Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Aircastle Limited (“Aircastle,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”) is a Bermuda exempted company that was incorporated on October 29, 2004 under the provisions of Section 14 of the Companies Act of 1981 of Bermuda. Aircastle’s business is investing in aviation assets, including acquiring, leasing, managing and selling high-utility commercial jet aircraft.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Aircastle and all of its subsidiaries. Aircastle consolidates five Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”) of which Aircastle is the primary beneficiary. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

We consolidate VIEs in which we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary. We use judgment when deciding (a) whether an entity is subject to consolidation as a VIE, (b) who the variable interest holders are, (c) the potential expected losses and residual returns of the variable interest holders, and (d) which variable interest holder is the primary beneficiary. When determining which enterprise is the primary beneficiary, we consider (1) the entity’s purpose and design, (2) which variable interest holder has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, and (3) the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE. When certain events occur, we reconsider whether we are the primary beneficiary of VIEs. We do not reconsider whether we are a primary beneficiary solely because of operating losses incurred by an entity.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. While Aircastle believes that the estimates and related assumptions used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements are appropriate, actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Aircastle considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.

Restricted cash and cash equivalents consists primarily of rent collections, maintenance payments and security deposits received from lessees pursuant to the terms of various lease agreements held in lockbox accounts in accordance with our financings. Changes in restricted cash related to the sale of flight equipment are reflected within investing activities of our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Changes in restricted cash and cash equivalents related to rents, maintenance payments and security deposits are reflected within financing activities of our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Virtually all of our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents are held or managed by three major financial institutions.

Flight Equipment Held for Lease and Depreciation

Flight equipment held for lease is stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method, typically over a 25-year life from the date of manufacture for passenger aircraft and over a 30 to 35-year life for freighter aircraft, depending on whether the aircraft is a converted or purpose-built freighter, to estimated residual values. Estimated residual values are generally determined to be approximately 15% of the manufacturer’s estimated realized price for passenger aircraft when new and 5% to 10% for freighter aircraft when new. Management may make exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis when, in its judgment, the residual value calculated pursuant to this policy does not appear to reflect current expectations of value. Examples of situations where exceptions may arise include but are not limited to:


•	flight equipment where estimates of the manufacturer’s realized sales prices are not relevant (e.g., freighter conversions);


•	flight equipment where estimates of the manufacturers’ realized sales prices are not readily available; and


•	flight equipment which may have a shorter useful life due to obsolescence.

Major improvements and modifications incurred in connection with the acquisition of aircraft that are required to get the aircraft ready for initial service are capitalized and depreciated over the remaining life of the flight equipment.

For planned major maintenance activities for aircraft off-lease, the Company capitalizes the actual maintenance costs by applying the deferral method. Under the deferral method, we capitalize the actual cost of major maintenance events, which are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the period until the next maintenance event is required.

In accounting for flight equipment held for lease, we make estimates about the expected useful lives, the fair value of attached leases, acquired maintenance assets or liabilities and the estimated residual values. In making these estimates, we rely upon actual industry experience with the same or similar aircraft types and our anticipated lessee’s utilization of the aircraft.

For purchase and lease back transactions, we account for the transaction as a single arrangement. We allocate the consideration paid based on the fair value of the aircraft and lease. The fair value of the lease may include a maintenance premium and a lease premium or discount.

When we acquire an aircraft with a lease, determining the fair value of attached leases requires us to make assumptions regarding the current fair values of leases for specific aircraft. We estimate a range of current lease rates of like aircraft in order to determine if the attached lease is within a fair value range. If a lease is below or above the range of current lease rates, we present value the estimated amount below or above the fair value range over the remaining term of the lease. The resulting lease discount or premium is amortized into lease rental income over the remaining term of the lease.

Lease Incentives and Amortization

Many of our leases contain provisions which may require us to pay a portion of the lessee’s costs for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components. We account for these expected payments as lease incentives, which are amortized as a reduction of revenue over the life of the lease. We estimate the amount of our portion for such costs, typically for the first major maintenance event for the airframe, engines, landing gear and auxiliary power units, expected to be paid to the lessee based on assumed utilization of the related aircraft by the lessee, the anticipated amount of the maintenance event cost and the estimated amounts the lessee is responsible to pay.

This estimated lease incentive is not recognized as a lease incentive liability at the inception of the lease. We recognize the lease incentive as a reduction of lease revenue on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease, with the offset being recorded as a lease incentive liability which is included in maintenance payments on the balance sheet. The payment to the lessee for the lease incentive liability is first recorded against the lease incentive liability, and any excess above the lease incentive liability is recorded as a prepaid lease incentive asset, which is included in other assets on the balance sheet and continues to amortize over the remaining life of the lease.

