XML 19 R7.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.20.2

Organization and Operations | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Jun. 30, 2020
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
Organization and Operations |
1. | Organization and Operations
About Mesa Air Group, Inc. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Mesa Air Group, Inc. ("Mesa" or the "Company") is a holding company whose principal subsidiary, Mesa Airlines, Inc. ("Mesa Airlines"), operates as a regional air carrier providing scheduled flight service to 66 cities in 29 states, the District of Columbia and Mexico. As of June 30, 2020, Mesa operated a fleet of 145 aircraft with approximately 175 daily departures and 3,400 employees. Mesa operates all of its flights as either American Eagle or United Express flights pursuant to the terms of the capacity purchase agreements entered into with American Airlines, Inc. (“American”) and United Airlines, Inc. (“United”). The financial arrangements between the Company and its major airline partners involve a revenue-guarantee arrangement (i.e., a "capacity purchase agreement") whereby the major airline pays a monthly guaranteed amount for each aircraft under contract, a fixed fee for each block hour (the number of hours during which the aircraft is in revenue service, measured from the time of gate departure before take-off until the time of gate arrival at the destination) and flight flown and reimbursement of certain direct operating expenses in exchange for providing regional flying. The major airline partners also pay certain expenses directly to suppliers, such as fuel, ground operations and landing fees. Under the terms of these capacity purchase agreements, the major airline controls route selection, pricing and seat inventories, thereby reducing the Company's exposure to fluctuations in passenger traffic, fare levels, and fuel prices. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic The unprecedented and rapid spread of COVID-19 and the related travel restrictions and social distancing measures implemented throughout the world have significantly reduced demand for air travel. The length and severity of the reduction in demand due to the pandemic remains uncertain. This reduction in demand has had an unprecedented and materially adverse impact on our revenues and financial position. The exact timing and pace of a recovery in demand is uncertain given the significant impact of the pandemic on the overall U.S. and global economy. Our forecasted expense management and liquidity measures may be modified as we clarify the demand recovery timing. Since a portion of the consideration we receive under our capacity purchase agreements is fixed, the impact to Mesa will be partially mitigated or offset. In addition, we have limited exposure to fluctuations in passenger traffic, ticket and fuel prices. While the fixed contract consideration remains mostly unchanged, the variable revenue based on number of block hours was significantly reduced beginning in the last few weeks in March and in the June 2020 quarter. We may experience further reductions in subsequent quarters. The Company further reports that, beginning in March 2020, it experienced a material decline in demand in block hours from both of its major airline partners, American and United Airlines, Inc. (“United” and together with American, the “Partners”) resulting from the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As a result of this decline in demand and the subsequent capacity reductions by the Company’s Partners, the Company operated at significantly lower block hours in the June 2020 quarter. While there has been a modest demand recovery, the Company anticipates similar schedule reductions will likely continue into the fourth quarter of 2020 and may continue throughout the remainder of calendar year 2020 and into 2021. In response to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented various measures to protect our employees as they continue to provide safe and reliable transportation to the passengers of American and United. The safety of our employees and passengers remains our primary focus and, to that end, measures that we have taken include but are not limited to:
| ▪ | Increasing the scope of cleaning and sanitization of aircraft both while remaining overnight and on turn flights, including the use of Electrostatic Spraying (ESS) and the expansion of Flight Deck cleaning protocols. Both on our own, and in coordination with our codeshare partners, we have taken steps to ensure that high touch areas used by both employees and customers are routinely and comprehensively cleaned and disinfected to prevent transmission of the virus on surfaces. To assist our crewmembers in keeping the aircraft clean and disinfected, we have increased the supply of sanitizing wipes onboard.
| ▪ | Mandated face covering for all employees working onboard aircraft, at corporate and training facilitates and locations where social distancing cannot be maintained.
| ▪ | In coordination with our codeshare partners, we’ve implemented a policy that requires all crewmembers to wear face coverings while on duty. We have provided, and continue to resupply, our employees with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) consisting of gloves and face coverings for use whenever social distancing cannot be maintained or when working with our customers. In addition, at various locations, we have coordinated with our codeshare partners to conduct temperature checks of employees reporting for duty. In those locations where this is not yet established, crewmembers have been directed to self-monitor their temperature before reporting for duty and twice daily.
| ▪ | Based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we have increased facility cleaning and disinfection protocols at all of our facilities and have implemented social distancing measures including extending our current remote working policy for many of our Corporate personnel. We’ve enhanced current protocol to increase physical distance between workers who remain working at our Corporate facilities.
| ▪ | Enhanced protocols that exceed CDC guidance for the handling of employees who are positive for, or suspected of, COVID-19 to ensure that they have the necessary time off. Additionally, we have implemented protocols to ensure that proper notification is made to any affected employees. Protocols have also been put into place for the immediate disinfection of any affected aircraft above and beyond routine cleaning and disinfection protocols.
| ▪ | Offering Leaves of Absence to employees starting in May in blocks of 1-3 months.
