AerCap Holdings N.V. Dutch GAAP Annual Report

For the year ended December 31, 2023

INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT

AerCap Holdings N.V. Annual Report 2023

Report of the Board of Directors

2

Consolidated Financial Statements

58

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022

58

Consolidated Income Statements For the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

60

Statements of Total Results of the Group For the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

61

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows For the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

62

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

63

Company Financial Statements

150

Company Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022

150

Company Income Statements For the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

151

Notes to the Company Financial Statements

152

Other information

157

Statutory provision

157

Independent auditor's report

Error

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1

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Description of business

Global leader in aviation leasing

AerCap Holdings N.V. (together with its subsidiaries, "AerCap," "we," "us" or the "Company") is the industry leader across all areas of aviation leasing, with a portfolio consisting of 3,452 aircraft, engines and helicopters that were owned, on order or managed as of December 31, 2023. We provide a wide range of assets for lease, including narrowbody and widebody aircraft, regional jets, freighters, engines and helicopters. We focus on acquiring in-demand flight equipment at attractive prices, funding them efficiently, hedging interest rate risk prudently and using our platform to deploy these assets with the objective of delivering superior risk-adjusted returns. We believe that by applying our expertise, we will be able to identify and execute on a broad range of market opportunities that we expect will generate attractive returns for our investors.

We have the infrastructure, expertise and resources to execute a large number of diverse transactions in a variety of market conditions. Our teams of dedicated marketing and asset trading professionals have been successful in leasing and managing our asset portfolio. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we executed 953 aviation asset transactions.

We have an extensive track record of successfully acquiring and integrating companies, including the acquisition of Genesis Lease in 2010, the acquisition of International Lease Finance Corporation ("ILFC") in 2014 and the acquisition of GE Capital Aviation Services ("GECAS") in 2021. The acquisitions of ILFC (the "ILFC Transaction") and GECAS (the "GECAS Transaction") are the two largest transactions in the history of aviation leasing. We believe that our ability to successfully identify, acquire and integrate companies is a key competitive advantage.

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Aircraft leasing

AerCap is the global leader in aircraft leasing, with customers in every major geographical region. As of December 31, 2023, we owned 1,556 aircraft and managed 184 aircraft and had 338 new aircraft on order. As of December 31, 2023, the average age of our owned aircraft fleet, weighted by net book value, was 7.3 years. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the weighted average utilization rate for our owned aircraft was 98%, calculated based on the number of days each aircraft was on lease during the year, weighted by the net book value of the aircraft. Approximately 1% of our owned aircraft were undergoing or designated for cargo conversion during the year ended December 31, 2023 and were therefore not calculated as utilized.

AerCap Cargo is a global leader in the air cargo market, with more than 30 years' experience and a global fleet of over 120 aircraft that are owned, serviced or committed for conversion. AerCap Cargo provides ten types of modern narrowbody and widebody cargo aircraft to 17 customers around the world, including e-commerce, express delivery and general cargo operators. AerCap Cargo also plays a developmental role in the provision of new cargo options, including the "Big Twin" freighter program between AerCap Cargo and Israel Aerospace Industries, which involves the conversion of the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft into long-haullarge-capacity freighters. AerCap Cargo was also involved in the development of the Boeing 767-300BDSF and the launch of Boeing's 737BCF freighter conversion program and, more recently, the A321 freighter conversion programs with EFW and ST Aerospace. AerCap Cargo's largest customers are Amazon and Maersk.

Engine leasing

AerCap is the world's largest lessor of spare engines, with approximately 1,000 engines, including engines owned and managed by Shannon Engine Support Ltd ("SES"), our joint venture with Safran Aircraft Engines ("Safran"), and over 80 customers. Our spare engine portfolio is predominantly comprised of new technology engines manufactured by General Electric ("GE") and CFM International ("CFMI"), the most liquid engine types that power the world's most popular and in-demand aircraft, including Airbus A320 and A320neo Family aircraft and Boeing 737, Boeing 787, and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

We have longstanding relationships and contractual commitments with the two biggest manufacturers of commercial aviation engines, GE and CFMI, including financing and managing their spare engine portfolios. The two largest customers of our engine leasing businesses are GE and CFMI. AerCap, GE and Safran agreed to continue these relationships following completion of the GECAS Transaction.

Helicopter leasing

The Milestone Aviation Group ("Milestone") is the world's leading helicopter leasing and financing company with 321 helicopters owned or on order as of December 31, 2023. Milestone partners with helicopter operators and end-users worldwide, providing a wide array of financial and productivity solutions, including operating leases, purchase and leasebacks, secured debt financing, engine leasing and fleet advisory services. Milestone supports 50 customers in approximately 35 countries serving a variety of industries, including offshore oil and gas, offshore wind, search and rescue ("SAR"), emergency medical services, police surveillance and other utility missions. Milestone's largest customers are CHC Helicopters, Saudi Aramco, Bristow Helicopters, and Avincis.

