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Debt
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
DEBT DEBT
(In millions)Maturity DatesInterest Rate(s) at December 31, 2023At December 31,
20232022
Aircraft notes (a)202420362.70 %7.35 %$12,508 $12,262 
MileagePlus Senior Secured Notes
20276.50 %2,660 3,420 
MileagePlus Term Loan Facility (b)
202710.77 %2,100 2,700 
2026 and 2029 Notes202620294.38 %4.63 %4,000 4,000 
2021 Term Loans (b)
20289.22 %3,870 4,913 
Unsecured
Notes202420254.88 %5.00 %596 596 
PSP Notes (c)203020311.00 %3,181 3,181 
Other unsecured debt202420290.00 %5.75 %437 508 
29,352 31,580 
Less: unamortized debt discount, premiums and debt issuance costs (277)(386)
Less: current portion of long-term debt(4,018)(2,911)
Long-term debt, net$25,057 $28,283 
(a)Financing includes variable rate debt based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") (or another index rate), generally subject to a floor, plus a specified margin of 0.49% to 2.25%.
(b)Financing includes variable rate debt based on SOFR (or another index rate), subject to a floor, plus a specified margin of 3.75% to 5.25%.
(c)The PSP Notes include $1.5 billion of indebtedness evidenced by a 10-year senior unsecured promissory note with Treasury provided under the PSP of the CARES Act ("PSP1"), $0.9 billion of indebtedness evidenced by a 10-year senior unsecured promissory note issued to Treasury pursuant to Payroll Support Program Extension Agreements under the CARES Act ("PSP2") and $0.8 billion of indebtedness evidenced by a 10-year senior unsecured promissory note issued to Treasury pursuant to the Payroll Support Program established under Section 7301 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ("PSP3"). These PSP Notes have a rate of 1.00% in years 1 through 5, and a rate of the SOFR plus 2.00% in years 6 through 10.
The table below presents the Company's contractual principal payments (not including debt discount or debt issuance costs) at December 31, 2023 under then-outstanding long-term debt agreements in each of the next five calendar years (in millions):
2024$4,018 
20253,452 
20265,245 
20272,475 
20285,306 
After 20288,856 
$29,352 
Equipment Notes. On June 20, 2023, the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as subordination agent and pass through trustee (the "Trustee") under a certain pass through trust newly formed by the Company, entered into the Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2023 (the "Note Purchase Agreement"). The Note Purchase Agreement provides for the issuance by the Company of equipment notes (the "Equipment Notes") in the aggregate principal amount of $1.3 billion to finance 39 Boeing aircraft delivered new to the Company from August 2022 to May 2023. Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, the Trustee purchased Equipment Notes issued under a trust indenture and mortgage (each, an "Indenture" and, collectively, the "Indentures") with respect to each aircraft entered into by the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as mortgagee. Each Indenture provides for the issuance of Equipment Notes in a single series, Series A, bearing interest at the rate of 5.80% per annum. The Equipment Notes were purchased by the Trustee, using the proceeds from the sale of Pass Through Certificates, Series 2023-1A, issued by a pass through trust newly-formed by the Company to facilitate the financing of the aircraft. The interest on the Equipment Notes is payable semi-annually on each January 15 and July 15, beginning on January 15, 2024. The principal payments on the Equipment Notes are scheduled on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on July 15, 2024. The final payments on the Equipment Notes will be due on January 15, 2036. These Equipment Notes are reflected as part of Aircraft notes in the table above.
In addition to the Equipment Notes described above, United borrowed $0.4 billion aggregate principal amounts from various financial institutions to finance the purchase of aircraft. The notes evidencing these borrowings, which are secured by the related aircraft, mature in 2035 and have variable interest rates ranging from 7.31% to 7.35% at December 31, 2023.
In 2023, United prepaid $1.0 billion of the outstanding principal amount under the 2021 Term Loan Facility (as defined below). See Note 13 for information related to charges recorded as a result of this prepayment.
