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LONG-TERM DEBT
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
LONG-TERM DEBT
LONG-TERM DEBT
 
(in millions)
 
December 31, 2018
 
December 31, 2017
French Credit Agreements due June 2018 - 2.54%
 
$

 
$
1

Fixed-rate 737 Aircraft Notes payable through January 2018 - 7.03%
 

 
3

2.75% Notes due November 2019
 
300

 
300

Term Loan Agreement payable through May 2019 - 6.315%
 
23

 
66

Term Loan Agreement payable through July 2019 - 4.84%
 
10

 
19

2.65% Notes due 2020
 
492

 
491

Term Loan Agreement payable through 2020 - 5.223%
 
187

 
237

737 Aircraft Notes payable through 2020
 
67

 
155

2.75% Notes due 2022
 
300

 
300

Pass Through Certificates due 2022 - 6.24%
 
250

 
294

Term Loan Agreement payable through 2026 - 3.88%
 
197

 
215

3.00% Notes due 2026
 
300

 
300

3.45% Notes due 2027
 
300

 
300

7.375% Debentures due 2027
 
125

 
127

Capital leases
 
845

 
885

 
 
$
3,396

 
$
3,693

Less current maturities
 
606

 
348

Less debt discount and issuance costs
 
19

 
25

 
 
$
2,771

 
$
3,320



AirTran Holdings is party to aircraft purchase financing facilities, and as of December 31, 2018, nine Boeing 737 aircraft remained that were financed under floating-rate facilities. Each note is secured by a first mortgage on the aircraft to which it relates. The notes bear interest at a floating rate per annum equal to a margin plus the three or six-month LIBOR in effect at the commencement of each semi-annual or three-month period, as applicable. As of December 31, 2018, the weighted average interest rate was 4.06 percent. Principal and interest under the notes are payable semi-annually or every three months as applicable. As of December 31, 2018, the remaining debt outstanding may be prepaid without penalty under all aircraft loans provided under such facilities. The remaining notes mature in years 2019 and 2020. As discussed further in Note 10, a portion of the above floating-rate debt has been effectively converted to a fixed rate via interest rate swap agreements which expire as the underlying notes mature.

AirTran Holdings was previously a party to an additional aircraft purchase financing facility, and one Boeing 737 aircraft was financed under the fixed-rate facility. The note was secured by a first mortgage on the aircraft to which it related. The remaining note matured on January 11, 2018.

During November 2017, the Company issued $300 million senior unsecured notes due 2022. The notes bear interest at 2.75 percent. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on May 16 and November 16.

Also during November 2017, the Company issued $300 million senior unsecured notes due 2027. The notes bear interest at 3.45 percent. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on May 16 and November 16.

During November 2016, the Company issued $300 million senior unsecured notes due 2026. The notes bear interest at 3.00 percent. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on May 15 and November 15.

During October 2016, the Company entered into a term loan agreement providing for loans to the Company aggregating up to $215 million, to be secured by mortgages on seven of the Company's 737-800 aircraft. The Company borrowed the full $215 million and secured this loan with the requisite seven aircraft mortgages. The loan matures on October 31, 2026, and is repayable via semi-annual installments of principal that began on April 30, 2018. The loan bears interest at the LIBO Rate (as defined in the term loan agreement) plus 1.10 percent, which equates to a current rate of 3.88 percent, and interest is payable semi-annually in installments.

During November 2015, the Company issued $500 million senior unsecured notes due 2020. The notes bear interest at 2.65 percent, payable semi-annually in arrears on May 5 and November 5. Concurrently, the Company entered into a fixed-to-floating interest rate swap to convert the interest on these unsecured notes to a floating rate until their maturity. See Note 10 for further information on the interest-rate swap agreement.

During November 2014, the Company issued $300 million senior unsecured notes due November 2019. The notes bear interest at 2.75 percent, payable semi-annually in arrears on May 6 and November 6. Concurrently, the Company entered into a fixed-to-floating interest rate swap to convert the interest on these unsecured notes to a floating rate until their maturity. See Note 10 for further information on the interest-rate swap agreement.

On July 1, 2009, the Company entered into a term loan agreement providing for loans to the Company aggregating up to $124 million, to be secured by mortgages on five of the Company’s 737-700 aircraft. The Company borrowed the full $124 million and secured this loan with the requisite five aircraft mortgages. The loan matures on July 1, 2019, and is repayable semi-annually in installments of principal and interest that began on January 1, 2010. The loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.84 percent. In September 2015, the Company prepaid $24 million on the loan agreement, which in turn released one of the encumbered aircraft. As such, the remaining four aircraft related to this transaction were still encumbered as of December 31, 2018.

