aircraft. Aircastle Advisor (Ireland) Limited (Aircastle's
wholly owned subsidiary) is the remarketing servicer and is responsible for the leasing of the aircraft. An Irish charitable
trust owns 95% of the common shares of ACS Ireland 2. The Irish charitable trust's risk is limited to its annual dividend of
$2. At December 31, 2014, the assets of ACS Ireland 2 include six aircraft transferred into the VIEs at historical cost basis
in connection with Securitization No. 2.
The assets of ACS Ireland 2 as of December 31, 2014 are $171,112. The liabilities of ACS Ireland 2, net of $40,351
Class E-1 Securities held by the Company, which is eliminated in consolidation, as of December 31, 2014 are $129,441.
ECA Term Financings
Aircastle, through various subsidiaries, each of which is owned by a charitable trust (such entities, collectively the
“Air Knight VIEs”), has entered into eight different twelve-year term loans, which are supported by guarantees from
Compagnie Francaise d’ Assurance pour le Commerce Exterieur, (“COFACE”), the French government sponsored export
credit agency (“ECA”). We refer to these COFACE-supported financings as “ECA Term Financings.”
Aircastle is the primary beneficiary of the Air Knight VIEs, as we have the power to direct the activities of the VIEs
that most significantly impact the economic performance of such VIEs and we bear the significant risk of loss and participate
in gains through a finance lease. The activity that most significantly impacts the economic performance is the leasing of
aircraft of which our wholly owned subsidiary is the servicer and is responsible for managing the relevant aircraft. There is
a cross collateralization guarantee between the Air Knight VIEs. In addition, Aircastle guarantees the debt of the Air Knight
VIEs.
The only assets that the Air Knight VIEs have on their books are financing leases that are eliminated in the consolidated
financial statements and deferred financing costs. The related aircraft, with a net book value as of December 31, 2014 were
F - 20
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
$644,132, are included in our flight equipment held for lease. The consolidated debt outstanding of the Air Knight VIEs as
of December 31, 2014 is $449,886.
Note 7. Borrowings from Secured and Unsecured Debt Financings
The outstanding amounts of our secured and unsecured term debt financings were as follows:
Debt Obligation
Secured Debt Financings:
Securitization No. 1 (3)
Securitization No. 2
ECA Term Financings
Bank Financings
At
December 31,
2013
At December 31, 2014
Outstanding
Borrowings
Outstanding
Borrowings
Number of
Aircraft
Interest Rate
(1)
Final Stated
(2)
Maturity
$
225,034
$
—
—
603,837
493,708
264,256
391,680
449,886
554,888
—%
0.47%
—
06/14/37
3.02% to 3.96%
12/03/21 to 11/30/24
1.16% to 5.09%
09/15/15 to 04/19/25
32
8
13
53
Total secured debt financings
1,586,835
1,396,454
Unsecured Debt Financings:
Senior Notes due 2017
Senior Notes due 2018 (4)
Senior Notes due 2018
Senior Notes due 2019
Senior Notes due 2020
Senior Notes due 2021
Revolving Credit Facility (5)
500,000
450,527
400,000
500,000
300,000
—
—
500,000
—
400,000
500,000
300,000
500,000
200,000
6.75%
—%
4.625%
6.25%
7.625%
5.125%
2.414%
04/15/17
—
12/05/18
12/01/19
04/15/20
03/15/21
03/31/18
Total unsecured debt financings
2,150,527
2,400,000
Total secured and unsecured debt financings
$ 3,737,362
$ 3,796,454
_______________
(1) Reflects the floating rate in effect at the applicable reset date plus the margin for Securitization No. 2, three of our Bank Financings and our Revolving Credit
Facility. All other financings have a fixed rate.
(2) For Securitization No. 2, all cash flows available after expenses and interest are applied to debt amortization.
(3) In February 2014, we repaid the outstanding amount plus accrued interest and fees due under Securitization No. 1 and terminated the related interest rate
derivative, for a total cash payment of $255,186, with proceeds from our December 2013 issuance of our Senior Note due 2018.
(4) Proceeds from the issuance of our Senior Notes due 2021 were used to pay-off the balance of our 9.75% Senior Notes due 2018 plus accrued interest of
$10,238 and the call premium of $32,835 on April 25, 2015.
The following securitizations structures include liquidity facility commitments described in the table below:
Facility
Liquidity
Facility Provider
December 31,
2013
December 31,
2014
Unused
Fee
Interest Rate
on any Advances
Securitization No. 2
HSH Nordbank AG
65,000
65,000
0.50%
1 M Libor + 0.75
Available Liquidity
The purpose of these facilities is to provide liquidity for the relevant securitization or term financing in the event that
cash flow from lease contracts and other revenue sources is not sufficient to pay operating expenses with respect to the
relevant aircraft portfolio, interest payments and interest rate hedging payments for the relevant securitization.
F - 21
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Secured Debt Financings:
Securitizations
In February 2014, we repaid the outstanding amount plus accrued interest and fees due under Securitization No. 1 and
terminated the related interest rate derivative, for a total cash payment of $255,186 with proceeds from our December 2013
issuance of our Senior Notes due 2018.
ECA Term Financings
We refer to these COFACE-supported financings as “ECA Term Financings”. The borrowings under these financings
at December 31, 2014 have a weighted average rate of interest equal to 3.568%.
The obligations outstanding under the ECA Term Financings are secured by, among other things, a mortgage over the
aircraft and a pledge of our ownership interest in our subsidiary company that leases the aircraft to the operator. The ECA
Term Financings documents contain a $500,000 minimum net worth covenant for Aircastle Limited, as well as a material
adverse change default and cross default to any other recourse obligation of Aircastle Limited, and other terms and conditions
customary for ECA-supported financings being completed at this time. In addition, Aircastle Limited has guaranteed the
repayment of the ECA Term Financings.
Bank Financings
In February 2014, we entered into two floating rate loans and one fixed rate loan totaling $303,200 secured by two
Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and one Airbus A330-200 aircraft we acquired in 2013.
In March 2014, we assumed two floating rate loans totaling $40,809 in connection with the acquisition of two Boeing
737-800 aircraft. During the third quarter of 2014, we converted one of the floating rate loans relating to the Boeing 737-800
aircraft to a fixed rate of 2.27% for the remaining debt term.
We refer to these loan facilities as “Bank Financings”. Our Bank Financings contain, among other customary provisions,
a $500,000 minimum net worth covenant and, in some cases, a cross-default to other financings with the same lender. In
addition, Aircastle Limited has guaranteed the repayment of the Bank Financings. The borrowings under these financings
at December 31, 2014 have a weighted average fixed rate of interest equal to 3.437%.
Unsecured Debt Financings:
Senior Notes due 2021
On March 26, 2014, Aircastle Limited issued $500,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due 2021 (the
"2021 Senior Notes"). The 2021 Senior Notes will mature on March 15, 2021 and bear interest at the rate of 5.125% per
annum, payable semi-annually on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing on September 15, 2014. Interest
will accrue on the 2021 Senior Notes from March 26, 2014.
The company may redeem the Senior Notes due 2021 at any time at a redemption price equal to (a) 100% of the principal
amount of the notes redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the redemption date and (b)
the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the notes from the redemption
date through the maturity date of the notes (computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate as of such redemption
date plus 50 basis points), plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date. In addition, on or
before March 17, 2017, we may redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes issued under the indenture
at a redemption price equal to 105.125% plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, with the net proceeds of certain equity
offerings. If the Company undergoes a change of control, it must offer to repurchase the Senior Notes due 2021 at 101%
of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest. The Senior Notes due 2021 are not guaranteed by any of the
Company's subsidiaries or any third party.