Lease acquisition costs related to reconfiguration of the aircraft cabin, other lessee specific modifications and other direct costs are capitalized and amortized into revenue over the initial life of the lease, assuming no lease renewals, and are included in other assets.

Impairment of Flight Equipment

We perform a recoverability assessment of all aircraft in our fleet, on an aircraft-by-aircraft basis annually during the third quarter. In addition, a recoverability assessment is performed whenever events or changes in circumstances, or indicators, suggest that the carrying amount or net book value of an asset may not be recoverable. Indicators may include, but are not limited to, a significant lease restructuring or early lease termination, significant change in aircraft model’s storage levels, the introduction of newer technology aircraft or engines, an aircraft type is no longer in production or a significant airworthiness directive is issued. When we perform a recoverability assessment, we measure whether the estimated future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the aircraft exceed its net book value. The undiscounted cash flows consist of cash flows from currently contracted lease rental and maintenance payments, future projected lease rates, transition costs, estimated down time, estimated residual or scrap values for an aircraft, economic conditions and other factors. In the event that an aircraft does not meet the recoverability test, the aircraft will be adjusted to fair value, resulting in an impairment charge. See Note 2 — Fair Value Measurements.

Management develops the assumptions used in the recoverability analysis based on current and future expectations of the global demand for a particular aircraft type and historical experience in the aircraft leasing market and aviation industry, as well as information received from third party industry sources. The factors considered in estimating the undiscounted cash flows are impacted by changes in future periods due to changes in projected lease rental and maintenance payments, residual values, economic conditions, technology, airline demand for a particular aircraft type and other factors.

In monitoring the aircraft in our fleet for impairment charges, we identify those aircraft that are most susceptible to failing the recoverability assessment and monitor those aircraft more closely, which may result in more frequent recoverability assessments. The recoverability in the value of these aircraft is more sensitive to changes in contractual cash flows, future cash flow estimates and residual values or scrap values for each aircraft. These are typically older aircraft for which lessee demand is declining.

Net Investment in Finance Leases

Net Investment in Finance and Sales-Type Leases

If a lease meets specific criteria at the inception or at any lease modification date, we recognize the lease as a Net investment in finance and sales-type leases on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. For sales-type leases, we recognize the difference between the net book value of the aircraft and the Net investment in finance and sales-type leases as a gain or loss on sale of fight equipment, less any initial direct costs and lease incentives. The Net investment in finance and sales-type leases consists of lease receivables, less the unearned income, plus the estimated unguaranteed residual value of the leased flight equipment at the lease end date. The unearned income is recognized as Finance and sales-type lease revenue in our Consolidated Statements of Income over the lease term in a manner that produces a constant rate of return on the Net investment in finance and sales-type leases.

Collectability of finance and sales-type leases is evaluated periodically on an individual customer level. The evaluation of the collectability of the finance and sales-type leases considers the credit of the lessee and the value of the underlying aircraft. An allowance for credit losses is established if there is evidence that we will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the original contractual terms of the Net investment in finance and sales-type leases. At December 31, 2016, we had no allowance for credit losses for our Net investment in finance and sales-type leases. When collectability is not reasonably assured, the customer is placed on non-accrual status, and revenue is recognized when cash payments are received.

Unconsolidated Equity Method Investment

Aircastle accounts for its interest in an unconsolidated joint venture using the equity method as we do not control the joint venture entity. Under the equity method, the investment is initially recorded at cost and the carrying amount is affected by its share of the unconsolidated joint venture’s undistributed earnings and losses, and distributions of dividends and capital.

Security Deposits

Most of our operating leases require the lessee to pay Aircastle a security deposit or provide a letter of credit. Security deposits represent cash received from the lessee that is held on deposit until lease expiration. Aircastle’s operating leases also obligate the lessees to maintain flight equipment and comply with all governmental requirements applicable to the flight equipment, including without limitation, operational, maintenance, registration requirements and airworthiness directives.

Maintenance Payments

Typically, under an operating lease, the lessee is responsible for performing all maintenance but might be required to make payments to us for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components of the aircraft. These maintenance payments are based on hours or cycles of utilization or on calendar time, depending upon the component, and are required to be made monthly in arrears or at the end of the lease term. Whether to permit a lessee to make maintenance payments at the end of the lease term, rather than requiring such payments to be made monthly, depends on a variety of factors, including the creditworthiness of the lessee, the level of security deposit which may be provided by the lessee and market conditions at the time we enter into the lease. If a lease requires monthly maintenance payments, we would typically be obligated to reimburse the lessee for costs they incur for heavy maintenance, overhaul or replacement of certain high-value components to the extent of maintenance payments received in respect of the specific maintenance event, usually shortly following completion of the relevant work. If a lease requires end of lease term maintenance payments, typically the lessee would be required to pay us for its utilization of the aircraft during the lease; however, in some cases, we may owe a net payment to the lessee in the event heavy maintenance is performed and paid for by the lessee during the lease term and the aircraft is returned to us in better condition that at lease inception.