On April 29, 2009, the Company entered into a term loan agreement providing for loans to the Company aggregating up to $332 million, to be secured by mortgages on 14 of the Company’s 737-700 aircraft. The Company borrowed the full $332 million and secured the loan with the requisite 14 aircraft mortgages. The loan matures on May 6, 2019, and is being repaid via quarterly installments of principal and interest that began on August 6, 2009. The loan bears interest at the LIBO Rate (as defined in the term loan agreement) plus 3.30 percent. Pursuant to the terms of the term loan agreement, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement to convert the variable rate on the term loan to a fixed 6.315 percent until maturity.

On May 6, 2008, the Company entered into a term loan agreement providing for loans to the Company aggregating up to $600 million, to be secured by first-lien mortgages on 21 of the Company’s 737-700 aircraft. On May 9, 2008, the Company borrowed the full $600 million and secured these loans with the requisite 21 aircraft mortgages. The loans mature on May 9, 2020, and are being repaid via quarterly installments of principal and interest that began on August 9, 2008. The loans bear interest at the LIBO Rate (as defined in the term loan agreement) plus 0.95 percent. Pursuant to the terms of the term loan agreement, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement to convert the variable rate on the term loan to a fixed 5.223 percent until maturity.

On October 3, 2007, grantor trusts established by the Company issued $500 million Pass Through Certificates consisting of $412 million 6.15 percent Series A certificates and $88 million 6.65 percent Series B certificates. A separate trust was established for each class of certificates. The trusts used the proceeds from the sale of certificates to acquire equipment notes in the same amounts, which were issued by the Company on a full recourse basis. Payments on the equipment notes held in each trust are passed through to the holders of certificates of such trust. The equipment notes were issued for each of 16 Boeing 737-700 aircraft owned by the Company and are secured by a mortgage on each aircraft. Beginning February 1, 2008, principal and interest payments on the equipment notes held for both series of certificates became due semi-annually until the balance of the certificates mature on August 1, 2022. Prior to their issuance, the Company also entered into swap agreements to hedge the variability in interest rates on the Pass Through Certificates. The swap agreements were accounted for as cash flow hedges, and resulted in a payment by the Company of $20 million upon issuance of the Pass Through Certificates. The effective portion of the hedge is being amortized to interest expense concurrent with the amortization of the debt and is reflected in the above table as a reduction in the debt balance. The ineffectiveness of the hedge transaction was immaterial.

In fourth quarter 2004, the Company entered into four identical 13-year floating-rate financing arrangements, whereby it borrowed a total of $112 million from French banking partnerships. The borrowings matured and were redeemed in full on June 30, 2018, utilizing available cash on hand.

On February 28, 1997, the Company issued $100 million of senior unsecured 7.375 percent debentures due March 1, 2027. Interest is payable semi-annually on March 1 and September 1. The debentures may be redeemed, at the option of the Company, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at a redemption price equal to the greater of the principal amount of the debentures plus accrued interest at the date of redemption or the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon, discounted to the date of redemption at the comparable treasury rate plus 20 basis points, plus accrued interest at the date of redemption.

The Company is required to provide standby letters of credit to support certain obligations that arise in the ordinary course of business. Although the letters of credit are an off-balance sheet item, the majority of the obligations to which they relate are reflected as liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Outstanding letters of credit totaled $170 million at December 31, 2018.

The net book value of the assets pledged as collateral for the Company’s secured borrowings, primarily aircraft, was $1.5 billion at December 31, 2018. In addition, the Company has pledged a total of up to 74 of its Boeing 737-700 and 24 of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft at a net book value of $2.1 billion, in the case that it has obligations related to its fuel derivative instruments with counterparties that exceed certain thresholds. See Note 10 for further information on these collateral arrangements.

As of December 31, 2018, aggregate annual principal maturities of debt and capital leases (not including amounts associated with interest rate swap agreements, interest on capital leases, amortization of capital lease incentives, and amortization of purchase accounting adjustments) for the five-year period ending December 31, 2023, and thereafter, were $590 million in 2019, $821 million in 2020, $172 million in 2021, $477 million in 2022, $105 million in 2023, and $1.1 billion thereafter.