Proceeds from the issuance were used to pay-off the outstanding amount of our 9.75% Senior Notes due 2018 plus
accrued interest of $10,238, and the call premium of $32,835 on April 25, 2014. We also wrote off $3,735 of debt issuance
costs associated with the pay-off of the Senior Notes due 2018. Both the call premium and the write-off of debt issuance
costs were included in Other income (expense) - Loss on extinguishment of debt on our consolidated statement of income.
F - 22
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Senior Notes due 2022
On January 15, 2015, Aircastle Limited issued $500,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due 2022 (the
"2022 Senior Notes"). The 2022 Senior Notes will mature on February 15, 2022 and bear interest at the rate of 5.50% per
annum, payable semi-annually on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on August 15, 2015. Interest will
accrue on the 2022 Senior Notes from January 15, 2015.
The company may redeem the Senior Notes due 2022 at any time at a redemption price equal to (a) 100% of the principal
amount of the notes redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the redemption date and (b)
the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the notes from the redemption
date through the maturity date of the notes (computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate as of such redemption
date plus 50 basis points), plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date. In addition, on or
before February 15, 2018, we may redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes issued under the indenture
at a redemption price equal to 105.50% plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, with the net proceeds of certain equity
offerings. If the Company undergoes a change of control, it must offer to repurchase the Senior Notes due 2021 at 101%
of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest. The Senior Notes due 2021 are not guaranteed by any of the
Company's subsidiaries or any third party.
Proceeds from the issuance were used to pay-off our Revolving Credit Facility and for general corporate purposes.
Revolving Credit Facility
On March 31, 2014, we amended and restructured our existing $335,000 Revolving Credit Facility. The Revolving
Credit Facility was increased to $450,000, has a term of four years and is scheduled to expire in March 2018. At December
31, 2014, we had drawn down $200,000 on the facility.
On January 26, 2015, we increased the size of our Revolving Credit Facility from $450,000 to $600,000.
Maturities of the secured and unsecured debt financings over the next five years and thereafter are as follows:
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Thereafter
Total
______________
$
$
278,060
222,410
742,194
714,056
598,314
1,247,357
(1)
3,802,391
(1) Included in the above table are forecasted principal payments for Securitization No. 2. These forecasted payments are based on excess cash flows available
from forecasted lease rentals, net maintenance funding (which is forecasted to be neutral after the first 12 months) and proceeds from asset dispositions
after the payment of forecasted operating expenses and interest payments.
As of December 31, 2014, we are in compliance with all applicable covenants in our financings.
Note 8. Shareholders’ Equity and Share Based Payment
In January 2006, the board of directors (the “Board”) and shareholders managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment
Group LLC (the "Fortress Shareholders") adopted the Aircastle Investment Limited 2005 Equity and Incentive Plan, and
the Board and the Fortress Shareholders approved an amendment to and restatement thereof on July 20, 2006 (as so amended
and restated, the “2005 Plan”).
F - 23
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
On March 14, 2014 (the “effective date”), the Board of Directors adopted the Aircastle Limited 2014 Omnibus Incentive
Plan (the “2014 Plan”). The “2014 Plan” was approved by shareholders at the Company’s 2014 Annual General Meeting
of Shareholders on May 22, 2014. The 2014 Plan replaced the 2005 Plan.
The purposes of the 2014 Plan are to provide an additional incentive to selected officers, employees, non-employee
directors, independent contractors, and consultants of the Company or its affiliates whose contributions are essential to the
growth and success of the business of the Company and its affiliates, to strengthen the commitment of such persons to the
Company and its affiliates, motivate such persons to faithfully and diligently perform their responsibilities and attract and
retain competent and dedicated persons whose efforts will result in the long-term growth and profitability of the Company
and its affiliates. To accomplish such purposes, the 2014 Plan provides that the Company may grant options, share appreciation
rights, restricted shares, restricted share units, share bonuses, other share-based awards, cash awards or any combination of
the foregoing. The 2014 Plan provides that grantees of restricted common shares will have all of the rights of shareholders,
including the right to receive dividends, other than the right to sell, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of the shares until
the lapse of the restricted period. Generally, the restricted common shares vest over three or five year periods based on
continued service and are being expensed on a straight line basis over the requisite service period of the awards. The terms
of the grants provide for accelerated vesting under certain circumstances, including termination without cause following a
change of control.
The maximum number of Common Shares reserved for issuance under the 2014 Plan is 2,500,000 Common Shares,
which includes 713,540 Common Shares remaining under the 2005 Plan which became available for reuse following the
adoption of the 2014 Plan. Awards outstanding under the 2005 Plan in the amount of 572,977 will continue to vest subject
to the terms and conditions of the 2005 Plan and the applicable awards agreements which are included in the below table.
A summary of the fair value of non-vested shares for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 is as follows:
Non vested Shares
Non-vested at January 1, 2012
Granted
Canceled
Vested
Non-vested at December 31, 2012
Granted
Canceled
Vested
Non-vested at December 31, 2013
Granted
Canceled
Vested
Non-vested at December 31, 2014
Shares
(in 000’s)
Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
942.8
241.0
(110.8)
(511.8)
561.2
457.5
(1.5)
(322.5)
694.7
341.1
(69.1)
(345.4)
621.3
$
$
10.44
13.26
10.56
10.28
12.21
13.98
13.11
11.96
13.49
18.80
15.89
13.47
16.15
The fair value of the restricted common shares granted in 2012, 2013 and 2014 were determined based upon the market
price of the shares at the grant date.
The total unrecognized compensation cost, adjusted for estimated forfeitures, related to all non-vested shares as of
December 31, 2014, in the amount of $6,035, is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.53 years.
On October 31, 2014, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of $100,000 of the Company's common shares.
F - 24
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
On February 18, 2015, the Company, Marubeni and a subsidiary of Marubeni entered into an amendment and restatement
of the Shareholder Agreement, which (1) modified the terms of the Shareholder Agreement to immediately permit acquisitions
by Marubeni and its affiliates of voting securities of the Company in the secondary market pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan
that would result in Marubeni and its affiliates collectively holding more than 21.0% but no more than 27.5% of the voting
power of the Company and (2) extended the term of the standstill provision of the Shareholder Agreement by 18 months to
January 2025.
Note 9. Dividends
The following table sets forth the quarterly dividends declared by our Board of Directors for the three years ended
December 31, 2014:
Declaration Date
February 17, 2012
May 2, 2012
August 1, 2012
November 5, 2012
February 18, 2013
May 1, 2013
August 2, 2013
October 29, 2013
February 21, 2014
May 5, 2014
July 28, 2014
October 31, 2014
Dividend
per
Common
Share
Aggregate
Dividend
Amount
Record Date
Payment Date
$ 0.150
$ 10,865
February 29, 2012
March 15, 2012
$ 0.150
$ 10,847
May 31, 2012
June 15, 2012
$ 0.150
$ 10,464
August 31, 2012
September 14, 2012
$ 0.165
$ 11,493
November 30, 2012
December 14, 2012
$ 0.165
$ 11,268
March 4, 2013
March 15, 2013
$ 0.165
$ 11,297
May 31, 2013
June 14, 2013
$ 0.165
$ 13,330
August 30, 2013
September 13, 2013
$ 0.200
$ 16,163
November 29, 2013
December 13, 2013
$ 0.200
$ 16,201
March 7, 2014
March 14, 2014
$ 0.200
$ 16,202
May 30, 2014
June 13, 2014
$ 0.200
$ 16,201
August 29, 2014
September 12, 2014
$ 0.220
$ 17,817
November 28, 2014
December 15, 2014
Note 10. Earnings Per Share
We include all common shares granted under our incentive compensation plan which remain unvested (“restricted
common shares”) and contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, whether paid or unpaid
(“participating securities”), in the number of shares outstanding in our basic and diluted EPS calculations using the two-
class method. All of our restricted common shares are currently participating securities.