In 2021, United entered into a new Term Loan Credit and Guaranty Agreement (the "2021 Term Loan Facility") initially providing term loans (the "2021 Term Loans") up to an aggregate amount of $5.0 billion and a new Revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement (the "2021 Revolving Credit Facility" and, together with the 2021 Term Loan Facility, the "2021 Loan Facilities") initially providing revolving loan commitments of up to $1.75 billion. As of December 31, 2023, we had $1.75 billion undrawn and available under our revolving credit facility. On February 15, 2024, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement (the "Revolving Credit Facility") amending its 2021 Revolving Credit Facility increasing the borrowing capacity by $1.115 billion, which may be drawn upon until February 15, 2029, in the case of any Revolving Loans (as defined in the Revolving Credit Facility) made by the Extending Lenders (as defined in the Revolving Credit Facility), and April 21, 2025, in the case of any Revolving Loans made by the 2024 Non-Extending Lenders (as defined in the Revolving Credit Facility). The revolving loan commitments of the Extending Lenders equal $2.7 billion and the revolving loan commitments of the 2024 Non-Extending Lenders equal $165 million. The Revolving Loans, if any, will bear interest at a variable rate equal to Term SOFR (as defined in the Revolving Credit Facility), generally subject to a floor, plus a credit adjustment spread described in the Revolving Credit Facility, or, at United's election, another rate based on certain market interest rates, also generally subject to a floor, in each case plus a variable margin ranging from 3.00% to 3.50%, in the case of Term SOFR loans, and 2.00% to 2.50%, in the case of loans at other market rates.
On February 22, 2024, the Company also entered into Amendment No. 2 to Term Loan Credit and Guaranty Agreement (as amended, the "Term Loan Facility" and, together with the Revolving Credit Facility, the "Loan Facilities") and (i) used available cash in an amount equal to $1.37 billion to partially prepay the term loans under the 2021 Term Loans and (ii) borrowed the entire term loan commitment available under the Term Loan Facility in an amount equal to $2.5 billion and used the proceeds of such terms loans (the "Term Loans") to prepay in full the remaining outstanding principal balance under the Existing Term Loan Facility. The Term Loans will bear interest at a variable rate equal to Term SOFR (subject to a floor of 0.0%); or, at United's election, another rate based on certain market interest rates (subject to a floor of 1.0%), in each case plus a margin of 2.75%, in the case of Term SOFR loans, and 1.75%, in the case of loans at other market rates. The remaining balance of the Term Loans will be due and payable on its maturity date on February 22, 2031.
The Loan Facilities are secured on a senior basis by continuing security interests granted by United to the Collateral Trustee for the benefit of the lenders under the Loan Facilities, among other parties, on the following (the "Collateral"), subject to certain exclusions: (i) all of United's route authorities granted by the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate scheduled service between any international airport located in the United States and any international airport located in any country other than the United States (except Cuba), (ii) United's rights to substantially all of its landing and take-off slots at foreign and domestic airports, including at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and (iii) United's rights to use or occupy space at airport terminals, each to the extent necessary at the relevant time for servicing scheduled air carrier service authorized by an applicable route authority. The Collateral securing the Loan Facilities also presently secures on a senior basis the 2026 and 2029 Notes.
Our debt agreements contain customary terms and conditions as well as various affirmative, negative and financial covenants that, among other things, restrict the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness and pay dividends or repurchase stock. As of December 31, 2023, the Company was in compliance with its debt covenants. The collateral, covenants and cross default provisions of the Company's principal debt instruments that contain such provisions are summarized in the table below:
Debt InstrumentCollateral, Covenants and Cross Default Provisions
Aircraft notes and other notes payableSecured by certain aircraft, spare engines and spare parts. The indentures contain events of default that are customary for aircraft financings, including in certain cases cross default to other related aircraft.