Expense Management. With the reduction in revenue, we have, and will continue to implement cost saving initiatives, including:
| ▪ | Reducing employee-related costs, including:
| ▪ | Offering voluntary short-term unpaid leaves to all employees.
| ▪ | Compensation reductions for Executive level employees.
| ▪ | Instituting a company-wide hiring freeze.
| ▪ | Delaying non-essential heavy maintenance expense and reducing or suspending other discretionary spending.
Balance Sheet, Cash Flow and Liquidity. As of June 30, 2020, our cash and cash equivalents balance was $64.9 million. We have taken the following actions to increase liquidity and strengthen our financial position.
| ▪ | Reducing planned heavy engine and airframe maintenance events by approximately $16.8 million in the current fiscal year.
| ▪ | Working with our major partners and original equipment manufacturers ("OEM") to delay the timing of our future aircraft and spare engine deliveries.
| ▪ | Drew $23.0 million from our previously undrawn revolving credit facility with CIT Bank, N.A.
| ▪ | In April 2020, we were granted $92.5 million in emergency relief through the payroll support program of the CARES Act to be paid in installments through September 2020. We received $46.3 million as of June 2020 and the remaining $46.2 million is scheduled to be paid to Mesa in three equal monthly payments from July to September 2020. $43.0 million has been utilized to offset the payroll expenses in the quarter ended June 30, 2020 and $3.3 million has been deferred to offset future payroll costs.
| ▪ | The CARES Act also provides for up to $25 billion in secured loans to the airline industry. We have been allocated $277.0 million under the loan program. We are in ongoing discussions with the U.S. Department of the Treasury regarding the terms and our participation level of such a loan.
American Capacity Purchase Agreement As of June 30, 2020, the Company operated 54 CRJ-900 aircraft for American under our American Capacity Purchase Agreement. In exchange for providing flight services under our American Capacity Purchase Agreement, we receive a fixed monthly minimum amount per aircraft under contract plus certain additional amounts based upon the number of flights and block hours flown during each month. In addition, we may also receive incentives or incur penalties based upon our operational performance, including controllable on-time departures and controllable completion percentages. American also reimburses us for certain costs on an actual basis, including passenger liability and hull insurance and aircraft property taxes, all as set forth in our American Capacity Purchase Agreement. Other expenses, including fuel and certain landing fees, are directly paid to suppliers by American. In addition, American also provides, at no cost to us, certain ground handling and customer service functions, as well as airport-related facilities and gates at American hubs and cities where we operate. Our American Capacity Purchase Agreement establishes utilization credits which are required to be paid if the Company does not operate at minimum levels of flight operations. In prior periods, the FAA Qualification Standards (as defined below) have negatively impacted our ability to hire pilots at a rate sufficient to support required utilization levels, and, as a result, we have issued credits to American pursuant to the terms of our American Capacity Purchase Agreement. Our American Capacity Purchase Agreement will terminate with respect to different tranches of aircraft between 2021 and 2025, unless otherwise extended or amended. As of the date of this filing, we remain in discussions with American regarding the terms of extending the 31 aircraft that are due to expire in 2021, the 16 aircraft that are due to expire in 2022, and the 7 aircraft that expire in 2025. Our American Capacity Purchase Agreement is subject to termination prior to that date, subject to our right to cure, in various circumstances including:
| ▪ | If either American or we become insolvent, file for bankruptcy or fail to pay our debts as they become due, the non-defaulting party may terminate the agreement;
| ▪ | Failure by us or American to perform the covenants, conditions or provisions of our American Capacity Purchase Agreement, subject to 15 days' notice and cure rights;
| ▪ | If we are required by the FAA or the DOT to suspend operations and we have not resumed operations within three business days, except as a result of an emergency airworthiness directive from the FAA affecting all similarly equipped aircraft, American may terminate the agreement;
| ▪ | If our controllable flight completion factor falls below certain levels for a specified period of time, subject to our right to cure; or
| ▪ | Upon a change in our ownership or control without the written approval of American.
