Investments in Other Companies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Investments in Other Companies

Investments in Other Companies

(11) Investments in Other Companies

Equity Method Investments

During 2019, the Company created a joint venture with Regional One, Inc. and, as of March 31, 2024, has invested a total of $26.6 million for an ownership interest in Aero Engines, LLC. (“Aero Engines”). The primary purpose of Aero Engines is to lease engines to third parties. The Company accounts for its investment in Aero Engines under the equity method. The Company’s exposure in its investment in Aero Engines primarily consists of the Company’s portion of income or loss from Aero Engines’ engine lease agreements with third parties and the Company’s ownership percentage in Aero Engines’ engines book value. Aero Engines had no debt outstanding as of March 31, 2024. As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s investment balance in Aero Engines was $25.3 million and has been recorded in “Other Assets” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. The Company’s portion of income generated by Aero Engines for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $0.2 million, which is recorded in “Other income (loss), net” on the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

In December 2023, the Company invested $9.9 million for a 9.9% ownership interest in Corporate Flight Management, Inc. d/b/a Contour Airlines (“Contour”), a 14 CFR Part 135 air carrier. In January 2024, the Company invested an additional $15.1 million in Contour. The Company has a 25% ownership interest in Contour at March 31, 2024 and holds one of five seats, or 20%, on Contour’s board of directors. The Contour arrangement also includes an asset provisioning agreement under which the Company will provide CRJ airframes, engines and rotable parts to Contour. The Company accounts for its investment in Contour under the equity method where the investment is reported at cost and adjusted each period for the Company’s share of Contour’s income or loss, recorded on a one quarter lag. Accordingly, for the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company recorded a loss of less than $0.1 million, its portion of loss generated by Contour during the fourth quarter of 2023, which was recorded in “Other income (loss), net” on the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income. As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s investment balance in Contour of $25.0 million was recorded in “Other Assets” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. At March 31, 2024, the Company had $14.0 million in notes receivable from Contour related to the sale of aircraft under the asset provisioning agreement. The notes are secured by aircraft and collectible within four years.

The Company assesses investments for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an investment may not be recoverable.

Fair Value Method Investments

In 2021, the Company entered into a strategic partnership with Eve UAM, LLC (“Eve UAM”), to develop a network of deployment for Eve UAM’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft.

In 2022, the Company acquired 1,000,000 shares of common stock of Eve Holding, Inc. (“Eve”) and a warrant giving the Company the right to acquire 1,500,000 shares of common stock of Eve at an exercise price of $0.01 per share. The Company also received a put option from an Eve shareholder for the 1,000,000 shares of common stock of Eve payable in aircraft parts credits. The intent of the put option is to reduce the Company’s investment risk in Eve, and the put option expires in December 2031. The Company is restricted from selling the shares underlying the warrant until May 2025, and the warrant expires in May 2032. The Company acquired the shares of common stock, warrant and put option (collectively the “Eve Investments”) for $10.0 million. The Company evaluated the Eve Investments under ASC Topic 321, “Investments – Equity Securities” and ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging,” and recorded the Eve Investments based on their pro rata share of the consideration paid using the fair value of the Eve Investments on the acquisition date, with subsequent changes in the fair value reported in earnings. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold 600,411 shares of common stock of Eve, which concurrently forfeited the 600,411 shares subject to the put option from the Eve shareholder.

The shares of common stock of Eve are classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy as Eve stock is actively traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and the value is determined using quoted market prices for the equity security. The warrant and put option are classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy (“Eve Level 3 Investments”), and the Company used the Black Scholes Option Pricing Model to determine the estimated fair market value of the Eve Level 3 Investments, including an expected volatility of 52%, which is a significant unobservable input that was derived from historical volatility of comparable companies.

The table below shows the reconciliation of the Eve Level 3 Investments (in thousands):

Eve Level 3 Investments:
Balance at December 31, 2023	$	12,477
Unrealized loss		(2,731)
Balance at March 31, 2024	$	9,746

The Company recognized unrealized losses of $3.5 million in “Other income (loss), net” on the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2024, related to the Eve Investments. As of March 31, 2024, the fair value of the Eve Investments was $11.9 million and was recorded in “Other Assets” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.