Atlas Air Worldwide Reports Record Fourth-Quarter Results, Strong Outlook for 2018

• Record 4Q Reported Income Increased to $209.5 Million from $28.7 Million, Full-Year Increased to $224.3 Million from $42.6 Million
• Record 4Q Adjusted Income of $66.6 Million, Up 13%; Full-Year Climbed 17% to $133.7 Million
• Mid-20% Earnings Growth Expected in 2018
• Results Driven by Strategic Execution, Strong Demand and Tax Reform

PURCHASE, N.Y., Feb. 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:AAWW) today announced record fourth-quarter and full-year 2017 revenue, record fourth-quarter earnings and robust full-year earnings growth, and a continued strong outlook in 2018.

“2017 was an exciting year for Atlas and we expect that to continue in 2018,” said President and Chief Executive Officer William J. Flynn.

“The strategic initiatives that we have put in place over many years have transformed our company. Our focus on express, e-commerce and fast-growing Asian markets has broadened our customer base and fleet. As a result, we were well-positioned to capitalize on market dynamics and deliver fourth-quarter and full-year volumes, revenues, EBITDA and net income that grew sharply compared to the prior-year.

“In addition, our fourth-quarter and full-year results benefited from the passage of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in late December, which generated a significant gain related to the revaluation of our net deferred tax liabilities.

“We expect the new tax legislation to have a positive impact on economic activity and corporate growth. On passage of the law, we were pleased to provide a one-time bonus of $1,000 to our global personnel in recognition of their hard work and commitment to the company’s growth.”

Turning to 2018 and beyond, Mr. Flynn stated: “We are operating in a strong airfreight environment, underpinned by global economic growth.

“We see tremendous opportunity for continued growth in the express and e-commerce markets, fueled by a bourgeoning middle class with higher levels of disposable income. Further globalization will require expansive and time-definite air networks to facilitate the international flow of goods.

“From a regional perspective, we believe Asia is key. It is an important geography to global trade, the source of 40% of global airfreight demand, and the main contributor to the expanding global middle class.

“In addition to the demand we are seeing for our aircraft and services, we are capitalizing on the quality, scale and scope of our operations to drive our revenues and earnings to greater levels. As a result, we expect our adjusted net income to grow by a mid-twenty-percent level in 2018 compared with 2017, including the benefit of a lower corporate income tax rate.

“By comparison, even without any benefit from tax reform, we would have expected our 2018 adjusted net income to grow by a teens percentage.”     

Fourth-Quarter Results

Volumes in the fourth quarter of 2017 increased 18% to 71,563 block hours, with revenue growing 19% to a record $628.0 million.

Reported income from continuing operations, net of taxes, during the period totaled $209.5 million, or $6.71 per diluted share, compared with $28.7 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2016. Reported results for the latest quarter included a $130.0 million benefit related to the revaluation of our deferred tax liabilities as well as an unrealized gain on outstanding warrants of $23.7 million. Results in the year-ago period included an unrealized loss of $27.9 million on outstanding warrants. 

On an adjusted basis, income from continuing operations, net of taxes, in the fourth quarter of 2017 increased 13% to a record $66.6 million, or $2.43 per diluted share, from adjusted income of $59.0 million, or $2.24 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. EBITDA, as adjusted, increased 14% to $162.7 million.

Record ACMI segment revenues and contribution in the fourth quarter of 2017 were primarily driven by significant growth in block-hour volumes, partially offset by higher line maintenance and labor-related operational disruptions. Block-hour growth during the period reflected 747-400 flying for several new customers, 747-8 flying for Cathay Pacific Cargo, additional seasonal flying for express operators, and the ramp-up of 767-300 operations for Amazon. Five new 767-300s were placed in service for Amazon during the quarter, raising the current number to 12, in line with our expectations when we began ramping up this new service in 2016 and in line with our expectations for a total of 20 aircraft by the end of 2018. 

Higher Charter segment contribution during the period was primarily driven by an increase in commercial yields, partially offset by higher maintenance costs, the redeployment of 747-8 and 747-400 aircraft to the ACMI segment, and labor-related operational disruptions. Higher average rates during the quarter primarily reflected the impact of strong commercial yields. 

In Dry Leasing, higher segment contribution primarily reflected a reduction in interest expense due to the scheduled repayment of debt related to dry leased 777 aircraft and the placement of additional 767-300 converted aircraft.

Reported earnings in the fourth quarter of 2017 also included an effective income tax benefit rate of 95.7%, due mainly to the revaluation of our deferred tax liabilities as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. On an adjusted basis, our results reflected an effective income tax rate of 31.4%.

