COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

3 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments

During 2008, the City of Dallas approved the Love Field Modernization Program (“LFMP”), a project to reconstruct Dallas Love Field (“Airport”) with modern, convenient air travel facilities. Pursuant to a Program Development Agreement (“PDA”) with the City of Dallas, and the Love Field Airport Modernization Corporation (or “LFAMC,” a Texas non-profit “local government corporation” established by the City to act on the City's behalf to facilitate the development of the LFMP), the Company is managing this project. Major construction commenced during 2010, with completion of the project scheduled for the second half of 2014. Although subject to change, at the current time the project is expected to include the renovation of the Airport airline terminals and complete replacement of gate facilities with a new 20-gate facility, including infrastructure, systems and equipment, aircraft parking apron, fueling system, roadways and terminal curbside, baggage handling systems, passenger loading bridges and support systems, and other supporting infrastructure.

It is currently expected that the total amount spent on the LFMP project will be approximately $519 million. Although the City of Dallas has received commitments from various sources that are expected to fund portions of the LFMP project, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, and the City's Aviation Fund, the majority of the funds used are expected to be from the issuance of bonds. During fourth quarter 2010, $310 million of such bonds were issued by the LFAMC, and the Company has guaranteed principal and interest payments on the bonds. An additional trancheof such bonds totaling $146 millionwas issued during second quarter 2012, and the Company has guaranteed the principal and interest payments on these bonds as well.The Company currently expects that as a result of the funding commitments from the above mentioned sources and the bonds that have been issued thus far, no further bond issuances will be required to complete the LFMP project.

The Company has agreed to manage the majority of the LFMP project and, as a result, has evaluated its ongoing accounting requirements in consideration of accounting guidance provided for lessees involved in asset construction. The Company has recorded and will continue to record an asset and corresponding obligation for the cost of the LFMP project as the construction of the facility occurs. As of June 30,2012, the Company had incurred construction costs of $268 million, classified as both an asset as a component of Ground property and equipment and a corresponding liability as a component of Other non-current liabilities in its unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Upon completion of the LFMP project, the Company expects to begin depreciating the assets over their estimated useful lives, and reduce the corresponding liabilities primarily through the Company's airport rental payments to the City of Dallas.

The Company also has contractual purchase commitments associated with scheduled aircraft acquisitions from Boeing. During the second quarter 2012, the Company revised its future aircraft delivery schedule to defer 30 firm deliveries from Boeing, originally scheduled for delivery in 2013 and 2014, to 2017 and 2018, resulting in a reduction in the Company's expected capital expenditures totaling approximately $1 billion from 2012 through 2014.

Contingencies

The Company is from time to time subject to various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business, including, but not limited to, examinations by the IRS. The Company's management does not expect that the outcome in any of its currently ongoing legal proceedings or the outcome of any adjustments presented by the IRS, individually or collectively, will have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flow.