Under the two-class method, earnings per common share are computed by dividing the sum of distributed earnings
allocated to common shareholders and undistributed earnings allocated to common shareholders by the weighted average
number of common shares outstanding for the period. In applying the two-class method, distributed and undistributed earnings
are allocated to both common shares and restricted common shares based on the total weighted average shares outstanding
during the period as follows:
F - 25
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Weighted-average shares:
Common shares outstanding
Restricted common shares
Total weighted-average shares
Percentage of weighted-average shares:
Common shares outstanding
Restricted common shares
Total
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
70,716,963
73,652,996
80,389,349
587,813
593,616
588,077
71,304,776
74,246,612
80,977,426
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
99.18%
0.82%
99.20%
0.80%
99.27%
0.73%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
The calculations of both basic and diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014
are as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
Earnings per common share — Basic:
Income from continuing operations
Less: Distributed and undistributed earnings allocated to restricted common shares(a)
32,868
(271)
Income from continuing operations available to common shareholders — Basic
$
32,597
$
$
29,781
(238)
$ 100,828
(732)
29,543
$ 100,096
Weighted-average common shares outstanding — Basic
70,716,963
73,652,996
80,389,349
Net income per common share — Basic
0.46
$
0.40
$
1.25
Earnings per common share — Diluted:
Income from continuing operations
Less: Distributed and undistributed earnings allocated to restricted common shares(a)
32,868
$
29,781
$ 100,828
(271)
(238)
(732)
Income from continuing operations available to common shareholders — Diluted
$
32,597
$
29,543
$ 100,096
Weighted-average common shares outstanding — Basic
Effect of diluted shares
70,716,963
— (b)
73,652,996
— (b)
80,389,349
— (b)
Weighted-average common shares outstanding — Diluted
70,716,963
73,652,996
80,389,349
Net income per common share — Diluted
0.46
$
0.40
$
1.25
_____________
(a)
For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, distributed and undistributed earnings to restricted shares is 0.82%, 0.80% and 0.73%, respectively,
of net income. The amount of restricted share forfeitures for all periods present is immaterial to the allocation of distributed and undistributed earnings.
(b)
For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, we have no dilutive shares.
Note 11. Income Taxes
Income taxes have been provided for based upon the tax laws and rates in countries in which our operations are
conducted and income is earned. The Company received an assurance from the Bermuda Minister of Finance that it would
be exempted from local income, withholding and capital gains taxes until March 2035. Consequently, the provision for
F - 26
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
income taxes recorded relates to income earned by certain subsidiaries of the Company which are located in, or earn income
in, jurisdictions that impose income taxes, primarily the United States and Ireland.
The sources of income from continuing operations before income taxes and earnings of unconsolidated equity method
investment for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were as follows:
U.S. operations
Non-U.S. operations
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and earnings of unconsolidated equity
method investment
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
$
2,016
$ 2,730
$
2,047
38,697
36,213
109,590
$ 40,713
$ 38,943
$ 111,637
The components of the income tax provision from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2012,
2013 and 2014 consisted of the following:
Current:
United States:
Federal
State
Non-U.S
Current income tax provision
Deferred:
United States:
Federal
State
Non-U.S
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)
Total
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
$
148
131
738
1,017
2,201
409
4,218
6,828
$
1,742
$ 1,571
515
2,542
4,799
390
9,040
11,001
963
386
3,067
4,416
2,335
932
(405)
2,862
$
7,845
$
9,215
$ 13,863
Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014
consisted of the following:
F - 27
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Deferred tax assets:
Non-cash share based payments
Net operating loss carry forwards
Interest rate derivatives
Other
Total deferred tax assets
Deferred tax liabilities:
Accelerated depreciation
Other
Total deferred tax liabilities
Net deferred tax liabilities
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
$
1,180
$
1,139
$
1,106
19,427
23,137
42,900
1,345
255
863
356
35
340
22,207
25,495
44,381
(46,551)
(56,312)
(79,360)
(1,666)
(1,143)
(1,795)
(48,217)
(57,455)
(81,155)
$ (26,010) $ (31,960) $ (36,774)
The Company had approximately $17,820 of net operating loss (“NOL”) carry forwards available at December 31,
2014 to offset future taxable income subject to U.S. graduated tax rates. If not utilized, these carry forwards expire between
2029 through 2034. The Company also had NOL carry forwards of $502,454 with no expiration date to offset future Irish,
Mauritius and Singapore taxable income. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are included in other assets and accounts payable
and accrued liabilities, respectively, in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
We do not expect to incur income taxes on future distributions of undistributed earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries and,
accordingly, no deferred income taxes have been provided for the distributions of such earnings. As of December 31, 2014
we have elected to permanently reinvest our accumulated undistributed U.S. earnings of $11,082. Accordingly, no
U.S. withholding taxes have been provided. Withholding tax of $3,325 would be due if such earnings were remitted.
All of our aircraft-owning subsidiaries that are recognized as corporations for U.S. tax purposes are non-
U.S. corporations. These non-U.S. subsidiaries generally earn income from sources outside the United States and typically
are not subject to U.S. federal, state or local income taxes unless they operate within the U.S., in which case they may be
subject to federal, state and local income taxes. The aircraft owning subsidiaries resident in Ireland, Mauritius and Singapore
are subject to tax in those respective jurisdictions.
We have a U.S-based subsidiary which provides management services to our non-U.S. subsidiaries and is subject to
U.S. federal, state and local income taxes. We also have Ireland and Singapore based subsidiaries which provide management
services to our non-U.S. subsidiaries and are subject to tax in those respective jurisdictions.
Differences between statutory income tax rates and our effective income tax rates applied to pre-tax income from
continuing operations at December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 consisted of the following:
Notional U.S. federal income tax expense at the statutory rate:
U.S. state and local income tax, net
Non-U.S. operations:
Bermuda
Ireland
Singapore
Other low tax jurisdictions
Non-deductible expenses in the U.S.
Other
Provision for income taxes
F - 28
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
$ 14,250
$ 13,630
$ 39,073
140
195
189
2,764
4,749
(12,424)
(5,368)
(5,514)
(21)
(597)
(4,168)
(3,608)
281
(33)
447
(87)
(4,732)
(5,529)
(2,890)
644
(468)
$ 7,845
$ 9,215
$ 13,863
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax
position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities. We did not have any unrecognized tax benefits.
We conduct business globally and, as a result, the Company and its subsidiaries or branches are subject to foreign,
U.S. federal and various state and local income taxes, as well as withholding taxes. In the normal course of business the
Company is subject to examination by taxing authorities throughout the world, including such major jurisdictions as Ireland
and the United States. With few exceptions, the Company and its subsidiaries or branches remain subject to examination
for all periods since inception.
