Summary of Financial Statement Preparation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Plans, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Pension and Post-Retirement Benefits

The funded status of the Company's defined benefits pension or post-retirement health care plan is the difference between the fair value of plan assets and the accumulated benefit obligations to plan participants. The over funded or underfunded status of a plan is reflected in the consolidated balance sheet as an asset for over funded plans, or as a liability for underfunded plans.

The funded status is ordinarily remeasured annually at year end using the fair value of plans assets, market based discount rates and actuarial assumptions. Changes in the funded status of the plans as a result of remeasuring plan assets and benefit obligations, are recorded to accumulated comprehensive loss and amortized into operating expense using a corridor approach. The Company's corridor approach amortizes variances in plan assets and benefit obligations that are a result of the previous measurement assumptions into earnings when the net deferred variances exceed 10% of the greater of the market value of plan assets or the benefit obligation at the beginning of the year. The amount in excess of the corridor is amortized over the average remaining service period to retirement date of active plan participants. Costs adjustments for plan amendments are also deferred and amortized over the expected working life or the life expectancy of plan participants.

Security and Maintenance Deposits [Table Text Block]

Security and Maintenance Deposits

The Company's customer leases typically obligate the lessee to maintain the Company's aircraft in compliance with regulatory standards for flight and aircraft maintenance. The Company may require an aircraft lessee to pay a security deposit or provide a letter of credit until the expiration of the lease. Additionally, the Company's leases may require a lessee to make monthly payments toward future expenditures for scheduled heavy maintenance events. The Company records security and maintenance deposits in other liabilities. If a lease requires monthly maintenance payments, the Company is typically required to reimburse the lessee for costs they incur for scheduled heavy maintenance events after completion of the work and receipt of qualifying documentation. Reimbursements to the lessee are recorded against the previously paid maintenance deposits.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Air Transport Services Group, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Investments in an affiliate in which the Company has significant influence but does not exercise control are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Using the equity method, the Company’s share of a nonconsolidated affiliate's income or loss is recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings and cumulative post-acquisition changes in the investment are adjusted against the carrying amount of the investment. Inter-company balances and transactions are eliminated. The financial statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP").

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements. Estimates and assumptions are used to record allowances for uncollectible amounts, self-insurance reserves, spare parts inventory, depreciation and impairments of property, equipment, goodwill and intangibles, stock warrants, post-retirement obligations, income taxes, contingencies and litigation. Changes in estimates and assumptions may have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company classifies short-term, highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase as cash and cash equivalents. These investments, consisting of money market funds, are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value. Substantially all deposits of the Company’s cash are held in accounts that exceed federally insured limits. The Company deposits cash in common financial institutions which management believes are financially sound.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts

The Company's accounts receivable is primarily due from its significant customers (see Note B), other airlines, the U.S. Postal Services ("USPS"), delivery companies and freight forwarders. The Company performs a quarterly evaluation of the accounts receivable and the allowance for uncollectible accounts by reviewing specific customers' recent payment history, growth prospects, financial condition and other factors that may impact a customer's ability to pay. The Company establishes an allowance for uncollectible accounts for probable losses due to a customer's potential inability or unwillingness to make contractual payments. Account balances are written off against the allowance when the Company ceases collection efforts.

Inventory

The Company’s inventory is comprised primarily of expendable aircraft parts and supplies used for aircraft maintenance. Inventory is generally charged to expense when issued for use on a Company aircraft. The Company values its inventory of aircraft parts and supplies at weighted-average cost and maintains a related obsolescence reserve. The Company records an obsolescence reserve on a base stock of inventory for each fleet type. The amortization of base stock for the obsolescence reserve corresponds to the expected life of each fleet type. Additionally, the Company monitors the usage rates of inventory parts and segregates parts that are technologically outdated or no longer used in its fleet types. Slow moving and segregated items are actively marketed and written down to their estimated net realizable values based on market conditions.

