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Summary of Financial Statement Preparation and Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Summary of Financial Statement Preparation and Significant Accounting Policies SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL STATEMENT PREPARATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Nature of Operations
Air Transport Services Group, Inc. is a holding company whose subsidiaries lease aircraft, provide contracted airline operations, ground services, aircraft modification and maintenance services and other support services mainly to the air transportation, e-commerce and package delivery industries. The Company's subsidiaries offer a range of complementary services to delivery companies, freight forwarders, airlines and government customers.
The Company's leasing subsidiary, Cargo Aircraft Management, Inc. (“CAM”), leases aircraft to each of the Company's airlines as well as to non-affiliated airlines and other lessees. The Company's airlines, ABX Air, Inc. (“ABX”), Air Transport International, Inc. (“ATI”) and Omni Air International, LLC ("OAI" ) each have the authority, through their separate U.S. Department of Transportation ("DOT") and Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") certificates, to transport cargo worldwide. The Company provides air transportation services to a concentrated base of customers. The Company provides a combination of aircraft, crews, maintenance and insurance services for a customer's transportation network through customer "CMI" and "ACMI" agreements and through charter contracts in which aircraft fuel is also included. In addition to its aircraft leasing and airline services, the Company sells aircraft parts, provides aircraft maintenance and modification services, equipment maintenance services and arranges load transfer and package sorting services for customers.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Air Transport Services Group, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Inter-company balances and transactions are eliminated. The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP").
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.
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.
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 and other financial instruments, post-retirement obligations, income taxes, contingencies and litigation. Changes in estimates and assumptions may have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
COVID-19 Uncertainties
Beginning in late 2019, an outbreak of a coronavirus, COVID-19, was identified and has since spread globally, becoming a pandemic. The pandemic has had an impact on the Company's operations and financial results. Beginning in late February 2020, revenues were disrupted when customers cancelled scheduled passenger flights and aircraft maintenance services and the Company began to incur additional costs, including expenses to protect employees. Additionally, disruptions to the Company's operations, such as shortages of personnel, shortages of parts, maintenance delays, shortages of transportation and hotel accommodations for flight crews, facility closures and other issues may be caused by the pandemic.
The extent of the impact that the pandemic will have on future financial and operational results will depend on developments, including the duration, spread, severity and any recurrence of the COVID-19 virus; the duration and scope of government orders and restrictions; the availability and effectiveness of vaccines on the virus and the extent of the pandemic on overall economic conditions. These are highly uncertain. If the pandemic persists or reemerges, operating cash flows could decline significantly and the value of airframes, engines and certain intangible assets could decline significantly.
Currently, the pandemic has not had a significant adverse financial impact on the Company's leasing operations or its airline operations for customers' freight networks. Management believes that the Company's current cash balances and forecasted cash flows provided from its customer leases and operating agreements, combined with its Senior Credit Agreement, will be sufficient to fund operations, capital spending and scheduled debt payments for at least the next 12 months.
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.
Cash includes restricted cash of $0.4 million as of December 31, 2020 and $10.6 million as of December 31, 2019. Restricted cash consists of customers’ deposits held in an escrow account as required by DOT regulations. The cash is restricted to the extent of customers’ deposits on flights not yet flown. Restricted cash is released from escrow upon completion of specific flights, which are scheduled to occur within the twelve months.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts
The Company's accounts receivable is primarily due from its significant customers (see Note D), other airlines, delivery companies and freight forwarders. The Company estimates expected credit losses over the lifetime of the customer receivables that are not past due. The Company also 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 allowances for amounts that are not expected to be received. Account balances are written off against the allowances 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. 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 assessment requires an estimation of fair value of each reporting unit that has goodwill. The goodwill impairment test requires a comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit to its respective carrying value. If the carrying value of a reporting unit is less than its fair value no impairment exists. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit is higher than its fair value an impairment loss is recorded for the difference and charged to operations.
The Company assesses, during the fourth quarter of each year, whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired by considering all relevant events and circumstances that could affect the significant inputs used to determine the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset.
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 777, 767 and 757 aircraft and flight equipment7 to 18 years
Ground equipment2 to 10 years
Leasehold improvements, facilities and office equipment3 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 are less than the carrying value. If impairment exists, an adjustment is recorded 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 of airframe maintenance for Boeing 767-200 aircraft operated by ABX 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 a "power by the cycle" agreement with an engine maintenance provider. Further, in May 2017, the Company entered into similar maintenance agreements for certain General Electric CF6 engines that power many of the Company's Boeing 767-300 aircraft. Under these agreements, the engines are maintained by the service provider for a fixed fee per cycle. As a result, the cost of maintenance for these engines is generally expensed as flights occur. Maintenance for the airlines’ other aircraft engines, including Boeing 777 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.
For aircraft leased 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 it is less than probable that a deposit will be 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. Capitalized interest was $2.8 million, $3.7 million and $1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
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 $9.3 million and $16.1 million at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, for self-insured reserves. Changes in claim severity and frequency could result in actual claims being materially different than the costs accrued.
Pension and Post-Retirement Benefits
The funded status of any of the Company's defined benefit pension or post-retirement health care plans 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 re-measured 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 re-measuring plan assets and benefit obligations, are recorded to accumulated comprehensive loss and amortized into expense using a corridor approach. The Company's corridor approach amortizes into earnings variances in plan assets and benefit obligations that are a result of the previous measurement assumptions 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. Cost adjustments for plan amendments are also deferred and amortized over the expected working life or the life expectancy of plan participants. Irrevocable settlement transactions that relieve the Company from responsibilities of providing retiree benefits and significantly eliminate the Company's related risk may result in recognition of gains or losses from accumulated other comprehensive loss. The plan's investment returns, interest expense, settlements and other non-service cost components of retiree benefits are reported in other income and expense included in earnings before income taxes.
Customer 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.
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 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
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.
As described in Note I, the Company is prohibited from repurchasing its common shares through March 31, 2022.
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 a lessee are recorded as a lease incentive asset using their fair value at the time of issuance. The lease incentive is amortized against revenues over the duration of related aircraft leases. The unexercised warrants that are classified in liabilities are re-measured 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 by customers through airline service agreements, including consumption of aircraft fuel, are generally recognized net of the corresponding expenses, 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. Contracts for the sale of aircraft parts typically result in the recognition of revenue when the parts are delivered. The Company typically records revenues and estimated earnings over time for its airframe maintenance and aircraft modification contracts based on the percentage of costs completed. Revenues derived from sorting parcels are recognized in the reporting period in which the services are performed.
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 required the Company to record a one-time adjustment to retained earnings for the cumulative effect that the standard had 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 FASB's ASU 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 I 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 Nonemployees" ("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, net of tax, 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.
The Company adopted "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments" ("ASU 2016-13") on January 1, 2020. Under ASU 2016-13, an entity is required to utilize an “expected credit loss model” on certain financial instruments, including trade receivables. This model requires an entity to estimate expected credit losses over the lifetime of the financial asset including trade receivables that are not past due. Operating lease receivables are not within the scope of Topic 326. The Company's adoption of ASU 2016-13 did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, "Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity" ("ASU 2020-06"). This new standard changes the accounting and measurement of convertible instruments. It eliminates the treasury stock method for convertible instruments and requires application of the “if-converted” method for certain agreements. This standard is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-06 on its interest expense and earnings (loss) per share calculation under the "if-converted" method related to its convertible debt.