Our policy is that we will recognize interest and penalties accrued on any unrecognized tax benefits as a component
of income tax expense. We did not accrue interest or penalties associated with any unrecognized tax benefits, nor was any
interest expense or penalty recognized during the year.
Note 12. Interest, Net
The following table shows the components of interest, net for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014:
Interest on borrowings, net settlements on interest rate derivatives, and other liabilities
$ 178,601
$ 196,176
$ 189,135
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
Hedge ineffectiveness (gains) losses
Amortization of interest rate derivatives related to deferred losses
Amortization of deferred financing fees
Interest Expense
Less interest income
Less capitalized interest
Interest, net
Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies
2,893
30,777
12,449
371
33,265
14,719
738
34,979
13,961
224,720
244,531
238,813
(597)
(1,315)
(774)
—
(435)
—
$ 222,808
$ 243,757
$ 238,378
Rent expense, primarily for the corporate office and sales and marketing facilities, was approximately $955, $1,236
and $1,150 for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.
As of December 31, 2014, Aircastle is obligated under non-cancelable operating leases relating principally to office
facilities in Stamford, Connecticut; Dublin, Ireland; and Singapore for future minimum lease payments as follows:
December 31,
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Thereafter
Total
Amount
1,108
933
736
750
765
2,381
$ 6,673
At December 31, 2014, we had commitments to acquire 16 aircraft in 2015 for $686,040, including four 777-300ER
aircraft which were part of our previously announced purchase/lease-back transaction with LATAM. Our commitment to
acquire the LATAM 777 aircraft expired in January 2015, as the airline was unable to economically unwind its existing
F - 29
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
financings for these aircraft. As of February 6, 2015, after taking into account two aircraft acquisitions for $119,000 thus
far in 2015, we now have commitments to acquire 11 aircraft for $298,800 that we expect to complete by June 30, 2015.
Note 14. Derivatives
The objective of our hedging policy is to adopt a risk averse position with respect to changes in interest rates.
Accordingly, we have entered into a number of interest rate derivatives to hedge the current and expected future interest rate
payments on our variable rate debt. Interest rate derivatives are agreements in which a series of interest rate cash flows are
exchanged with a third party over a prescribed period. The notional amount on an interest rate derivative is not exchanged.
Our interest rate derivatives typically provide that we make fixed rate payments and receive floating rate payments to convert
our floating rate borrowings to fixed rate obligations to better match the largely fixed rate cash flows from our investments
in flight equipment.
We held the following interest rate derivatives as of December 31, 2014:
Derivative Liabilities
Current
Notional
Amount
Effective
Date
Maturity
Date
Future
Maximum
Notional
Amount
Floating
Rate
Fixed
Rate
Balance Sheet
Location
Fair
Value
Hedged Item
Interest rate derivatives
designated as cash flow hedges:
Securitization No. 2
$ 199,671
Jun-12
Jun-17
$ 199,671
Total interest rate derivatives
designated as cash flow hedges
199,671
199,671
Interest rate derivatives
not designated as cash flow hedges:
1M
LIBOR
1.26%
to
1.28%
Fair value of
derivative
liabilities
$ 1,607
1,607
Securitization No. 2
164,018
Jun-12
Jun-17
164,018
1M
LIBOR
1.26% Fair value of
1,272
derivative
liabilities
Total interest rate derivatives not
designated as cash flow hedges
164,018
Total interest rate derivative liabilities
$ 363,689
164,018
$ 363,689
1,272
$ 2,879
One of the interest rate derivatives hedging Securitization No. 2. was de-designated on November 30, 2014. The
effective portion of the loss of $1,719 remained in other comprehensive loss on our consolidated balance sheet and will
amortize into interest expense using the effective interest method. The change in fair value as of November 30, 2014 will
be recorded in other income (expense) on our consolidated statement of income.
For the year ended December 31, 2014, the amount of effective deferred loss reclassified from OCI into interest expense
related to our undesignated active interest rate derivative is $90. The amount of effective deferred loss expected to be
reclassified from OCI into interest expense over the next twelve months related to our undesignated active interest rate
derivative is $900.
For the year ended December 31, 2014, the amount of effective deferred loss reclassified from OCI into interest expense
related to our designated active interest rate derivative was $548.
The weighted average interest pay rates of these derivatives at December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were 2.91%, 3.03%
and 1.27%, respectively.
For the year ended December 31, 2014, the amount of loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income
(“OCI”) into interest expense related to net interest settlements on active interest rate derivatives was $6,262. The amount
F - 30
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
of loss expected to be reclassified from OCI into interest expense over the next 12 months related to net interest settlements
on active interest rate derivatives is $2,960.
Our interest rate derivatives involve counterparty credit risk. As of December 31, 2014, our interest rate derivatives
are held with the following counterparties: JP Morgan Chase Bank NA and Wells Fargo Bank NA. Both of our counterparties
or guarantors of these counterparties are considered investment grade (senior unsecured ratings of Aa3 or above) by Moody’s
Investors Service. Both are also considered investment grade (long-term foreign issuer ratings of AA- or above) by Standard
and Poor’s. We do not anticipate that any of these counterparties will fail to meet their obligations.
In addition to the derivative liability above, another component of the fair value of our interest rate derivatives is
accrued interest. As of December 31, 2014, accrued interest payable included in accounts payable, accrued expenses, and
other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet was $149 related to interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
and $121 related to interest rate derivatives not designated as cash flow hedges.
Following is the effect of interest rate derivatives on the statement of financial performance for the year ended
December 31, 2014:
Derivatives in ASC 815 Cash Flow
Hedging Relationships
Effective Portion
Amount of
Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in OCI
on Derivative
(a)
Location of
Gain or (Loss)
Reclassified from
Accumulated OCI
into Income
Amount of
Gain or (Loss)
Reclassified from
Accumulated OCI
(b)
into Income
Ineffective Portion
Location of Gain
or (Loss)
Recognized in
Income on
Derivative
Amount of
Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in
Income on
(c)
Derivative
Interest rate derivatives
$
(3,683)
Interest expense
$
(41,128)
Interest expense
$
(740)
______________
(a) This represents the change in fair market value of our interest rate derivatives since year end, net of taxes, offset by the amount of actual cash paid related
to the net settlements of the interest rate derivatives for each of the twelve months ended December 31, 2014.
(b) This represents the amount of actual cash paid, net of taxes, related to the net settlements of the interest rate derivatives for each of the twelve months ended
December 31, 2014 plus any effective amortization of net deferred interest rate derivative losses.
(c) This represents both realized and unrealized ineffectiveness incurred during the twelve months ended December 31, 2014.
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments under ASC 815
Interest rate derivatives
Location of Gain or
(Loss) Recognized in
Income On Derivative
Amount of
Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in
Income on
Derivative
Other income (expense)
$
1,130
On an ongoing basis, terminated interest rate derivative notionals are evaluated against debt forecasts. To the extent
that interest payments are deemed remote to occur, deferred gains or losses are accelerated into interest expense as applicable.
In connection with the repayment of Securitization No. 1., two interest rate derivatives hedging the facility were
terminated on February 18, 2014, resulting in a net deferred loss of $26,863 which is being amortized into interest expense
using the effective interest method over the original hedge term.