Full-Year Results

Volumes in 2017 increased 20% to 252,802 block hours, with revenue growing 17% to a record $2.16 billion.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2017, our continuing operations generated income of $224.3 million, or $8.68 per diluted share, which included the $130.0 million benefit related to the revaluation of our deferred tax liabilities, partially offset by an unrealized loss on financial instruments of $12.5 million related to outstanding warrants. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, our income from continuing operations totaled $42.6 million, or $1.70 per diluted share, including the negative impacts of transaction-related expenses and warrant accounting totaling $25.0 million.

On an adjusted basis, income from continuing operations in 2017 increased 17% to $133.7 million, or $4.93 per diluted share, compared with $114.3 million, or $4.50 per diluted share, in 2016. EBITDA, as adjusted, rose 12% to $428.6 million.

Reported earnings in 2017 also included an effective income tax benefit rate of 56.5%, due mainly to the revaluation of our deferred tax liabilities as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. On an adjusted basis, our results reflected an effective income tax rate of 28.4%.

Cash and Short-Term Investments

At December 31, 2017, our cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and restricted cash totaled $305.5 million, compared with $142.6 million at December 31, 2016.

The change in position resulted from cash provided by operating and financing activities, partially offset by cash used for investing activities.

Net cash provided by financing activities during 2017 primarily reflected proceeds from our issuance of convertible notes and our financings of 767-300 aircraft, partially offset by payments on debt obligations. During the fourth quarter of 2017, we completed the financings of six additional 767-300 aircraft, which generated cash of $145.8 million.

Net cash used for investing activities during 2017 primarily related to capital expenditures and payments for flight equipment and modifications, including the acquisition of 767-300 aircraft to be converted to freighter configuration, spare engines and GEnx engine performance upgrade kits.

2018 Outlook

We expect to report strong earnings growth in 2018.

We begin 2018 with solid demand from our customers for our aircraft and services. With the essential building blocks we have set in place, we see opportunities to grow with existing customers and to add new ones.

Globally, economic activity is expanding. The airfreight market is strong, and airfreight tonnage continues to grow from record levels.

As a result, we expect significant growth in our volumes, revenue and adjusted EBITDA in 2018. We see volumes rising to around 300,000 block hours, revenue growing to approximately $2.5 billion, and adjusted EBITDA of about $500 million.      

We anticipate that our full-year 2018 adjusted net income will grow by a mid-twenty-percent level compared with 2017, including the benefit of tax reform. Without tax reform, we would have expected our adjusted net income to grow by a teens percentage this year. We expect our full-year 2018 adjusted income tax rate to be approximately 17%.  

Given the inherent seasonality of airfreight demand, we anticipate that results in 2018 will reflect historical patterns, with more than 70% of our adjusted net income occurring in the second half. In addition, we expect adjusted EBITDA of approximately $90 million in the first quarter of 2018, and adjusted net income to be approximately double adjusted net income of $8.3 million in the first quarter of 2017.  

For the full year, we anticipate total block hours will increase approximately 19% compared with 2017, with about 75% of our hours in ACMI and the balance in Charter. To meet the anticipated increase in ACMI and Charter demand, we have entered into operating leases for six 747-400 freighter aircraft. Two of these aircraft entered service in the third quarter and fourth quarter of 2017; four will enter service throughout 2018.

Aircraft maintenance expense in 2018 is expected to total approximately $315 million, mainly reflecting an increase in daily line maintenance due to the anticipated growth in block hours. Depreciation and amortization is expected to total approximately $220 million. In addition, core capital expenditures, which exclude aircraft and engine purchases, are expected to total approximately $100 to $110 million, mainly for parts and components for our fleet.

We provide guidance on an adjusted basis because we are unable to predict, with reasonable certainty, the effects of outstanding warrants and other items that could be material to our reported results.

Conference Call

Management will host a conference call to discuss Atlas Air Worldwide’s fourth-quarter and full-year 2017 financial and operating results at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, February 22, 2018.

Interested parties are invited to listen to the call live over the Internet at www.atlasair.com (click on “Investor Information,” click on “Presentations” and on the link to the fourth-quarter call) or at the following Web address:

https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/3u7eztjr  

For those unable to listen to the live call, a replay will be archived on the above websites following the call. A replay will also be available through February 28 by dialing (855) 859-2056 (U.S. Toll Free) or (404) 537-3406 (from outside the U.S.) and using Access Code 8276523#.

About Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we present certain non-GAAP financial measures to assist in the evaluation of our business performance. These non-GAAP measures include EBITDA, as adjusted; Direct Contribution; Adjusted income from continuing operations, net of taxes; Adjusted Diluted EPS from continuing operations, net of taxes; Adjusted effective tax rate; and Free Cash Flow, which exclude certain noncash income and expenses, and items impacting year-over-year comparisons of our results. These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for Income from continuing operations, net of taxes; Diluted EPS from continuing operations, net of taxes; Effective tax rate; and Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities, which are the most directly comparable measures of performance prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing the performance of the company’s ongoing operations and in planning and forecasting future periods. In addition, management’s incentive compensation is determined, in part, by using Adjusted Income from continuing operations, net of taxes. We believe that these adjusted measures, when considered together with the corresponding U.S. GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to those measures, provide meaningful supplemental information to assist investors and analysts in understanding our financial results and assessing our prospects for future performance.

About Atlas Air Worldwide:

Atlas Air Worldwide is a leading global provider of outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services. It is the parent company of Atlas Air, Inc., Southern Air Holdings, Inc. and Titan Aviation Holdings, Inc., and is the majority shareholder of Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. Our companies operate the world’s largest fleet of 747 freighter aircraft and provide customers a broad array of Boeing 747, 777, 767, 757 and 737 aircraft for domestic, regional and international applications.

Atlas Air Worldwide’s press releases, SEC filings and other information may be accessed through the company’s home page, www.atlasair.com.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that reflect Atlas Air Worldwide’s current views with respect to certain current and future events and financial performance. Those statements are based on management’s beliefs, plans, expectations and assumptions, and on information currently available to management. Generally, the words “will,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “continue,” “believe,” “seek,” “project,” “estimate,” and similar expressions used in this release that do not relate to historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. They are and will be, as the case may be, subject to many risks, uncertainties and factors relating to the operations and business environments of Atlas Air Worldwide and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “companies”) that may cause the actual results of the companies to be materially different from any future results, express or implied, in such forward-looking statements. 

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: our ability to effectively operate the network service contemplated by our agreements with Amazon, including the cost and timing of securing any aircraft necessary to fulfill our agreements; the risk that the anticipated benefits of our agreements with Amazon will not be realized when expected, or at all; the possibility that Amazon may terminate its agreements with the companies; the ability of the companies to operate pursuant to the terms of their financing facilities; the ability of the companies to obtain and maintain normal terms with vendors and service providers; the companies’ ability to maintain contracts that are critical to their operations; the ability of the companies to fund and execute their business plan; the ability of the companies to attract, motivate and/or retain key executives, pilots and associates; the ability of the companies to attract and retain customers; the continued availability of our wide-body aircraft; demand for cargo services in the markets in which the companies operate; economic conditions; the effects of any hostilities or act of war (in the Middle East or elsewhere) or any terrorist attack; labor costs and relations, work stoppages and service slowdowns; the outcome of pending negotiations with our pilots’ union; financing costs; the cost and availability of war risk insurance; our ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting; aviation fuel costs; security-related costs; competitive pressures on pricing (especially from lower-cost competitors); volatility in the international currency markets; weather conditions; government legislation and regulation; changes to our provisional estimates of the impact of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017; consumer perceptions of the companies’ products and services; anticipated and future litigation; and other risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in Atlas Air Worldwide’s reports to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

For additional information, we refer you to the risk factors set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports on Form 10-Q filed by Atlas Air Worldwide with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other factors and assumptions not identified above may also affect the forward-looking statements, and these other factors and assumptions may also cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed.

Except as stated in this release, Atlas Air Worldwide is not providing guidance or estimates regarding its anticipated business and financial performance for 2018 or thereafter. 

Atlas Air Worldwide assumes no obligation to update such statements contained in this release to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such estimates other than as required by law and expressly disclaims any obligation to revise or update publically any forward-looking statement to reflect future events or circumstances. 

Atlas Air Worldwide uses an economic performance metric, Direct Contribution, to show the profitability of each of its segments after allocation of direct ownership costs. Atlas Air Worldwide currently has the following reportable segments: ACMI, Charter, and Dry Leasing. Each segment has different commercial and economic characteristics, which are separately reviewed by our chief operating decision maker.

Direct Contribution consists of income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes, excluding loss on early extinguishment of debt, unrealized loss (gain) on financial instruments, special charge, transaction-related expenses, loss (gain) on the disposal of aircraft, nonrecurring items, and unallocated income and expenses, net.

Direct operating and ownership costs include crew costs, maintenance, fuel, ground operations, sales costs, aircraft rent, interest expense on the portion of debt used for financing aircraft, interest income on debt securities, and aircraft depreciation.

Unallocated income and expenses, net include corporate overhead, nonaircraft depreciation, noncash expenses and income, interest expense on the portion of debt used for general corporate purposes, interest income on nondebt securities, capitalized interest, foreign exchange gains and losses, other revenue and other nonoperating costs.