Management analyzes the inventory reserve for reasonableness at the end of each quarter. That analysis includes consideration of the expected fleet life, amounts expected to be on hand at the end of a fleet life, and recent events and conditions that may impact the usability or value of inventory. Events or conditions that may impact the expected life, usability or net realizable value of inventory include additional aircraft maintenance directives from the FAA, changes in DOT regulations, new environmental laws and technological advances.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

The Company assesses, during the fourth quarter of each year, the carrying value of goodwill. The first step of the assessment is the estimation of fair value of each reporting unit, which is compared to the carrying value. If step one indicates that impairment potentially exists, a second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment, if any. Goodwill impairment exists when the implied fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying value. The Company also conducts impairment assessments of goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets and finite-lived intangible assets whenever events or changes in circumstance indicate an impairment may have occurred. Finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful economic lives.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment held for use is stated at cost, net of any impairment recorded. The cost and accumulated depreciation of disposed property and equipment are removed from the accounts with any related gain or loss reflected in earnings from operations.

Depreciation of property and equipment is provided on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the asset’s useful life or lease term. Depreciable lives are summarized as follows:



Boeing 767 and 757 aircraft and flight equipment	10 to 18 years
Ground equipment	3 to 10 years
Leasehold improvements, facilities and office equipment	3 to 25 years

The Company periodically evaluates the useful lives, salvage values and fair values of property and equipment. Acceleration of depreciation expense or the recording of significant impairment losses could result from changes in the estimated useful lives of assets due to a number of reasons, such as excess aircraft capacity or changes in regulations governing the use of aircraft.

Aircraft and other long-lived assets are tested for impairment when circumstances indicate the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. To conduct impairment testing, the Company groups assets and liabilities at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of cash flows of other assets and liabilities. For assets that are to be held and used, impairment is recognized when the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset group is less than the carrying value. If impairment exists, an adjustment is made to write the assets down to fair value, and a loss is recorded as the difference between the carrying value and fair value. Fair values are determined considering quoted market values, discounted cash flows or internal and external appraisals, as applicable. For assets held for sale, impairment is recognized when the fair value less the cost to sell the asset is less than the carrying value.

The Company’s accounting policy for major airframe and engine maintenance varies by subsidiary and aircraft type. The costs for ABX's Boeing 767-200 airframe maintenance, which is the majority of the Company's aircraft fleet, are expensed as they are incurred. The costs of major airframe maintenance for the Company's other aircraft are capitalized and amortized over the useful life of the overhaul. Many of the Company's General Electric CF6 engines that power the Boeing 767-200 aircraft are maintained under “power by the hour” and "power by the cycle" agreements with an engine maintenance provider. Under these agreements, the engines are maintained by the service provider for a fixed fee per flight hour and cycle; accordingly, the cost of engine maintenance is generally expensed as flights occur. Maintenance for the airlines’ other aircraft engines, including Boeing 767-300 and Boeing 757 aircraft, are typically contracted to service providers on a time and material basis and the costs of those engine overhauls are capitalized and amortized over the useful life of the overhaul.

In the event the Company leases aircraft from external lessors, the Company may be required to make periodic payments to the lessor under certain aircraft leases for future maintenance events such as engine overhauls and major airframe maintenance. Such payments are recorded as deposits until drawn for qualifying maintenance costs. The maintenance costs are expensed or capitalized in accordance with the airline's accounting policy for major airframe and engine maintenance. The Company evaluates at the balance sheet date, whether it is probable that an amount on deposit will be returned by the lessor to reimburse the costs of the maintenance activities. When an amount on deposit is less than probable of being returned, it is recognized as additional maintenance expense.

Capitalized Interest

Interest costs incurred while aircraft are being modified are capitalized as an additional cost of the aircraft until the date the asset is placed in service.

Discontinued Operations

A business component whose operations are discontinued is reported as discontinued operations if the cash flows of the component have been eliminated from the ongoing operations of the Company and represents a strategic shift that had a major impact on the Company. The results of discontinued operations are aggregated and presented separately in the consolidated statements of operations.

Self-Insurance

The Company is self-insured for certain workers’ compensation, employee healthcare, automobile, aircraft, and general liability claims. The Company maintains excess claim coverage with common insurance carriers to mitigate its exposure to large claim losses. The Company records a liability for reported claims and an estimate for incurred claims that have not yet been reported. Accruals for these claims are estimated utilizing historical paid claims data and recent claims trends. Other liabilities included $18.7 million and $23.3 million at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, for self-insured reserves. Changes in claim severity and frequency could result in actual claims being materially different than the costs accrued.