For the year ended December 31, 2014, the amount of deferred net loss (including $78 of accelerated amortization
driven by aircraft sales in 2014) reclassified from OCI into interest expense related to our terminated interest rate derivatives
was $34,341. The amount of deferred net loss expected to be reclassified from OCI into interest expense over the next 12
months related to our terminated interest rate derivatives is $23,414, of which $5,567 relates to Term Financing No. 1 interest
rate derivatives, $10,940 relates to Securitization No. 1 interest rate derivatives, $5,657 relates to ECA Term Financings for
New A330 Aircraft, and $1,250 relates to other financings.
F - 31
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
The following table summarizes amounts charged directly to the consolidated statement of income for the years ended
December 31, 2012, 2013, and 2014 related to our interest rate derivative contracts:
Interest Expense:
Hedge ineffectiveness losses
Amortization:
Accelerated amortization of deferred losses (gains)(1)
Amortization of loss of designated interest rate derivative
Amortization of loss on undesignated interest rate derivative
Amortization of deferred losses
Total Amortization
Total charged to interest expense
Other Income (Expense) - Other:
Mark to market gains on undesignated interest rate derivatives
Total charged to other income (expense) - other
_____________
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
2,893
$
371
$
738
—
101
—
2,931
1,590
—
(78)
548
90
30,676
28,744
34,419
30,777
$ 33,670
33,265
$ 33,636
34,979
$ 35,717
597
597
$ 4,754
$ 1,130
$ 4,754
$ 1,130
$
(1) For the year ended December 31, 2013, includes accelerated amortization of deferred hedge losses related to two aircraft sold in June 2013. For the year
ended December 31, 2014, includes accelerated amortization of deferred hedge gains related to the sale of aircraft.
Note 15. Other Assets
The following table describes the principal components of other assets on our consolidated balance sheet as of:
Deferred debt issuance costs, net of amortization of $61,104 and $53,094, respectively
Deferred federal income tax asset
Lease incentives and lease premiums, net of amortization of $41,136 and $26,477, respectively
Flight equipment held for sale
Other assets
Total other assets
December 31,
2013
2014
52,464
1,218
72,181
9,474
18,639
51,867
567
75,587
7,455
21,841
$ 153,976
$ 157,317
Note 16. Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities
The following table describes the principal components of accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities
recorded on our consolidated balance sheet as of:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Deferred federal income tax liability
Accrued interest payable
Lease discounts, net of amortization of $6,458 and $9,247 respectively
Total accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities
F - 32
December 31,
2013
2014
$
30,204
$ 40,765
33,178
39,213
9,066
$ 111,661
37,340
27,795
32,084
$ 137,984
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Note 17. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
The following table describes the principal components of accumulated other comprehensive loss recorded on our
consolidated balance sheet as of:
Changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss by component(a)
Beginning balance
Amount recognized in other comprehensive loss on derivatives, net of tax benefit of $4 and tax expense of
$718, respectively
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into income, net of tax expense of $486
and $110, respectively
Net current period other comprehensive income
Ending balance
(a) All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits.
Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss(a)
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
2013
2014
$(126,290)
$ (75,905)
(479)
(3,683)
50,864
50,385
41,128
37,445
$ (75,905)
$ (38,460)
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
2013
2014
Losses on cash flow hedges
Amount of effective amortization of net deferred interest rate derivative losses(b)
Effective amount of net settlements of interest rate derivatives, net of tax expense of $486 and $110,
respectively(b)
Amount of loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into income(c)
$
33,265
$
34,979
17,599
6,149
$
50,864
$
41,128
(a) All amounts are net of tax.
(b) Included in interest expense.
(c) This represents the effective amounts of actual cash paid related to the net settlements of the interest rate derivatives plus any effective amortization of net
deferred interest rate derivative losses (see Note 14. - Derivatives).
F - 33
Aircastle Limited and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Note 18. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)
Quarterly results of our operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014 are summarized below:
2013
Revenues
Net income (loss)
Basic earnings (loss) per share:
Net income (loss)
Diluted earnings per share:
Net income (loss)
2014
Revenues
Net income (loss)
Basic earnings per share:
Net income (loss)
Diluted earnings per share:
Net income (loss)
First
Quarter
Second
Quarter
Third
Quarter
Fourth
Quarter
$ 176,189
$ 170,378
$ 170,090
$ 191,988
$ 23,064
$ 32,854
$ (74,558) $ 48,421
$
$
0.34
$
0.48
$
(0.95) $
0.60
0.34
$
0.48
$
(0.95) $
0.60
$ 176,603
$ 226,146
$ 177,596
$ 238,257
$
$
$
5,777
$
3,136
$ 19,151
$ 72,764
0.07
$
0.04
$
0.24
$
0.90
0.07
$
0.04
$
0.24
$
0.90
The sum of the quarterly earnings per share amounts may not equal the annual amount reported since per share amounts
are computed independently for each period presented.
F - 34
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Aircastle Limited has duly caused this
report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Dated: February 19, 2015
Aircastle Limited
By:
/s/ Ron Wainshal
Ron Wainshal
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following
persons on behalf of Aircastle Limited and in the capacities and on the date indicated.
SIGNATURE
/s/ Ron Wainshal
Ron Wainshal
/s/ Michael Inglese
Michael Inglese
/s/ Aaron Dahlke
Aaron Dahlke
/s/ Peter V. Ueberroth
Peter V. Ueberroth
/s/ Ronald W. Allen
Ronald W. Allen
/s/ Giovanni Bisignani
Giovanni Bisignani
/s/ Michael J. Cave
Michael J. Cave
/s/ Douglas A. Hacker
Douglas A. Hacker
/s/ Masumi Kakinoki
Masumi Kakinoki
/s/ Ryusuke Konto
Ryusuke Konto
/s/ Ronald L. Merriman
Ronald L. Merriman
/s/ Agnes Mura
Agnes Mura
/s/ Charles W. Pollard
Charles W. Pollard
/s/ Gentaro Toya
Gentaro Toya
TITLE
DATE
Chief Executive Officer and Director
February 19, 2015
Chief Financial Officer
February 19, 2015
Chief Accounting Officer
February 19, 2015
Chairman of the Board
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
February 19, 2015
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
S - 1
AIRCASTLE LIMITED
COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
(Dollars in thousands)
Exhibit 12.1
Fixed Charges:
Interest expense
Capitalized interest
Portion of rent expense representative of interest
Total fixed charges
Earnings:
Income from continuing operations before income taxes
Fixed charges from above
Less capitalized interest from above
Amortization of capitalized interest
Earnings (as defined)
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
Year Ended December 31,
2012
2013
2014
$ 224,720
$ 243,757
$ 238,378
1,315
307
—
404
—
372
$ 226,342
$ 244,161
$ 238,750
$ 40,713
$ 38,943
$ 111,637
226,342
244,161
238,750
(1,315)
