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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments

The Company has contractual obligations and commitments primarily with regard to future purchases of aircraft, repayment of debt (see Note 6), and lease arrangements (see Note 7). During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company purchased 18 new 737 MAX 8 aircraft and 26 new 737-800 aircraft from Boeing and acquired one used 737-700 aircraft from a third party under a capital lease. The Company has firm orders in place with Boeing for 219 737 MAX 8 aircraft and 30 737 MAX 7 aircraft, as well as options for 115 737 MAX 8 aircraft as of December 31, 2018. The Company's capital commitments associated with these firm orders and additional aircraft are as follows: $924 million in 2019, $1.4 billion in 2020, $1.7 billion in 2021, $1.2 billion in 2022, $1.6 billion in 2023, and $3.4 billion thereafter.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
In December 2013, the Company entered into an agreement with Broward County, Florida, which owns and operates Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport ("FLL"), to oversee and manage the design and construction of the airport's Terminal 1 Modernization Project. Pursuant to an addendum entered into during 2016, the cost of the project could not exceed $333 million. In addition to significant improvements to the existing Terminal 1, the project included the design and construction of a new five-gate Concourse A with an international processing facility. Funding for the project has come directly from Broward County aviation sources, but flows through the Company in its capacity as manager of the project. Major construction on the project began during third quarter 2015. Construction of Concourse A was completed during second quarter 2017, and construction on Terminal 1 was substantially complete and operational as of the end of third quarter 2018. The Company has determined that due to its agreed upon role in overseeing and managing the project, it is considered the owner of the project for accounting purposes. As such, during construction the Company records expenditures as Assets constructed for others ("ACFO") in the Consolidated Balance Sheet, along with a corresponding outflow within Assets constructed for others in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, and an increase to Construction obligation (with a corresponding cash inflow from Financing activities in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows) as reimbursements are received from Broward County. Upon completion of different phases of the project, the Company has placed the associated assets in service and has begun depreciating the assets over their estimated useful lives.

Los Angeles International Airport
In March 2013, the Company executed a lease agreement (the "T1 Lease") with Los Angeles World Airports ("LAWA"), which owns and operates Los Angeles International Airport ("LAX"). Under the T1 Lease, which was amended in June 2014 and September 2017, the Company oversaw and managed the design, development, financing, construction, and commissioning of the airport's Terminal 1 Modernization Project at a cost that did not exceed $526 million (including proprietary renovations, or $510 million excluding proprietary renovations). In October 2017, the Company executed a separate lease agreement with LAWA (the "T1.5 Lease"). Under the T1.5 Lease, the Company is overseeing and managing the design, development, financing, construction, and commissioning of a passenger processing facility between Terminal 1 and 2 (the "Terminal 1.5 Project"). The Terminal 1.5 Project is expected to include ticketing, baggage claim, passenger screening, and a bus gate at a cost not to exceed $479 million for site improvements and non-proprietary improvements.

These projects are being funded primarily using the Regional Airports Improvement Corporation (the "RAIC"), which is a quasi-governmental special purpose entity that acts as a conduit borrower under syndicated credit facilities provided by groups of lenders. Loans made under the separate credit facilities for the Terminal 1 Modernization Project and the Terminal 1.5 Project are being used to fund the development of each of these projects, and the outstanding loans will be repaid with the proceeds of LAWA’s payments to purchase completed construction phases. The Company has guaranteed the obligations of the RAIC under each of the credit facilities associated with the respective lease agreements. At December 31, 2018, the Company's outstanding remaining guaranteed obligations under the credit facilities for the Terminal 1 Modernization Project and the Terminal 1.5 Project were $111 million and $106 million, respectively.

Construction on the Terminal 1 Modernization Project began during 2014 and was substantially complete and operational during fourth quarter 2018. Construction on the Terminal 1.5 Project began during third quarter 2017 and is estimated to be completed during 2020. The Company has determined that due to its agreed upon role in overseeing and managing these projects, it is considered the owner of these projects for accounting purposes. LAWA is reimbursing the Company (through the RAIC credit facilities) for the site improvements and non-proprietary improvements, while proprietary improvements will not be reimbursed. As a result, the costs incurred to fund these projects are included within ACFO and all amounts that have been or will be reimbursed will be included within Construction obligation on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet. This transaction has no impact on the Company's Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

Dallas Love Field

During 2008, the City of Dallas approved the Love Field Modernization Program (the "LFMP"), a project to reconstruct Dallas Love Field with modern, convenient air travel facilities. Pursuant to a Program Development Agreement with the City of Dallas and the Love Field Airport Modernization Corporation (or the "LFAMC," a Texas non-profit "local government corporation" established by the City of Dallas to act on the City of Dallas' behalf to facilitate the development of the LFMP), the Company managed this project.

Although the City of Dallas received commitments from various sources that helped to fund portions of the LFMP project, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, and the City of Dallas' Aviation Fund, the majority of the funds used were from the issuance of bonds. The Company guaranteed principal and interest payments on $456 million of such bonds issued by the LFAMC. As of December 31, 2018$416 million of principal remained outstanding. The Company utilized the accounting guidance provided for lessees involved in asset construction. Upon completion of different phases of the LFMP project, the Company has placed the associated assets in service and has begun depreciating the assets over their estimated useful lives. The corresponding LFMP liabilities are being reduced primarily through the Company's airport rental payments to the City of Dallas, as the construction costs of this project are passed through to the Company via recurring airport rates and charges. Major construction was effectively completed by December 31, 2014. During second quarter 2017, the City of Dallas approved using the remaining bond funds for additional terminal construction projects which were effectively completed in 2018.

During 2015, the City of Dallas issued additional bonds for the construction of a new parking garage at Dallas Love Field, which was completed and operational in fourth quarter 2018. The Company has not guaranteed the principal or interest payments on these bonds, but remains the accounting owner of this project.

Construction costs recorded in ACFO for the Company's various projects as of December 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017, were as follows:

 
 
December 31, 2018
 
December 31, 2017
(in millions)
 
ACFO
ACFO,
Net (a)
Construction Obligation (b)
 
ACFO
ACFO,
Net (a)
Construction Obligation (b)
FLL Terminal
 
$
313

$
304

$
308

 
$
258

$
256

$
258

LAX Terminal 1
 
485

459

476

 
433

417

433

LAX Terminal 1.5
(c)
99

99

99

 
31

31

31

LFMP - Terminal
 
545

460

502

 
543

474

516

LFMP - Parking Garage
 
200

200

200

 
152

152

152

HOU International Terminal
(d)
126

115

116

 
126

118


 
 
$
1,768

$
1,637

$
1,701

 
$
1,543

$
1,448

$
1,390

(a) Net of accumulated depreciation.
(b) Construction obligation will be reduced through future facility rent payments. These future payments are not fixed per the lease agreement, but are variable and fluctuate based on various market and other factors outside the control of the Company.
(c) Project still in progress.
(d) Project completed in 2015 at Houston William P. Hobby Airport ("HOU").

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 Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"). The Company's management does not expect that the outcome of 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.