GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND RESTRUCTURING

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Government Grant Recognition. Under the initial payroll support program under the CARES Act and the payroll support program ("PSP") extensions we received support payments which included $4.5 billion and $3.9 billion of grants during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. These grants were recognized in government grant recognition in our income statement over the periods that the funds were intended to compensate. PSP1 grants were recognized during 2020 and grants received from PSP2 and PSP3 were recognized during 2021. See Note 6, "Debt," and Note 12, "Equity and Equity Compensation," for additional information on other aspects of the payroll support program.

Restructuring Charges. As a result of the unprecedented, widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for travel declined at a rapid pace in the March 2020 quarter and remained depressed throughout 2020, which had a materially adverse impact on our results of operations and financial position. During 2020, we implemented enhanced measures focusing on the safety of our customers and employees, while at the same time seeking to mitigate the impact on our financial position and operations and to position our business for recovery through actions including fleet retirements, offering voluntary retirement and separation programs and other decisions. These actions resulted in significant restructuring charges during the year ended December 31, 2020. Subsequent to these charges, we recorded adjustments to certain of these restructuring charges during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, representing changes in our estimates or the outcome of contract negotiations. These charges and adjustments are summarized as follows:


Restructuring charges by category
	Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)	2022		2021		2020

Fleet retirements	$	(48)	$	40	$	4,409
Voluntary programs and other employee benefit charges	(79)		(17)		3,409
Receivables and other	3		(42)		401
Total restructuring charges	$	(124)	$	(19)	$	8,219

Fleet Retirements. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and our response, we made decisions to remove certain aircraft from active service and to early retire certain fleet types. These actions resulted in $4.4 billion of impairment and other related charges that were recorded in restructuring charges in our income statement for the year ended December 31, 2020.

These charges were calculated using Level 3 fair value inputs based primarily upon recent market transactions and third-party bids, which were corroborated with published pricing guides and our assessment of existing market conditions based on industry knowledge. Following the impairment charges, the aggregate net book value of these aircraft as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 was approximately $220 million and $340 million, respectively, with the reduction in 2022 primarily due to aircraft sales.

Voluntary Programs and Other Employee Benefit Charges. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we announced the voluntary programs, which primarily applied to eligible U.S. merit, ground and flight attendant and pilot employees. During 2020, 18,000 employees elected to participate and were eligible for separation payments, continued healthcare benefits and certain participants received retiree medical accounts. We recorded $3.4 billion in restructuring charges in our income statement associated with these programs and other employee benefit charges during 2020, including $1.3 billion of special termination benefits (see Note 9, "Employee Benefit Plans"). The remainder of the restructuring charge primarily relates to separation payments and healthcare benefits. Approximately $440 million, $575 million and $720 million was disbursed in cash payments to participants in the voluntary programs during 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. An additional $250 million of cash payments were disbursed during 2020 related to unused vacation and other benefits, which were accrued prior to the voluntary programs charge. Other than the special termination benefits that are recorded in pension, postretirement and related benefits, the remaining accruals as of December 31, 2022 related to separation payments under the voluntary programs are recorded in other accrued liabilities on our balance sheet.

Receivables and Other. Based on our assessment of collectability, during the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded approximately $100 million of reserves against outstanding receivables from LATAM, Grupo Aeroméxico, GOL, Virgin Atlantic and others. Following LATAM's and Grupo Aeroméxico's emergence from their respective bankruptcy processes and general improvement overall in the airline industry, these reserves were $7 million as of December 31, 2022.