800
—
800
—
800
$ 266,540
$ 283,904
$ 351,187
1.18 x
1.16 x
1.47 x
Subsidiaries of Aircastle Limited
As of December 31, 2014
Name of Subsidiary
1 ABH 12 Limited
2 ACS 2007-1 Limited
3 ASC 2007-1 Luxembourg S.à.r.l.
4 ACS 2008-1 Limited
5 ACS 2008-2 Limited
6 ACS Aircraft Finance Bermuda Limited
7 ACS Aircraft Finance Ireland 2 Limited
8 ACS Aircraft Finance Ireland 3 Limited
9 ACS Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
Aircastle Advisor Asia Pacific Limited
AHCL Two Limited
AHCL Luxembourg Finance Company
10 AHCL Securities Limited
11
12
13 AYR Bermuda Limited
14 AYR Delaware LLC
15 AYR E Note Limited
16 AYR Freighter LLC
17
18 Aircastle Advisor (International) Limited
19 Aircastle Advisor (Ireland) Limited
20 Aircastle Advisor LLC
21 Aircastle Bermuda Securities Limited
22 Aircastle Delaware Holdings LLC
23 Aircastle Delaware Holdings 2 LLC
24 Aircastle Holding Corporation Limited
25 Aircastle Investment Holdings Limited
26 Aircastle Investment Holdings 2 Limited
27 Aircastle Investment Holdings 3 Limited
28 Aircastle Ireland Holding Limited
29
30 Aircraft MSN 306 LLC
31 Aircraft MSN 311 LLC
32 Aircraft MSN 313 LLC
33 Aircraft MSN 368 LLC
34
Aircraft MSN 983 LLC
35 Aircraft MSN 1006 LLC
36
Aircraft MSN 1009 LLC
37 Aircraft MSN 1012 LLC
38
Aircraft MSN 1015 LLC
39 Aircraft MSN 1047 LLC
40 Aircraft MSN 1054 LLC
41
Aircraft MSN 1055 LLC
42 Aircraft MSN 1059 LLC
43 Aircraft MSN 1067 LLC
44 Aircraft MSN 1099 LLC
Aircastle Singapore Pte. Limited
Exhibit 21.1
Jurisdiction
Bermuda
Bermuda
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Bermuda
Bermuda
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Bermuda
Delaware
Bermuda
Delaware
Bermuda
Bermuda
Ireland
Delaware
Bermuda
Delaware
Delaware
Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda
Ireland
Singapore
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Name of Subsidiary
45 Aircraft MSN 1101 LLC
46 Aircraft MSN 1119 LLC
Aircraft MSN 1364 LLC
47
Aircraft MSN 1411 LLC
48
Aircraft MSN 1481 LLC
49
Aircraft MSN 1596 LLC
50
Aircraft MSN 1793 LLC
51
Aircraft MSN 1809 LLC
52
Aircraft MSN 2104 LLC
53
Aircraft MSN 2220 LLC
54
Aircraft MSN 2248 LLC
55
Aircraft MSN 2311 LLC
56
Aircraft MSN 2357 LLC
57
Aircraft MSN 2381 LLC
58
Aircraft MSN 2391 LLC
59
Aircraft MSN 2472 LLC
60
Aircraft MSN 2488 LLC
61
Aircraft MSN 2563 LLC
62
Aircraft MSN 2666 LLC
63
Aircraft MSN 2780 LLC
64
65 Aircraft MSN 24061 LLC
66 Aircraft MSN 24066 LLC
67 Aircraft MSN 24226 LLC
68 Aircraft MSN 24975 LLC
69 Aircraft MSN 25587 LLC
70 Aircraft MSN 25702-2 LLC
71 Aircraft MSN 27137 LLC
72 Aircraft MSN 28038 LLC
73 Aircraft MSN 28213 LLC
74 Aircraft MSN 28231 LLC
Aircraft MSN 28383 LLC
75
76 Aircraft MSN 28386 LLC
77 Aircraft MSN 28414 LLC
78 Aircraft MSN 28620 LLC
79
Aircraft MSN 28626 LLC
80 Aircraft MSN 28867 LLC
81 Aircraft MSN 29246 LLC
82 Aircraft MSN 29247 LLC
83 Aircraft MSN 29250 LLC
84 Aircraft MSN 29345 LLC
Aircraft MSN 29375 LLC
85
86 Aircraft MSN 29916 LLC
87 Aircraft MSN 29917 LLC
88 Aircraft MSN 29918 LLC
89 Aircraft MSN 29919 LLC
90 Aircraft MSN 29920 LLC
Aircraft MSN 29927 LLC
91
Aircraft MSN 29930 LLC
92
Aircraft MSN 30295 LLC
93
Jurisdiction
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Name of Subsidiary
Aircraft MSN 30877 LLC
94
Aircraft MSN 35082 LLC
95
Aircraft MSN 35083 LLC
96
97
Aircraft MSN 35093 LLC
98 Aircraft MSN 35233 LLC
99 Aircraft MSN 35235 LLC
100 Aircraft MSN 35236 LLC
101 Aircraft MSN 35237 LLC
Aircraft MSN 35256 LLC
102
103 Aircraft MSN 35299 LLC
Aircraft MSN 35679 LLC
104
Aircraft MSN 35680 LLC
105
Aircraft MSN 37664 LLC
106
Aircraft MSN 37655 LLC
107
Aircraft MSN 37666 LLC
108
Aircraft MSN 37667 LLC
109
Aircraft MSN 38683 LLC
110
Aircraft MSN 38686 LLC
111
112
Aircraft MSN 41522 LLC
113 Aircraft MSN 48445 LLC
114 Aircraft MSN 48778 LLC
115 Aircraft MSN 48779 LLC
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123 Constellation Aircraft Leasing (France) SARL
124 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 3 Limited
125 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 4 Limited
126 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 5 Limited
127 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 6 Limited
128 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 7 Limited
129 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 8 Limited
130 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 9 Limited
131 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 1086 Limited
132 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 28386 Limited
133 Delphie Aircraft Leasing Limited
Dolphin Leasing (Ireland) Limited
134
135 Dunvegan Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
136 Emer Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
137 Endeavor Aircraft Leasing (Sweden) AB
138 Endeavor Aircraft Leasing (Sweden) 2 AB
139 Endeavor Aircraft Leasing (Sweden) 3 AB
140 Enterprise Aircraft Leasing (France) SARL
141
142 Grayston Aircraft Leasing Limited
Aircraft MSN 19000449 LLC
Aircraft MSN 19000458 LLC
Aircraft MSN 19000484 LLC
Aircraft MSN 19000575 LLC
Aircraft MSN 19000588 LLC
Anfield Funding Limited
Brisbane Aircraft Leasing (UK) Limited
Gold Coast Aircraft Leasing (France) Sarl
Jurisdiction
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Bermuda
United Kingdom
France
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Bermuda
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
France
France
Cayman Islands
Name of Subsidiary
Marrow Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
Mohawk Aircraft Leasing Limited
Intrepid Aircraft Leasing (France) SARL
Java Aircraft Leasing (France) SARL
Kale Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
Kelsterbach Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
Klaatu Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
Koala Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
143
144
145
146
147
148
149 Macleod Aircraft Leasing (Labuan) Limited
150 Macstay Aircraft Leasing Limited
151
152
153 Momo Aircraft Leasing Limited
Orchard Aviation (41521) Pte. Ltd.
154
Orchard Aviation (A330) Pte. Ltd.
