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

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The financial statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). The accompanying unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and such principles are applied on a basis consistent with the financial statements reflected in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC related to interim financial statements. In the opinion of management, the accompanying financial statements contain all adjustments, including normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s results of operations and financial position for the periods presented. Due to seasonal fluctuations, among other factors common to the air cargo industry, the results of operations for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the entire year or any interim period. The preparation of consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements. The accounting estimates reflect the best judgment of management, but actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Air Transport Services Group, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Investments in affiliates in which the Company has significant influence but does not exercise control are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, the Company’s share of the 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. Investments in affiliates in which the Company does not exercise control or have significant influence are reflected at cost less impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. Inter-company balances and transactions are eliminated.

On November 9, 2018, the Company acquired OAI, a passenger airline, along with related entities Advanced Flight Services, LLC; Omni Aviation Leasing, LLC; and T7 Aviation Leasing, LLC (referred to collectively herein as "Omni"). OAI is a leading provider of contracted passenger airlift for the U.S. Department of Defense ("DoD") via the Civil Reserve Air Fleet ("CRAF") program, and a provider of full-service passenger charter and ACMI services. OAI carries passengers worldwide for a variety of private sector customers and other government services agencies. Revenues and

operating expenses include the activities of Omni for periods since their acquisition by the Company on November 9, 2018.

On February 1, 2019, the Company acquired a group of companies that had been under common control, including TriFactor Solutions, LLC, (referred to as "Trifactor"). Trifactor resells material handling equipment and provides engineering design solutions for warehousing, retail distribution and e-commerce operations. Revenues and operating expenses include the activities of TriFactor for periods since its acquisition by the Company. The acquisition of TriFactor did not have a significant impact on the Company's financial statements or results of operations.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Standards Updates

Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board's ("FASB") Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” ("Topic 606”) which superseded previous revenue recognition guidance. Topic 606 is a comprehensive 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. The Company's lease revenues within the scope of Accounting Standards Codification 840, Leases, ("Topic 840") are specifically excluded from Topic 606.

Under Topic 606, the Company is required to record revenue over time, instead of at the time of completion, for certain customer contracts for airframe and modification services that do not have an alternative use and for which the Company has an enforceable right to payment during the service cycle. The Company adopted the provisions of this new standard using the modified retrospective method which requires the Company to record a one-time adjustment to retained deficit for the cumulative effect that the standard has on open contracts at the time of adoption. In conjunction with the adoption of the new standard, the Company accelerated $3.6 million of revenue resulting in an immaterial adjustment to its January 1, 2018 retained deficit for open airframe and modification services contracts.

Effective January 1, 2019 the Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board's ("FASB") Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” which superseded previous lease guidance ASC 840, Leases. Topic 842 is a new lease model that requires a company to recognize right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. The Company adopted the standard using the modified retrospective approach that does not require the restatement of prior year financial statements. The adoption of Topic 842 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations and consolidated statement of cash flows. The adoption of Topic 842 resulted in the recognition of ROU assets and corresponding lease liabilities as of January 1, 2019 in the amount of $52.6 million for leases classified as operating leases. Topic 842 also applies to the Company's aircraft lease revenues, however, the adoption of Topic 842 did not have a significant impact on the Company's accounting for its customer lease agreements.

The Company adopted the package of practical expedients and transition provisions available for expired or existing contracts, which allowed the Company to carryforward its historical assessments of 1) whether contracts are or contain leases, 2) lease classification and 3) initial direct costs. Additionally, for real estate leases, the Company adopted the practical expedient that allows lessees to treat the lease and non-lease components of leases as a single lease component. The Company also elected the hindsight practical expedient to determine the reasonably certain lease term for existing leases. Further, the Company elected the short-term lease exception policy, permitting it to exclude the recognition requirements for leases with terms of 12 months or less. See Note H for additional information about leases.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02 “Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income" ("ASU 2018-02"). ASU 2018-02 amends ASC 220, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income, to allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from U.S. federal tax legislation known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. ASU 2018-02 is effective for years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company elected to retain stranded tax effects in accumulated other comprehensive income.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07 “Improvements to Non-employee Share-based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2018-07"). ASU 2018-07 amends ASC 718, "Compensation - Stock Compensation" ("ASC 718"), with the intent of simplifying the accounting for share-based payments granted to non-employees for goods and services and aligning the accounting for share-based payments granted to non-employees with the accounting for share-based payments granted to employees. The Company adopted ASU 2018-07 on January 1, 2019 using the modified

retrospective approach as required. ASU 2018-07 replaced ASC 505-50, "Equity-Based Payments to Non-employees" ("ASC 505-50") which was previously applied by the Company for warrants granted to Amazon.com, Inc. ("Amazon") as customer incentives. As a result of ASU 2018-07, the Company applied accounting guidance for financial instruments to the unvested warrants conditionally granted to Amazon in conjunction with an investment agreement reached with Amazon on December 22, 2018. Applying ASU 2018-07 as of January 1, 2019, through the modified retrospective approach, resulted in the recognition of $176.9 million for unvested warrant liabilities, $100.1 million for customer incentive assets and cumulative-effect adjustments of $71.4 million to reduce retained earnings for customer incentives that were not probable of being realized.

The adoption of ASU 2018-07 on January 1, 2019 did not have an impact on the accounting for vested warrants.