AerCap Materials

AerCap Materials Inc. ("AerCap Materials") is a global distributor of airframe and engine components for leading commercial aircraft and engine manufacturers. Since its founding as the Memphis Group in 1971, it has provided quality products and services ranging from spare airframe and engine component distribution, component and asset leasing, consignment services and asset repair management. AerCap Materials has its own dismantlement facility located in Greenwood, Mississippi. AerCap Materials has a large inventory of aircraft parts to support mid-life and new-generation aircraft and provides ready access to support various aircraft types, including Boeing 737NG, Boeing 777, Airbus A320/A320neo Family and Embraer aircraft.

3

Aviation leases and transactions

We lease most of our flight equipment to customers under operating leases. Under these leases, the lessee is responsible for the maintenance and servicing of the equipment during the lease term and we receive the benefit, and assume the risks, of the residual value of the equipment at the end of the lease. Many operators lease flight equipment under operating leases, as this reduces their capital requirements and costs and affords them flexibility to manage their fleets more efficiently as flight equipment assets are returned over time. Since the 1970s and the creation of aircraft leasing pioneers Guinness Peat Aviation ("GPA") and ILFC, the world's airlines have increasingly turned to operating leases to meet their aircraft needs. We serve approximately 300 customers around the world with comprehensive fleet solutions. Our relationships with these customers help us place new flight equipment and remarket existing flight equipment.

Over the life of our flight equipment, we seek to increase the returns on our investments by managing the lease rates, time off-lease and financing and maintenance costs, and by carefully timing the sale of our flight equipment assets. Our current operating leases have initial terms ranging in length up to approximately 16 years. By varying our lease terms, we mitigate the effects of changes in cyclical market conditions at the time aircraft become eligible for re-lease.

Well in advance of the expiration of an operating lease, we prioritize entering into a lease extension with the then-current operator. This reduces our risk of aircraft downtime as well as aircraft transition costs. The terms of our lease extensions reflect the market conditions at the time and typically contain different terms from the original lease. Should a lessee not be interested in extending a lease, or if we believe we can obtain a more favorable return on the aircraft, we will explore other options, including the sale of the asset. If we enter into a lease agreement for the same asset with a different lessee, we generally do so well in advance of the scheduled return date of the asset. When the asset is returned, maintenance work may be required before transition to the next lessee.

Our extensive experience, global reach and operating capabilities allow us to rapidly complete numerous aviation transactions, which enables us to increase the returns on our flight equipment investments by minimizing any time that our assets are not generating revenue for us.

The following table provides details regarding the aircraft, engine and helicopter transactions we executed during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The trends shown in the table reflect the execution of the various elements of our leasing strategy for our owned and managed portfolio, as described further below:

Year Ended December 31,

2023

2022

Total

Owned portfolio

New leases on new assets

202

100

302

New leases on used assets

113

170

283

Extensions of lease contracts

243

256

499

New asset purchases

173

109

282

Asset sales

167

165

332

Managed portfolio

New leases on new assets

-

4

4

New leases on used assets

13

17

30

Extensions of lease contracts

21

23

44

New asset purchases

-

9

9

Asset sales

21

42

63

Total transactions

953

895

1,848

4

Our business strategy

We develop and grow our aviation leasing business by executing on our focused business strategy, the key components of which are as follows:

Manage the profitability of our flight equipment portfolio

Our ability to profitably manage flight equipment throughout its lifecycle depends, in part, on our ability to successfully source acquisition opportunities of new and used flight equipment at favorable terms, as well as our ability to secure long-term funding for such acquisitions, lease flight equipment at profitable rates, minimize downtime between leases and associated maintenance expenses and opportunistically sell aircraft. We manage the long-term profitability of our flight equipment portfolio by:

  • purchasing flight equipment directly from manufacturers;
  • entering into purchase and leaseback transactions with airlines;
  • using our global customer relationships to obtain favorable lease terms for flight equipment and maximizing aircraft utilization;
  • maintaining diverse sources of global funding;
  • optimizing our portfolio by selling flight equipment; and
  • providing management services to securitization vehicles, our joint ventures and other aircraft owners at limited incremental cost to us.

Efficiently manage our liquidity

We analyze sources of financing based on pricing and other terms and conditions in order to optimize the return on our investments. We have the ability to access a broad range of liquidity sources globally. In 2023, we arranged $13.3 billion of financing, consisting primarily of notes issuances in the capital markets, bank debt and revolving credit facilities.

We have access to liquidity in the form of our revolving credit facilities and our term loan facilities, which provide us with flexibility in raising capital and enable us to deploy capital rapidly to accretive aircraft purchase opportunities that may arise. As of December 31, 2023, we had $11.0 billion of undrawn lines of credit available under our revolving credit and term loan facilities and $1.6 billion of unrestricted cash. We strive to maintain a diverse financing strategy, both in terms of capital providers and structure, through the use of bank debt, note issuance and export credit, including Export Credit Agencies ("ECA") guaranteed loans, in order to maximize our financial flexibility. We also leverage our longstanding relationships with major aircraft financiers and lenders to secure access to capital. In addition, we attempt to maximize our operating cash flows and continue to pursue the sale of flight equipment to generate additional cash flows. Refer to Note 15-Debt to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report for a detailed description of our outstanding indebtedness.

Manage our flight equipment portfolio

We intend to maintain an attractive portfolio of in-demand flight equipment by acquiring new flight equipment directly from manufacturers, executing purchase and leaseback transactions with airlines, assisting airlines with refleetings and pursuing other opportunistic transactions. We rely on our experienced team of portfolio management professionals to identify and purchase assets we believe are being offered at attractive prices or that we believe will experience an increase in demand over a prolonged period of time. In addition, we intend to continue to rebalance our portfolio through sales to maintain the appropriate mix of flight equipment by customer concentration, asset, age and type.

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Maintain a diversified and satisfied customer base

We operate our business on a global basis, leasing flight equipment to customers in every major geographical region. We have active relationships with approximately 300 customers around the world. These customer relationships are either with existing customers or airlines with which we maintain regular dialogue in relation to potential transaction opportunities. Our relationships with these airlines help us place new flight equipment and remarket existing flight equipment. We monitor our lessee exposure concentrations by both customer and country jurisdiction and intend to maintain a well-diversified customer base. We believe we offer a quality product, both in terms of assets and service, to all of our customers. We have successfully worked with many customers to find mutually beneficial solutions to operational and financial challenges. We believe we maintain excellent relations with our customers. We have been able to achieve a high utilization rate on our aviation assets as a result of our customer reach, quality product offering and strong portfolio management capabilities.

Allocate capital efficiently

We seek to deploy our capital efficiently to provide the best long-term returns for our investors. We have a broad range of options for deployment of capital, including investment in flight equipment, repayment of debt, mergers and acquisitions and the return of capital to shareholders. We have deployed our capital across all of these areas in the past and will continue to seek opportunities to do so in the future.

Joint ventures and participations

We conduct some of our business through joint ventures and participations. These arrangements allow us to:

  • increase the geographical and product diversity of our portfolio;
  • obtain stable servicing revenues; and
  • diversify our exposure to the economic risks related to aircraft and engines.

Shannon Engine Support Ltd

SES is a joint venture 50% owned by us and 50% owned by Safran. SES is headquartered in Shannon, Ireland, with marketing offices in Singapore, Beijing, China and Budapest, Hungary. SES offers spare engine solutions to CFMI operators, including guaranteed pool access, short-term and long-term leases, trading and exchanges, all of which can be structured and combined to meet an individual airline's fleet requirements. SES's spare engine pools are located at certified Maintenance Repair and Overhaul ("MRO") facilities around the world, close to international logistics hubs, to easily support airlines operating CFM56 and LEAP powered aircraft. We account for our investment in SES under the equity method of accounting.

Relationship with Airbus, Boeing and other manufacturers

We are one of the largest customers of Airbus and Boeing measured by deliveries of aircraft through 2023 and our order backlog. We were also the launch customer of the Embraer S.A ("Embraer") E2 program. We are also among the largest purchasers of engines from each of CFMI, GE Aviation, International Aero Engines, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce. These extensive manufacturer relationships and the scale of our business enable us to place large orders with favorable pricing and delivery terms. In addition, these strategic relationships with manufacturers and market knowledge allow us to participate in new aircraft designs, which gives us increased confidence in our airframe and engine selections. AerCap cooperates broadly with manufacturers seeking mutually beneficial opportunities.

Competition

The aviation leasing and sales business is highly competitive, and we face competition from other aviation leasing companies, airlines, aviation manufacturers, aviation brokers and financial institutions. Competition for a leasing transaction is based on a number of factors, including delivery dates, lease rates, term of lease, other lease provisions, aircraft condition and the availability in the marketplace of the types of aircraft that can meet customer requirements. As a result of our geographical reach, diverse aircraft portfolio and success in remarketing our aircraft, we believe we are a strong competitor in all of these areas.