We record monthly maintenance payments by the lessee as accrued maintenance payments liabilities in recognition of our contractual commitment to refund such receipts. In these contracts, we do not recognize such maintenance payments as maintenance revenue during the lease. Reimbursements to the lessee upon the receipt of evidence of qualifying maintenance work are charged against the existing accrued maintenance payments liability. We currently defer maintenance revenue recognition of all monthly maintenance payments collected until the end of the lease, when we are able to determine the amount, if any, by which the monthly maintenance payments received from a lessee exceed costs to be incurred by that lessee in performing heavy maintenance. End of lease term maintenance payments made to us are recognized as maintenance revenue, and end of lease term maintenance payments we make to a lessee are recorded as contra maintenance revenue.

Income Taxes

Aircastle uses an asset and liability based approach in accounting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributed to differences between the financial statement and tax basis of existing assets and liabilities using enacted rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. A valuation allowance is established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount estimated by us to be realizable. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities. We did not have any unrecognized tax benefits.

Lease Revenue Recognition

We lease flight equipment under net operating leases with lease terms typically ranging from three to seven years. We generally do not offer renewal terms or purchase options in our leases, although certain of our operating leases allow the lessee the option to extend the lease for an additional term. Operating leases with fixed rentals and step rentals are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the initial lease, assuming no renewals. Operating lease rentals that adjust based on a London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) index are recognized on a straight-line basis over the period the rentals are fixed and accruable. Revenue is not recognized when collection is not reasonably assured. When collectability is not reasonably assured, the customer is placed on non-accrual status, and revenue is recognized when cash payments are received.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income consists of net income and other gains and losses, net of income taxes, if any, affecting shareholders’ equity that, under U.S. GAAP, are excluded from net income.

Share Based Compensation

Share-Based Compensation

Aircastle recognizes compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions in the financial statements based on the fair value of the equity instruments issued. Aircastle uses the straight-line method of accounting for compensation cost on share-based payment awards that contain pro-rata vesting provisions.

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred financing costs, which are included in borrowings from secured and unsecured financings, net of debt issuance costs, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, are amortized using the interest method for amortizing loans over the lives of the relevant related debt.

Recent Unadopted Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842 (“ASC 842”), “Leases,” which replaced the existing guidance in ASC 840, Leases. The accounting for leases by lessors basically remained unchanged from the concepts that existed in ASC 840 accounting. The FASB decided that lessors would be precluded from recognizing selling profit and revenue at lease commencement for any sales-type or direct finance lease that does not transfer control of the underlying asset to the lessee. This requirement aligns the notion of what constitutes a sale in the lessor accounting guidance with that in the forthcoming revenue recognition standard, which evaluates whether a sale has occurred from the customer’s perspective. The standard will be effective for public entities beginning after December 15, 2018. The standard is applied on a modified retrospective approach. We plan to adopt the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2019. We are evaluating the impact that ASC 842 will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. We do not believe that the adoption of the standard will significantly impact our existing or potential lessees' economic decisions to lease aircraft.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard affects entities holding financial assets and net investment in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through net income. The amendments affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off-balance-sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope that have the contractual right to receive cash. The update is applied on a modified retrospective approach. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted as early as the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We are in the process of determining the impact the standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The standard clarifies how entities should classify certain cash receipts and cash payments on the statement of cash flows. The guidance also clarifies how the predominance principle should be applied when cash receipts and cash payments have aspects of more than one class of cash flows. The update should be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are in the process of determining the impact the standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Restricted Cash. The standard requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The update should be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are in the process of determining the impact the standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

On May 28, 2014, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (the “IASB”) (collectively, “the Boards”), jointly issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and related updates. Lease contracts within the scope of ASC 840, Leases, are specifically excluded from ASU No. 2014-09. The standard’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard is effective for public entities beginning after December 15, 2017. The standard allows for either “full retrospective” adoption, meaning the standard is applied to all of the periods presented, or “modified retrospective” adoption, meaning the standard is applied only to the most current period presented in the financial statements. We plan to adopt the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018. The standard does not impact the accounting of our lease revenue, but may impact the accounting of our other revenue and other income. While we are still performing our analysis, we do not expect the impact of this standard to be material to our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.