2021 Loan Facilities
Secured on a senior basis by security interests granted by the Company to the collateral trustee for the benefit of the lenders under the 2021 Loan Facilities, among other parties, on the following: (i) all of the Company's route authorities granted by the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate scheduled service between any international airport located in the United States and any international airport located in any country other than the United States (except Cuba), (ii) the Company's rights to substantially all of its landing and take-off slots at foreign and domestic airports, including at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (subject to certain exclusions), and (iii) the Company's rights to use or occupy space at airport terminals, each to the extent necessary at the relevant time for servicing scheduled air carrier service authorized by an applicable route authority.
The 2021 Loan Facilities contain negative covenants that, among other things, limit our ability under certain circumstances to create liens on the collateral, make certain dividends, conduct stock repurchases, make certain restricted investments and other restricted payments, and consolidate, merge, sell, or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets. The 2021 Loan Facilities also contain financial covenants that require the Company to maintain at least $2.0 billion of unrestricted liquidity at all times, which includes unrestricted cash, short-term investments and any undrawn amounts under any revolving credit facility, and to maintain a minimum ratio of appraised value of collateral to the outstanding debt secured by such collateral (including under the 2021 Loan Facilities) of 1.6 to 1.0, tested semi-annually.
The 2021 Loan Facilities contain events of default customary for similar financings, including a cross-payment default and cross-acceleration to other material indebtedness.
2026 and 2029 Notes
The 2026 and 2029 Notes are secured on a senior basis by security interests granted by the Company to the collateral trustee for the benefit of the holders of the 2026 and 2029 Notes, among other parties, on the following: (i) all of the Company's route authorities granted by the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate scheduled service between any international airport located in the United States and any international airport located in any country other than the United States (except Cuba), (ii) the Company's rights to substantially all of its landing and take-off slots at foreign and domestic airports, including at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (subject to certain exclusions), and (iii) the Company's rights to use or occupy space at airport terminals, each to the extent necessary at the relevant time for servicing scheduled air carrier service authorized by an applicable route authority.
The indenture for these 2026 and 2029 Notes contains covenants that, among other things, limit our ability under certain circumstances to create liens on the collateral, make certain dividends, stock repurchases, restricted investments and other restricted payments, and consolidate, merge, sell, or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets. The indenture also contains a financial covenant that requires UAL to pay special interest in an additional amount equal to 2.0% per year of the principal amount of the 2026 and 2029 Notes for so long as it is unable to demonstrate that it maintains a minimum ratio of appraised value of collateral to the outstanding debt secured by such collateral (including the 2026 and 2029 Notes) of 1.6 to 1.0, tested semi-annually.
The indenture contains events of default customary for similar financings, including a cross-payment default and cross-acceleration to other material indebtedness.
MileagePlus Senior Secured Notes and MileagePlus Term Loan Facility
Secured by first-priority security interests in substantially all of the assets of the Issuers, other than excluded property and subject to certain permitted liens, including security interests in specified cash accounts that include the accounts into which MileagePlus revenues are or will be paid by the Company's marketing partners and by the Company.
PSP Notes
The PSP Notes represent senior unsecured indebtedness of UAL. The PSP Notes are guaranteed by United. If any subsidiary of UAL (other than United) becomes, or is required to become, an obligor on unsecured indebtedness of UAL or any of its subsidiaries with a principal balance in excess of a specified amount, then such subsidiary shall be required to guarantee the obligations of the Company under the PSP Notes.
Pursuant to the PSP Agreements, the Company and its affiliates will be required to comply with certain provisions including, among others, audit and reporting requirements and provisions restricting the payment of certain executive compensation until April 1, 2023.
Unsecured notes
The indentures for these notes contain covenants that, among other things, restrict the ability of the Company and its restricted subsidiaries (as defined in the indentures) to incur additional indebtedness and make certain dividends, stock repurchases, restricted investments and other restricted payments.