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Insurance

Our lessees are required under our leases to bear responsibility, through an operational indemnity subject to customary exclusions, and to carry insurance for any liabilities arising out of the operation of our flight equipment, including any liabilities for death or injury to persons and damage to property that ordinarily would attach to the operator of the asset.

In addition, our lessees are required to carry other types of insurance that are customary in the air transportation industry, including hull all risks insurance for both the aircraft and each engine whether or not installed on our aircraft (in each case, at a value stipulated in the relevant lease that typically exceeds the aircraft net book value by approximately 10%) and hull war risks insurance covering risks such as hijacking and terrorism and, where permitted, including confiscation, expropriation, nationalization and seizure (subject to adjustment or fleet or policy aggregate limits in certain circumstances and customary exclusions). Our lessees are also required to carry aircraft spares insurance and aircraft third-party liability insurance, in each case subject to customary deductibles and exclusions. We are named as an additional insured on liability insurance policies carried by our lessees, and we or our lenders are designated as a loss payee in the event of a total loss of an asset. We monitor the compliance by our lessees with the insurance provisions of our leases by securing confirmation of coverage from the lessees' insurance brokers.

We also purchase insurance that provides us with coverage when our assets are not subject to a lease or where a lessee's policy fails to indemnify us, and this insurance is subject to customary deductions and exclusions. In addition, we carry customary insurance for our property, which is subject to customary deductibles, limits and exclusions. Insurance experts advise and make recommendations to us as to the appropriate amount of insurance coverage that we should obtain.

Although we believe that our insurance coverage is consistent with industry practice and available cover from the insurance market, our insurance may not adequately cover certain risks. Our and our lessees' insurance policies are subject to periodic review by insurers and may not be renewed at all or may be renewed on less favorable terms. Events outside of our control may cause insurers to increase premiums and/or decrease coverage under insurance policies, or even withdraw from the market entirely. For example, the Ukraine Conflict led insurers to reassess their exposure to certain risks and geographical locations and since the start of the Ukraine Conflict, we have experienced a significant increase in the cost of our insurance and a significant reduction in our insurance cover. We expect to continue to experience difficulty in obtaining appropriate policy limits and coverage at a reasonable cost and on reasonable terms. An inability to obtain insurance, significant increases in the cost of insurance we obtain, higher deductibles under our policies or losses in excess of our insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on our business. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we established a Bermuda-domiciled wholly- owned captive insurance company, Aistrigh Limited ("Aistrigh"), to help mitigate significant increases to our insurance costs. As of December 31, 2023, Aistrigh was providing approximately 25% of our hull war insurance, and Aistrigh's participation in our aviation insurance may increase in future years. Aistrigh may not provide the intended benefits, and our funding of Aistrigh may be insufficient to adequately cover the costs of any insured events. In addition, there is no guarantee that reinsurance will continue to be available to Aistrigh, which would negatively impact our captive insurance coverage.

Total loss write-offs result from the loss of an asset because of an unforeseen event (for example, an airplane crash incident, physical loss by wrongful deprivation, asset seizure, or other loss event). These events may be insured through the lessee's insurance policies where we are named as the insured, and under our own insurance policies where the lessee's insurance policy fails to indemnify us. We recognize an insurance receivable to the extent we have a claim from a loss from a total loss write-off event and the likelihood of recovering such loss or portion of the loss is virtually certain at the balance sheet date, which generally occurs when we receive a non-refundable cash payment from the insurers, or when we execute a binding settlement agreement with the insurers where a non-refundable payment will be made.

We recognize insurance proceeds in excess of the loss recognized when all contingencies are resolved, which generally occurs when we receive a non-refundable cash payment from the insurers, or when we execute a binding settlement agreement with the insurers where a non-refundable payment will be made.

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Regulation

While the air transportation industry is highly regulated, we generally are not directly subject to most of these regulations, as we do not generally operate our assets. Our lessees are subject, however, to extensive regulation under the laws of the jurisdictions in which they are registered and in which they operate. These regulations, among other things, govern the registration, operation and maintenance of our assets. Most of our aircraft are registered in the jurisdiction in which the lessee of the aircraft is certified as an air operator. Both our aircraft and engines are subject to the airworthiness and other standards imposed by our lessees' jurisdictions of operation. Laws affecting the airworthiness of flight equipment are generally designed to ensure that all aircraft, engines and related equipment are continuously maintained in proper condition to enable safe operation of the aircraft. Most countries' aviation laws require aircraft and engines to be maintained under an approved maintenance program with defined procedures and intervals for inspection, maintenance and repair.