155
Orchard Aviation 41522 (UK) Limited
156
157
Penguin Leasing (Ireland) Limited
158 Perdana Aircraft Leasing (Labuan) Limited
159
160 Really Useful Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 1 Limited
161 Really Useful Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 2 Limited
162 Really Useful Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) 3 Limited
163
Salmon Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
164 Sulaco Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
165
166
167 Thunderbird 1 Leasing Limited
168 Thunderbird 2 Leasing Limited
169 Thunderbird 3 Leasing Limited
170 Thunderbird 4 Leasing Limited
171
172 Zebra Aircraft Leasing Limited
173 Zephyr Aircraft Leasing B.V.
Sumatra Aircraft Leasing (France) Sarl
Templehof Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Limited
Trojan Aircraft Leasing (France) SARL
Perth Aircraft Leasing (UK) Limited
Jurisdiction
France
France
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Labuan
Bermuda
Ireland
Bermuda
Bermuda
Singapore
Singapore
United Kingdom
Ireland
Labuan
United Kingdom
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
France
Ireland
Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius
France
Cayman Islands
The Netherlands
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-182242) of Aircastle Limited
and in the related Prospectus and the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-196234) pertaining to the 2014 Omnibus
Incentive Plan of Aircastle Limited of our reports dated February 19, 2015, with respect to the consolidated financial
statements of Aircastle Limited and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Aircastle Limited, included
in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2014.
EXHIBIT 23.1
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Stamford, Connecticut
February 19, 2015
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Ron Wainshal, certify that:
1.
2.
3.
4.
I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Aircastle Limited;
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of,
and for, the periods presented in this report;
The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls
and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to
be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including
its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
period in which this report is being prepared;
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial
reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles;
Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this
report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of
the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred
during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an
annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s
internal control over financial reporting; and
5.
The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control
over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors
(or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a.
b.
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process,
summarize and report financial information; and
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant
role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: February 19, 2015
/s/ Ron Wainshal
Ron Wainshal
Chief Executive Officer
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Michael Inglese, certify that:
1.
2.
3.
4.
I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Aircastle Limited;
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of,
and for, the periods presented in this report;
The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls
and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to
be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including
its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
period in which this report is being prepared;
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial
reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles;
Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this
report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of
the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred
during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an
annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s
internal control over financial reporting; and
5.
The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control
over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors
(or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a.
b.
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process,
summarize and report financial information; and
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant
role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: February 19, 2015
/s/ Michael Inglese
Michael Inglese
Chief Financial Officer
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION
OF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED
PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Aircastle Limited (the “Company”) for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2014, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Ron Wainshal,
as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results
of operations of the Company.
A signed original of this written statement required by section 906 has been provided to Aircastle Limited and will be
retained by Aircastle Limited and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.
/s/ Ron Wainshal
Ron Wainshal
Chief Executive Officer
Date: February 19, 2015
CERTIFICATION OF
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
Exhibit 32.2
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Aircastle Limited (the “Company”) for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2014, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Michael
Inglese, as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results
of operations of the Company.
A signed original of this written statement required by section 906 has been provided to Aircastle Limited and will be
retained by Aircastle Limited and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.
/s/ Michael Inglese
Michael Inglese
Chief Financial Officer
Date: February 19, 2015
Owned Aircraft Portfolio at December 31, 2014 is as follows:
Aircraft Group
Narrowbody Aircraft
Aircraft Type
Engine Type
Manufacturer
Serial Number
Date of
Manufacture
Exhibit 99.1
Financing
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Feb-05
Nov-97
Nov-97
Apr-99
May-99
Securitization No. 2
Jun-99
Jul-99
Aug-99
Aug-99
Aug-99
Sep-99
Oct-99
Oct-99
Nov-99
Dec-99
Oct-00
Nov-00
Jan-01
Mar-04
Mar-04
Apr-05
Apr-05
Apr-05
Mar-05
Sep-05
Oct-05
Apr-07
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Securitization No. 2
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Securitization No. 2
Bank Financing
May-07
Bank Financing
Oct-14
Oct-14
Mar-99
Apr-99
Apr-99
May-99
May-04
Dec-04
Feb-05
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
May-05
Unencumbered
Jun-05
Oct-05
Feb-99
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Mar-99
Securitization No. 2
Oct-99
Oct-00
Feb-01
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
A319-100 CFM56-5B5/P
2311
A320-200 V2527-A5
A320-200 V2527-A5
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 V2527-A5
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/3
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/2P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/2P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 V2527-A5
A320-200 V2527-A5
A320-200 V2527-A5
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/P
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/3
A320-200 CFM56-5B4/3
A321-200 V2533-A5
A321-200 CFM56-5B3/P
A321-200 CFM56-5B3/2P
A321-200 V2533-A5
A321-200 CFM56-5B3/P
A321-200 CFM56-5B3/P
A321-200 CFM56-5B3/P
A321-200 CFM56-5B3/P
A321-200 CFM56-5B3/P
A321-200 CFM56-5B3/P
737-700 CFM56-7B22
737-700 CFM56-7B22
737-700 CFM56-7B22
737-700 CFM56-7B22
737-700 CFM56-7B22
739
743
967
990
1009
1041
1047
1054
1059
1067
1081
1099
1101
1119
1316
1345
1370
1793
1809
2104
2248
2391
2401
2524
2564
3093
3121
6139
6173
983
1006
1012
1015
2220
2357
2381
2472
2488
2563
28008
28009
28010
28013
28015
Aircraft Group
Aircraft Type
Engine Type
Manufacturer
Serial Number
Date of
Manufacture
Narrowbody Aircraft (Continued)
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B27
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B27
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B24
737-800 CFM56-7B24
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B27
737-800 CFM56-7B27
737-800 CFM56-7B27
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B24
737-800 CFM56-7B24
737-800 CFM56-7B26/3
737-800 CFM56-7B26/3
737-800 CFM56-7B26
737-800 CFM56-7B27
737-800 CFM56-7B24
737-900ER CFM56-7B26
737-900ER CFM56-7B26/3
737-900ER CFM56-7B26/3
E195 CF34-10E6
E195 CF34-10E6
E195 CF34-10E6
E195 CF34-10E7
E195 CF34-10E7
28056
28213
28231
28381
28383
28384
28386
28620
28626
29036
29037
29246
29247
29250
29345
29916
29917
29918
29919
29920
29927