Income Taxes

Income taxes have been computed using the asset and liability method, under which deferred income taxes are provided for the temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of the Company’s assets and liabilities. Deferred taxes are measured using provisions of currently enacted tax laws. A valuation allowance against net deferred tax assets is recorded when it is more likely than not that such assets will not be fully realized. Tax credits are accounted for as a reduction of income taxes in the year in which the credit originates. All deferred income taxes are classified as noncurrent in the statement of financial position.

The Company recognizes the benefit of a tax position taken on a tax return, if that position is more likely than not of being sustained on audit, based on the technical merits of the position. An uncertain income tax position is not recognized if it has a less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained. The Company recognizes interest and penalties accrued related to uncertain tax positions in operating expense.

Purchase of Common Stock [Policy Text Block]

Purchase of Common Stock

The Company's Board of Directors has authorized management to repurchase outstanding common stock of the Company from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The authorization does not require the Company to repurchase a specific number of shares and the Company may terminate the repurchase program at any time. Upon the retirement of common stock repurchased, the excess purchase price over the par value for retired shares of common stock is recorded to additional paid-in-capital.

Issuance of Stock Warrants [Policy Text Block]

Stock Warrants

The Company’s accounting for warrants issued to a lessee is determined in accordance with the financial reporting guidance for equity-based payments to non-employees and for financial instruments. The warrants issued to lessee are recorded as a lease incentive asset using their fair value at the time that the lessee has met its performance obligation. The lease incentive is amortized against revenues over the duration of related aircraft leases. The unexercised warrants are classified in liabilities and remeasured to fair value at the end of each reporting period, resulting in a non-operating gain or loss.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income includes net earnings and other comprehensive income or loss. Other comprehensive income or loss results from certain changes in the Company’s liabilities for pension and other post retirement benefits, gains and losses associated with interest rate hedging instruments and fluctuations in currency exchange rates related to the foreign affiliate.

Fair Value Information

Assets or liabilities that are required to be measured at fair value are reported using the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. FASB ASC Topic 820-10 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures establishes three levels of input that may be used to measure fair value:


•	Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.


•	Level 2: Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.


•	Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. Level 3 assets and liabilities include items where the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.

Revenue Recognition

Aircraft lease revenues are recognized as operating lease revenues on a straight-line basis over the term of the applicable lease agreements. Revenues generated from airline service agreements are typically recognized based on hours flown or the amount of aircraft and crew resources provided during a reporting period. Certain agreements include provisions for incentive payments based upon on-time reliability. These incentives are typically measured on a monthly basis and recorded to revenue in the corresponding month earned. Revenues for operating expenses that are reimbursed through airline service agreements, including consumption of aircraft fuel, are generally recognized as the costs are incurred. Revenues from charter service agreements are recognized on scheduled and non-scheduled flights when the specific flight has been completed. Revenues from the sale of aircraft parts and engines are recognized when the parts are delivered. Revenues earned and expenses incurred in providing aircraft-related maintenance, repair or technical services are recognized in the period in which the services are completed and delivered to the customer. Revenues derived from sorting parcels are recognized in the reporting period in which the services are performed. Revenue is not recognized until collectibility is reasonably assured.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-09, "Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting," (“ASU 2016-09”) which addresses several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-9 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and earlier adoption is permitted. The new standard requires that an entity recognize all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement as discrete items in the reporting period in which they occur. Under the previous standard, excess tax benefits are recognized in additional paid-in capital and tax deficiencies are recognized either as an offset to accumulated excess tax benefits, or in the income statement.

The Company elected to early adopt this standard in the quarter ended March 31, 2016. The impact of the early adoption resulted in the Company recording a tax benefit of $0.7 million within income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2016 related to the excess tax benefit on stock incentive awards that settled during the quarter ended March 31, 2016. The tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2016 was $1.2 million. Prior to adoption of ASU 2016-09, this amount would have been recorded as an increase of additional paid-in capital. The tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2015 would have been $0.8 million.

The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur. Under ASU 2016-09, excess tax benefits related to employee share-based payments are not reclassified from operating activities to financing activities in the statement of cash flows. The Company applied the effect of ASU 2016-09 to the presentation of excess tax benefits in the statement of cash flows, prospectively. Under ASU 2016-09, cash paid when withholding shares for tax withholding purposes are classified as a financing activity in the statement of cash flows. The Company has applied the effect of this change on prior period statements of cash flows retrospectively. The Company excluded the excess tax benefits from the assumed proceeds available to repurchase shares in the computation of our diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2016. This increased the diluted weighted average common shares outstanding by 141,364 shares.

