Leases

ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) and its related amendments (collectively, the New Lease Accounting Standard) are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. We adopted the New Lease Accounting Standard effective January 1, 2019 and elected the modified retrospective approach in which results for periods before 2019 were not adjusted for the new standard and the cumulative effect of the change in accounting was recognized through retained earnings at the date of adoption.

The New Lease Accounting Standard establishes a right-of-use model that requires a lessee to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases are classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. In addition, this standard requires a lessor to classify leases as either sales-type, finance or operating. A lease will be treated as a sale if it transfers all of the risks and rewards, as well as control of the underlying asset, to the lessee. If risks and rewards are conveyed without the transfer of control, the lease is treated as financing. If the lessor doesn’t convey risks and rewards or control, the lease is treated as operating.

We have elected certain of the practical expedients available under the New Lease Accounting Standard upon adoption. We have applied the practical expedient which allows prospective transition to the New Lease Accounting Standard on January 1, 2019. Under the transition practical expedient, we did not reassess lease classification, embedded leases or initial direct costs. We have applied the practical expedient for short-term leases. We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components. We have elected the practical expedients to combine these components for certain equipment leases. Additionally, for certain equipment leases, we apply a portfolio approach to effectively account for the operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities. The adoption of the New Lease Accounting Standard did not have a material effect on our Consolidated Statement of Operations or Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Upon adoption, we recorded a $2.6 billion right-of-use asset and a $2.7 billion lease liability. The adoption of the New Lease Accounting Standard had an immaterial impact on retained earnings.

We enter into lease agreements for the use of real estate space, vehicles, information technology equipment, and certain other equipment under operating and finance leases. We determine if an arrangement contains a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in Operating lease right-of-use assets, Accrued liabilities, and Operating lease liabilities in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Finance leases are not considered significant to our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet or Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. Finance lease right-of-use assets at March 31, 2019 of $81 million are included in Other assets in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Finance lease liabilities at March 31, 2019 of $86 million are included in Long term debt currently due, and Long term debt in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Right-of-use assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments, and use the implicit rate when readily determinable. We determine our incremental borrowing rate through market sources including relevant industry rates. Our lease right-of-use assets also include any lease pre-payments and exclude lease incentives. Certain of our leases include variable payments, which may vary based upon changes in facts or circumstances after the start of the lease. We exclude variable payments from lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, to the extent not considered fixed, and instead, expense variable payments as incurred. Variable lease expense and lease expense for short duration contracts is not a material component of lease expense. Our leases generally have remaining lease terms of 1 to 20 years, some of which include options to extend leases. The majority of our leases with options to extend are up to 5 years with the ability to terminate the lease within 1 year. The exercise of lease renewal options is at our sole discretion and our lease right-of-use assets and liabilities reflect only the options we are reasonably certain that we will exercise. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

In limited instances we act as a lessor, primarily for commercial aerospace engines and certain heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and commercial equipment, all of which are classified as operating leases. These leases are not significant to our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet or Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations.

Operating lease expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 was $159 million.

Supplemental cash flow information related to operating leases was as follows:



(dollars in millions)	Quarter Ended March 31, 2019
Operating cash flows for the measurement of operating lease liabilities	$	(145	)
Operating lease right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations	27

Operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are reflected on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as follows:



(dollars in millions, except lease term and discount rate)	March 31, 2019
Operating lease right-of-use assets	$	2,533

Accrued liabilities	$	(582	)
Operating lease liabilities	(2,020		)
Total operating lease liabilities	$	(2,602	)

Supplemental balance sheet information related to operating leases was as follows:



	March 31, 2019
Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term (in years)	6.9
Weighted Average Discount Rate	3.6	%

Undiscounted maturities of operating lease liabilities are as follows:



(dollars in millions)	Operating ¹
2019	$	533
2020	540
2021	446
2022	327
2023	242
Thereafter	776
Total undiscounted lease payments	2,864
Less imputed interest	(262		)
Total discounted lease payments	$	2,602

1 Operating lease payments include $228 million related to options to extend lease terms that are reasonably certain of being exercised.

Prior to the adoption of the New Lease Accounting Standard, rental commitments on an undiscounted basis were approximately $2.9 billion at December 31, 2018 under long-term non-cancelable operating leases and were payable as follows: $683 million in 2019, $544 million in 2020, $407 million in 2021, $301 million in 2022, $235 million in 2023 and $746 million thereafter.