In the event that American has the right to terminate our American Capacity Purchase Agreement, American may, in lieu of termination, withdraw up to an aggregate of 14 aircraft from service under our American Capacity Purchase Agreement. Upon any such withdrawal, American's payments to us would be correspondingly reduced by the number of withdrawn aircraft. On January 31, 2019, the Company entered into an amendment to the American Capacity Purchase Agreement, the terms of which provide for new and revised operational performance metrics, the Company's right to earn additional incentive compensation based on the achievement of such metrics, and the right of American to permanently withdraw up to six (6) aircraft in the event the Company fails to meet such new/revised performance metrics. Under the terms of such amendment the Company agreed, effective April 2, 2019, to convert two (2) aircraft to be utilized by the Company as operational spares in the Company's sole discretion throughout its system. In July 2019, American exercised its right to permanently withdraw two (2) aircraft from the American Capacity Purchase Agreement due to the Company's failure to meet certain performance metrics. The aircraft were removed on November 2, 2019. On November 25, 2019, the Company amended its agreement with American Airlines. The Company did not meet certain performance metrics during the then most recent measurement period, which would have allowed American to remove two additional aircraft from the capacity purchase agreement. American had agreed to defer the right to remove these two aircraft but subsequently elected to remove one of the two previously deferred aircraft, effective January 2, 2020. As of January 2, 2020, American had removed three (3) of the six (6) aircraft under the January 31st amendment. On April 3, 2020, the Company received a new withdrawal notice from American seeking to permanently withdraw three aircraft from the American Capacity Purchase Agreement. Two of the aircraft were withdrawn effective May 19, 2020 and the third aircraft was withdrawn effective June 1, 2020. The withdrawal of these three aircraft stems from withdrawal rights that American previously asserted were triggered in September 2019 and November 2019. At such time, American refrained from exercising such withdrawal rights, however, reserved the right to withdraw the three aircraft at a later date under certain circumstances. In light of the rapid grounding of aircraft caused by the COVID-19 virus, the overall reduction in demand for air travel, and the need to reduce capacity, American elected to remove such aircraft in early June. On June 11, 2020, the Company entered into the Twenty-First Amendment to The American Capacity Purchase Agreement effective April 1, 2020. The amendments include (i) the permanent withdrawal of two (2) additional aircraft from the American Capacity Purchase Agreement, effective June 15, 2020, with such aircraft included in the tranche of aircraft American has the right to ratably remove commencing January 1, 2021 in exchange for American paying the full cost of the aircraft for the same period and (ii) the addition of utilization-based credits, entitling American to payment credits for the period April 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020, based upon the achievement of agreed upon aircraft utilization thresholds, subject to Mesa’s receipt of previously approved funds under the CARES Act. The impact of the contract modification was not material to the three or nine months ended June 30, 2020. United Capacity Purchase Agreement As of June 30, 2020, the Company operated 20 CRJ-700 and 60 E-175 aircraft for United under our United Capacity Purchase Agreement. In exchange for providing the flight services under our United Capacity Purchase Agreement, we receive a fixed monthly minimum amount per aircraft under contract plus certain additional amounts based upon the number of flights and block hours flown and the results of passenger satisfaction surveys. United also reimburses us for certain costs on an actual basis, including property tax per aircraft and passenger liability insurance. Other expenses, including fuel and certain landing fees, are directly paid to suppliers by United. Under our United Capacity Purchase Agreement, United owns 42 of the 60 E-175 aircraft and leases them to us at nominal amounts. United reimburses us on a pass-through basis for all costs related to heavy airframe and engine maintenance, landing gear, auxiliary power units ("APUs") and component maintenance for the 42 E-175 aircraft owned by United. Our United Capacity Purchase Agreement permits United, subject to certain conditions, including the payment of certain costs tied to aircraft type, to terminate the agreement in its discretion, or remove aircraft from service, by giving us notice of 90 days or more. If United elects to terminate our United Capacity Purchase Agreement in its entirety or permanently remove select aircraft from service, we are permitted to return any of the affected E-175 aircraft leased from United at no cost to us. In addition, if United removes any of our 18 owned E-175 aircraft from service at its direction, United would remain obligated to assume the aircraft ownership and associated debt with respect to such aircraft through the end of the term of the agreement. On November 26, 2019, we amended and restated our United Capacity Purchase Agreement to, among other things, incorporate the terms of the 14 prior amendments to that Agreement and to extend the term thereof through the addition of twenty (20) new Embraer E175LL aircraft to the scope of such Agreement. These new aircraft will be financed and owned by us and operated for a period of twelve (12) years from the in-service date. Deliveries of the new E175LL aircraft were scheduled to begin in May 2020 and be completed by December 31, 2020. In March 2020, the deliveries of the new E175LL aircraft were negotiated between United and Embraer to begin in September 2020 and be completed by the quarter ended June 30, 2021. Commencing five (5) years after the actual in-service date, United has the right to remove the E175LL aircraft from service by giving us notice of 90 days or more, subject to certain conditions, including the payment of certain wind-down expenses plus, if removed prior to the ten (10) year anniversary of the in-service date, certain accelerated margin payments. In addition to adding the 20 new E175LL aircraft to the amended and restated United Capacity Purchase Agreement, we extended the term of our 42 E-175 aircraft leased from United for an additional five (5) years, which now expire between 2024 and 2028. As part of the amended and restated United Capacity Purchase Agreement, we agreed to lease our CRJ-700 aircraft to another United Express service provider for a term of seven (7) years. We will continue to operate such aircraft until they are transitioned to the new service provider. United has a right to purchase the CRJ-700 aircraft at the then fair market value. In addition, we own 18 E-175 aircraft that expire in 2028. Our United Capacity Purchase Agreement is subject to early termination under various circumstances noted above and including:
| ▪ | By United if certain operational performance factors fall below a specified percentage for a specified time, subject to notice under certain circumstances;
| ▪ | By United if we fail to perform the material covenants, agreements, terms or conditions of our United Capacity Purchase Agreement or similar agreements with United, subject to thirty (30) days' notice and cure rights;
| ▪ | If either United or we become insolvent, file bankruptcy or fail to pay debts when due, the non-defaulting party may terminate the agreement; or
| ▪ | By United if we merge with, or if control of us is acquired by another air carrier or a corporation directly or indirectly owning or controlling another air carrier.

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122149 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2197479 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration