Dublin, Ireland, November 8, 2018 – Fly Leasing Limited (NYSE: FLY) (“FLY”), a global leader in aircraft leasing, today announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2018.
Highlights
Net income of $20.7 million, $0.68 per share
Adjusted Net Income of $22.8 million, $0.75 per share
13% increase in operating lease rental revenue
Completed acquisition of 28 A320s on lease to AirAsia group airlines
Book value of $20.89 per share at September 30
“FLY had one of its best quarters ever, driven by a 13% increase in operating lease rental revenue as compared to the same quarter in 2017,” said Colm Barrington, FLY’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our quarterly adjusted net income of $22.8 million, adjusted earnings per share of $0.75 and adjusted ROE of 14.4% reflect significant improvements in our business.”
“For the first nine months of the year, operating lease revenue increased by 17%, generating adjusted net income of $60.4 million, or $2.10 per share,” said Barrington.
“We have completed the initial phase of the AirAsia transactions with the acquisition of 33 aircraft,” added Barrington. “We now look forward to executing on our $2 billion pipeline comprised of the 41 A320neo family aircraft that will begin delivering next year.”
Financial Results
FLY is reporting net income of $20.7 million, or $0.68 per share, for the third quarter of 2018. This compares to a net loss of $12.5 million, or $0.43 per share, for the same period in 2017.
Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $54.7 million, or $1.90 per share, compared to a net loss of $4.6 million, or $0.15 per share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2017.
Adjusted Net Income
Adjusted Net Income was $22.8 million for the third quarter of 2018, compared to Adjusted Net Loss of $10.0 million for the same period in the previous year. On a per share basis, Adjusted Net Income was $0.75 in the third quarter of 2018, compared to Adjusted Net Loss of $0.34 for the third quarter of 2017. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, Adjusted Net Income was $60.4 million, or $2.10 per share, compared to $0.9 million, or $0.03 per share, for the same period last year.
A reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income (Loss) to net income (loss) determined in accordance with GAAP is shown below.
Portfolio Acquisition Update
As of September 30, 2018, FLY had completed the transfers of 29 Airbus A320 aircraft from AirAsia Group Berhad, as successor to AirAsia Berhad ("AirAsia"), and its subsidiary, Asia Aviation Capital Limited ("AACL"). In October 2018, FLY completed the transfers of four additional Airbus A320 aircraft and seven engines on operating leases to AirAsia and its affiliated airlines.
Financing
As of September 30, 2018, FLY has drawn down approximately $548.1 million to finance the acquisition of 29 Airbus A320 aircraft from AACL under a term loan facility with a consortium of lenders.
On October 30, 2018, FLY had drawn $43.9 million under a term loan facility with certain lenders to finance the acquisition of seven engines on operating leases to AirAsia and its affiliated airlines from AACL.
Share Issuance
In connection with the AirAsia transactions, on July 13, 2018, FLY issued and sold approximately 1.3 million of its common shares in the form of ADSs, at a purchase price of $15.00 per share, to affiliates of Onex Corporation ("Onex") and the management team of BBAM Limited Partnership and its subsidiaries ("BBAM"). All FLY common shares held by Onex, and the newly issued FLY common shares held by members of the BBAM management team, are subject to a 180-day lock- up from the date of issuance. In addition, on August 30, 2018, FLY issued approximately 3.3 million of its common shares in the form of ADSs, valued at $15.00 per share, to AirAsia as partial consideration in the AirAsia transactions. The FLY common shares issued to AirAsia are subject to lock-up restrictions until 2021, as well as voting and standstill undertakings until AirAsia and its affiliates own less than 10% of FLY’s outstanding shares.
Financial Position
At September 30, 2018, FLY’s total assets were $4.2 billion, including investment in flight equipment totaling $3.7 billion. Total cash at September 30, 2018 was $268.1 million, of which $180.1 million was unrestricted. The book value per share at September 30, 2018 was $20.89, an 8% increase since the beginning of the year.
Aircraft Portfolio
At September 30, 2018, FLY had 112 aircraft on lease to 48 airlines in 27 countries. The table below does not include one B767 aircraft owned by a joint venture in which FLY has a 57% interest.
At September 30, 2018, the average age of the portfolio, weighted by net book value, was 7.1 years. The average remaining lease term was 5.9 years, also weighted by net book value. At September 30, 2018, FLY's 112 aircraft on lease were generating annualized rental revenue of approximately $452.1 million. FLY’s lease utilization factor was 100.0% for the third quarter of 2018 and 99.5% for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.