29930
30295
30296
30824
30877
33453
34000
34801
34802
34803
34804
35082
35083
35093
35103
38686
38683
35679
35680
449
458
484
575
588
Jun-99
Jun-98
May-00
May-99
May-99
Nov-99
Nov-99
May-00
Jul-00
Dec-98
Jan-99
Apr-00
Apr-00
Mar-01
May-02
Mar-99
Jun-99
Jun-99
Financing
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Aug-99
Unencumbered
Sep-99
Dec-00
Jan-01
Nov-04
Feb-05
Mar-05
Mar-01
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Bank Financing
Unencumbered
Jul-05
Bank Financing
Aug-05
Bank Financing
Dec-06
Feb-07
Mar-07
Jun-07
Mar-08
Mar-08
Feb-07
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Nov-06
Bank Financing
Jan-13
Unencumbered
Nov-12
Unencumbered
Apr-07
Unencumbered
May-07
Unencumbered
Jul -11
Jul-11
Oct-11
Sep-12
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Dec-12
Unencumbered
Aircraft Group
Aircraft Type
Engine Type
Manufacturer
Serial Number
Date of
Manufacture
Classic Narrowbody Aircraft
Midbody Aircraft
757-200 RB211-535E4
757-200 RB211-535E4
757-200 RB211-535E4
757-200 RB211-535E4
757-200 RB211-535E4
757-200 RB211-535E4
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 PW4168A
A330-200 PW4168A
A330-200 CF6-80E1A3
A330-200 CF6-80E1A3
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-200 Trent 772B-60
A330-300 PW4168A
A330-300 PW4168A
A330-300 PW4168A
A330-300 PW4168A
A330-300 Trent 772B-60
A330-300 Trent 772B-60
A330-300 Trent 772B-60
A330-300 Trent 772B-60
A330-300 PW4168A
A330-300 Trent 772B-60
A330-300 Trent 772B-60
767-300ER PW4060-3
767-300ER PW4060-3
Widebody Aircraft
777-200ER Trent 892B-17
777-300ER GE90-115B
777-300ER GE90-115B
777-300ER GE90-115B
777-300ER GE90-115B
777-300ER GE90-115B
27201
27244
27245
27805
27806
27807
311
313
324
343
587
634
1073
1191
1210
1223
1236
1293
1364
1407
1474
1492
171
337
342
368
997
1006
1012
1015
1055
1411
1481
25587
25985
28414
35256
35299
38886
38888
38889
Mar-94
Mar-94
Jul-94
Jan-95
Jan-95
Financing
Securitization No. 2
Securitization No. 2
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Feb-95
Unencumbered
Dec-99
Jan-00
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
May-00
Unencumbered
Jun-00
Apr-04
Nov-04
Dec-09
Feb-11
Mar-11
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
ECA Term Financing
ECA Term Financing
ECA Term Financing
May-11
ECA Term Financing
Jul-11
Apr-12
Nov-12
Apr-13
Dec-13
Oct-14
Apr-97
ECA Term Financing
ECA Term Financing
ECA Term Financing
Bank Financing
ECA Term Financing
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
May-00
Securitization No. 2
Jun-00
Nov-00
Mar-09
Apr-09
May-09
May-09
Oct-09
Apr-13
Jan-14
Feb-96
Apr-92
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
May-98
Securitization No. 2
Mar-07
Oct-07
Bank Financing
Bank Financing
Aug-12
Unencumbered
Oct-12
Unencumbered
Nov-12
Unencumbered
777-300ER GE90-115BL 41521
Oct-12
Bank Financing
777-300ER GE90-115BL2
41522
Mar-13
Bank Financing
Aircraft Group
Freighter Aircraft
Aircraft Type
Engine Type
Manufacturer
Serial Number
Date of
Manufacture
Financing
747-400BCF
PW4056-3
747-400BCF
PW4056-3
747-400BCF
PW4056-3
747-400BCF
PW4056-3
747-400BDSF
PW4056-1C
747-400BDSF
PW4056-3
747-400BDSF CF6-80C2B1F
747-400F CF6-80C2B1F
747-400ERF CF6-80C2B5F
747-400ERF CF6-80C2B5F
747-400ERF CF6-80C2B5F
747-400ERF CF6-80C2B5F
MD-11SF PW4462-3
MD-11F CF6-80C2D1F
MD-11F CF6-80C2D1F
24061
24066
24226
24975
25700
27044
29375
33749
35233
35235
35236
35237
48445
48778
48779
Mar-89
Securitization No. 2
Jun-90
Sep-90
Feb-91
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
May-93
Unencumbered
Sep-94
Sep-99
Oct-04
Jan-07
Jul-07
Feb-08
Apr-08
Apr-91
Nov-97
Dec-97
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Securitization No. 2
Unencumbered
Unencumbered
Securitization No. 2
Bank Financing
Bank Financing
CORPORATE INFORMATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
CORPORATE OFFICES
LEGAL COUNSEL
Ron Wainshal
Chief Executive Officer
Michael Inglese
Chief Financial Officer
Michael Kriedberg
Chief Commercial Officer
Joseph Schreiner
Executive Vice President, Technical
Christopher Beers
General Counsel
1 Audit Committee
2 Compensation Committee
3 Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
c/o Aircastle Advisor LLC
300 First Stamford Place,
5th Floor
Stamford, CT 06902
203 504 1020
www.aircastle.com
TRANSFER AGENT
American Stock Transfer &
Trust Company
59 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
800 937 5449
STOCK LISTING
NYSE: AYR
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Ernst & Young LLP
300 First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT 06902
Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Meagher & Flom LLP
Four Times Square
New York, NY 10036
212 735 3000
INVESTOR RELATIONS
CONTACTS
Frank Constantinople
Senior Vice President
Aircastle Advisor LLC
300 First Stamford Place,
5th Floor
Stamford, CT 06902
203 504 1063
ir@aircastle.com
The IGB Group
45 Broadway,
Suite 1150
New York, NY 10006
212 477 8438
NOTICE OF ANNUAL
MEETING
May 21, 2015, 10:00 a.m. EDT
Hyatt Regency Hotel
1800 East Putnam Avenue
Old Greenwich, CT 06870
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Certain items in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “report”), and other information we provide from time to
time, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995 including, but not necessarily limited to, statements relating to our ability to acquire, sell, lease or finance
aircraft, raise capital, pay dividends, and increase revenues, earnings, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net
Income and the global aviation industry and aircraft leasing sector. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,”
“plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “seeks,” “estimates” and variations on
these words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are
based on our historical performance and that of our subsidiaries and on our current plans, estimates and expectations
and are subject to a number of factors that could lead to actual results materially different from those described in
the forward-looking statements; Aircastle can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Accordingly,
you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements contained in this report. Factors that could
have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects or that could cause actual results to differ
materially from Aircastle’s expectations include, but are not limited to, capital markets disruption or volatility which
could adversely affect our continued ability to obtain additional capital to finance new investments or our working
capital needs; government fiscal or tax policies, general economic and business conditions or other factors affecting
demand for aircraft or aircraft values and lease rates; our continued ability to obtain favorable tax treatment in
Bermuda, Ireland and other jurisdictions; our ability to pay dividends; high or volatile fuel prices, lack of access to
capital, reduced load factors and/or reduced yields, operational disruptions caused by political unrest and other
factors affecting the creditworthiness of our airline customers and their ability to continue to perform their obligations
under our leases, and other risks detailed from time to time in Aircastle’s filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”), including as described in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report. In addition, new
risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Aircastle to predict or assess the impact of
every factor that may cause its actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Such
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report. Aircastle expressly disclaims any obligation to
release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change
in its expectations with regard thereto or change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement
is based.
Peter V. Ueberroth 3
Chairman of the Board;
Chairman
Contrarian Group, Inc.
Ronald W. Allen 1
Director;
Former Chairman of
the Board, President and
Chief Executive Officer
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Giovanni Bisignani 3
Director;
Former Director General and
CEO of the International Air
Transport Association
Michael J. Cave 1
Director;
Former Senior Vice President of
The Boeing Company
Douglas A. Hacker 1,2
Director;
Former Executive Vice President of
Strategy for UAL Corporation
Masumi Kakinoki
Director;
President and CEO of
Marubeni America Corporation
Ryusuke Konto
Director;
Chairman of Marubeni
Aerospace Corporation
Ronald L. Merriman 1,2
Director;
Former Vice Chairman of KPMG
Agnes Mura 2,3
Director;
President
Agnes Mura, Inc.
Charles W. Pollard 2,3
Director;
Former Vice Chairman of
Omni Air International, Inc.
Gentaro Toya
Director;
Executive Vice President of
Marubeni America Corporation
Ron Wainshal
Director;
Chief Executive Officer
Aircastle Limited
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AIRCASTLE LIMITED : C/O AIRCASTLE ADVISOR LLC
300 First Stamford Place, 5th Floor, Stamford, CT 06902
203-504-1020 : www.aircastle.com