In May 2014, FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2014-09”). In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers, Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing" clarify the accounting under ASU 2014-09 for licenses of intellectual property and for identifying distinct performance obligations in a contract.

ASU 2014-09 is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with earlier adoption permitted for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. ASU 2014-09 may be applied using either a full retrospective approach, under which all years included in the financial statements will be presented under the revised guidance, or a modified retrospective approach, under which financial statements will be prepared under the revised guidance for the year of adoption, but not for prior years. Under the latter method, entities would recognize a cumulative catch-up adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at the effective date for contracts that still require performance by the entity, and disclose all line items in the year of adoption as if they were prepared under the old revenue guidance.

The Company is currently evaluating the methods of adoption allowed by the new standard and the effect the standard is expected to have on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows and related disclosures. The evaluation includes each of the five steps identified in the ASU 2014-09 revenue recognition model, which are as follows: 1) identify the contract with the customer; 2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; 3) determine the transaction price; 4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations; and 5) recognize revenue when (or as) performance obligations are satisfied. The Company's lease contracts within the scope of ASC 840, Leases, are specifically excluded from ASU 2014-09. As the Company completes its evaluation of this new standard, new information may arise that could change the Company's current understanding of the impact to revenue and expense recognized. Additionally, industry activities and other guidance provided by regulators, standards setters, and the accounting profession may affect the Company’s assessment and implementation plans.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU, "Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs" ("ASU 2015-03"). ASU 2015-03 requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by ASU 2015-03. The amendments in ASU 2015-03 are effective retrospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. As a result of the adoption of ASU 2015-03, the amounts of debt issuance costs were reclassified on the Company's balance sheets from other assets to long term debt and were not significant.

In July 2015, FASB issued ASU "Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory" ("ASU 2015-11"). ASU 2015-11 more closely aligns the measurement of inventory in GAAP with the measurement of inventory in International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). The amendment in ASU 2015-11 is for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The amendment should be applied prospectively with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The Company does not expect the impact of adopting ASU 2015-11 to be material to the Company's financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2016, the FASB issued an Exposure Draft of a proposed ASU, "Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost." The proposed ASU would require an employer to report the service cost component of retiree benefits in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost would be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if one is presented. If adopted, the proposed standard would impact the Operating Income subtotal as reported in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Operations by excluding interest expense and investment returns components of retiree benefit expenses.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU "Leases (Topic 842)" ("ASU 2016-02"), which will require the recognition of right to-use-assets and lease liabilities for leases previously classified as operating leases by lessees. The standard will take effect for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim reporting periods. Early application will be permitted for all entities. In addition, the FASB has decided to require a lessee to apply a modified retrospective transition approach for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements (the date of initial application). The modified retrospective approach would not require any transition accounting for leases that expired before the date of initial application. The FASB decided to not permit a full retrospective transition approach. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the standard on its financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments ("ASU 2016-15"). ASU 2016-15 clarifies how cash receipts and cash payments in certain transactions are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The effective date of this update is for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The update requires retrospective application to all periods presented but may be applied prospectively if retrospective application is impracticable. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of the standard on the its financial statements and disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash" ("ASU 2016-18"). ASU 2016-18 requires that the statement of cash flows explain the changes in the combined total of restricted and unrestricted cash balance. Amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents will be combined with unrestricted cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning and end of period balances on the statement of cash flows. Further, the ASU requires a reconciliation of balances from the statement of cash flows to the balance sheet in situations in which the balance sheet includes more than one line item of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash. Companies will also be disclosing the nature of the restrictions. ASU 2016-18 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the standard on its financial statements and disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment" ("ASU 2017-04"). ASU 2017-04 will simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating the second step from the goodwill impairment test. ASU 2017-04 would require applying a one-step quantitative test and recording the amount of goodwill impairment as the excess of the reporting unit's carrying value over its fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 does not amend the optional qualitative assessment of goodwill impairment. The amendments in ASU 2017-04 are effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the standard on its financial statements and disclosures.