- Projects Record 2023 Freighter Lease Deployments With Lower Full-Year Capital Expenditure Requirements
- Increases 2023 Adjusted EPS Guidance
Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATSG), the leading provider of medium wide-body aircraft leasing, contracted air transportation, and related services, today reported consolidated financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023. Those results, as compared with the same quarter in 2022 were as follows:
Second Quarter 2023 Results
- Revenues of $529 million, up 4%
- GAAP EPS (basic) from Continuing Operations of $0.54, down $0.19
- Adjusted EPS* from Continuing Operations of $0.57, versus $0.59 diluted
- Pretax Earnings of $50 million, down from $69 million.
- Adjusted Pretax* Earnings of $58 million, down from $67 million
- Adjusted EBITDA* of $157 million, comparable to prior year
- 3.9 million shares repurchased since October 2022, including 950,000 shares in the second quarter
Rich Corrado, President and CEO of ATSG, said, “Our results in the second quarter reflect a rebound from the first quarter in our passenger airline operations, including both improved revenues and cost efficiencies, and the benefit of 13 more Boeing 767-300 freighters in service at June 30 this year versus a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA was in-line with the prior year period, despite continuing inflationary effects on our operations versus the second quarter of 2022. We remain confident in executing our plan to lease nineteen newly converted freighters in 2023, including nine leased to date. We continue to expect attractive returns on what we now project will be $785 million in 2023 capital spending, down $65 million compared with prior guidance.”
* Adjusted EPS (Earnings per Share), Adjusted Pretax Earnings, Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) and Adjusted Free Cash Flow are non-GAAP financial measures and are defined and reconciled to GAAP measures at the end of this release.
Segment Results
Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM)
- Aircraft leasing and related revenues from external customers in the second quarter were up 4% compared with the prior year quarter, driven by higher average lease rates as more 767-300s have been deployed, offset in part by fewer leased 767-200 aircraft.
- Pre-tax earnings decreased 22% to $31 million versus the prior year quarter. Earnings were impacted by the scheduled return of ten 767-200s since June 2022, including seven in the second quarter this year. Interest expense versus the prior year period increased $5 million, and depreciation was up $2 million, also impacting pre-tax earnings.
- CAM deployed one 767-300 leased freighter to an external customer during the quarter. Six more leased freighters have been deployed since June 30, 2023, including four more 767-300s, and two A321-200s.
- Twenty-three aircraft are currently in or awaiting conversion to freighters. That total includes seven A321 aircraft and sixteen 767-300s.
ACMI Services
- Pre-tax earnings were $24 million in the second quarter, up 10% versus the prior year quarter, driven by improved performance of passenger operations, including both military and commercial flying, and greater operating efficiencies.
- Revenue block hours for ATSG’s cargo airlines were up 1% for the second quarter while operating a net three more 767 freighters compared with the prior-year period. Cargo block hours were affected by the loss of certain long-haul ACMI flying between the U.S. and Europe versus 2022.
- Hours flown by the four Boeing 757 combination freighter-passenger aircraft were up significantly due to the resumption of a Pacific route in late 2022.
- Passenger block hours, including combi flying, decreased 2%. The prior-year quarter included passenger hours flown for additional routes to Europe.
2023 Outlook
ATSG continues to expect Adjusted EBITDA for 2023 to be in a range of $610 million to $620 million, and now expects full year Adjusted EPS in a range of $1.65 to $1.80, ten cents higher than prior guidance, based on second-half leased freighter deployment projections and stronger ACMI Services performance.
“A solid July for both freighter leasing and passenger flying has positioned us to achieve our second-half 2023 goals, with sequential improvement each quarter,” Corrado said.
ATSG has decreased its capital spending projection for 2023 by $65 million to $785 million, including $240 million in sustaining capex and $545 million for growth. The decrease in growth capex principally reflects two fewer A321 aircraft purchases this year for conversion in 2024. Lower sustaining capex reflects fewer than planned overhauls of engines for Boeing 767-200 freighters.
Corrado noted that the fundamental driver of midsize freighter leasing – rapid fulfillment of e-commerce purchases via air express networks – will persist over the long term.
“Global e-commerce growth projections remain strong, and our owned fleet and conversion pipeline stand ready to meet future demand, further supported by the need to replace aging, less fuel-efficient aircraft over the next decade,” he said. “Our freighters, including Boeing 767s, Airbus A321s, and Airbus A330s, remain the most efficient and reliable solutions for these markets.”
Corrado finished by saying, “Capital investments in 2024 are now expected to be lower than 2023 levels. That gives us the option to pursue other capital allocation alternatives that may yield even better returns for shareholders.”
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release, including the attached non-GAAP reconciliation tables, contains financial measures that are not calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“non-GAAP financial measures”). Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate historical results and project future results. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures assist in highlighting operational trends, facilitating period-over-period comparisons, and providing additional clarity about events and trends affecting core operating performance.
Disclosing these non-GAAP financial measures provides insight to investors about additional metrics that management uses to evaluate past performance and prospects for future performance. Non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP and may be calculated differently by other companies.
The historical non-GAAP financial measures included in this release are reconciled to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP in the non-GAAP Reconciliation tables included later in this release. The Company does not provide a reconciliation of projected Adjusted EBITDA or Adjusted EPS because it is unable to predict with reasonable accuracy the value of certain adjustments.
Certain adjustments can be significantly impacted by the re-measurements of financial instruments including stock warrants issued to a customer. The Company’s earnings on a GAAP basis, including its earnings per share on a GAAP basis, and the non-GAAP adjustments for gains and losses resulting from the re-measurement of stock warrants, will depend on the future prices of ATSG stock, interest rates, and other assumptions which are highly uncertain.