Our operations and assets are subject to various U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations, and non-U.S. laws and regulations related to the protection of the environment. We could incur substantial costs, including capital and other expenditures, to comply with such requirements, as well as fines, penalties, or civil or criminal sanctions and third-party claims, if we were to violate or become liable under such laws or regulations. For example, jurisdictions around the world have adopted regulations regarding aircraft and engine noise and emissions levels that apply based on where the relevant aircraft is registered and where the aircraft is operated and that have become more stringent over time. These or other future regulations applicable to our aircraft could limit the usability or the economic life of certain of our aircraft and engines, reduce their value, limit our ability to lease or sell the 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.

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Due to growing concerns over the risks of climate change, the United States, the EU and other jurisdictions are moving towards imposing more stringent limits on greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft engines. Although current emissions control laws generally apply to newer engines, new laws could be passed in the future that also impose limits on older engines, thereby subjecting our older engines to existing or new emissions limitations or indirect taxation. These limits may also impact growth levels in air travel. In particular, the aviation sector is subject to the EU Emissions Trading System ("ETS"), a cap‐and‐trade system for greenhouse gas emissions, under which airlines currently are granted free emissions allowances based on historical performance and a carbon dioxide efficiency benchmark. However, in an April 2023 directive, the European Parliament and European Council adopted components of the European Commission's "Fit for 55" proposal, which will modify the ETS system by phasing out free emissions allowances for the aviation sector by 2026. The directive entered force in June 2023, and was required to be transposed into national law by member states by December 31, 2023.

In 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organization ("ICAO") adopted Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation ("CORSIA"), a global market-based scheme aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation that will become mandatory in 2027. At least 126 countries, including the United States, have indicated that they will participate in the voluntary phase-in of CORSIA from 2024 onwards. Limitations on emissions, such as the ETS and CORSIA, could favor the use of younger, more fuel-efficient aircraft, since they generally produce lower levels of emissions per passenger, which could adversely affect our ability to re-lease or otherwise dispose of less efficient older aircraft on a timely basis, on favorable terms, or at all. This is an area of law that is rapidly evolving and varies by jurisdiction. While it is uncertain whether new emissions restrictions will be passed, or if passed, what impact these laws might have on our business, any future emissions limitations or other future requirements to address climate change concerns could adversely affect us.

The airline industry has also come under increased scrutiny by the press, the public and investors regarding the impact of air travel on the environment, including emissions to the air, discharges to surface and subsurface waters, safe drinking water, aircraft noise, the management of hazardous substances, oils and waste materials and other environmental impacts related to aircraft operations. If such scrutiny results in reduced air travel or increased costs to air travel, it may affect demand for our aircraft, lessees' ability to make rental and other lease payments and reduce the value we receive for our aircraft upon any disposition, which would negatively affect our financial condition, cash flow and results of operations.

In addition, under our leases, we may be required in some instances to obtain specific licenses, consents or approvals for different aspects of the leases. These required items include consents from governmental or regulatory authorities for certain payments under the leases and for the import, re-export or deregistration of the leased assets. Also, to perform some of our cash management services and insurance services from Ireland under our management arrangements with our joint ventures and securitization entities, we are required to have a license from the Irish regulatory authorities, which we have obtained.

The United States, among other jurisdictions, regulates the export of goods, software, technology, and military items from the United States. In addition to the Office of Foreign Assets Control, two principal U.S. Government agencies have regulatory authority in this area. The U.S. Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls ("DDTC") administers the International Traffic in Arms Regulations ("ITAR") and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security administers the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR").

ITAR and EAR compliance are an integral part of AerCap's compliance activities. Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Milestone Aviation, is a helicopter operating lessor that engages in defense trade activities. While our fleet is comprised of civil helicopters, certain of the helicopters (generally helicopters configured for SAR or police services missions) are equipped with controlled equipment covered by active ITAR licenses. In view of our defense trade activities, The Milestone Aviation Group LLC is registered with DDTC as an exporter and broker under ITAR. The controlled equipment in our fleet may require prior authorizations to be exported to certain jurisdictions. Any failures by us or our customers or suppliers to comply with these laws and regulations could result in civil or criminal penalties, fines, investigations, adverse publicity or restrictions on its ability to continue to engage in business activities involving controlled equipment, and repeat failures could carry more significant penalties. Any changes in export or sanctions regulations may further restrict business activities involving controlled equipment. The length of time required by the licensing processes can vary, potentially delaying helicopter lease transactions and the recognition of the corresponding revenue.

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AerCap Holdings NV published this content on 05 March 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 06 March 2024 10:42:09 UTC.