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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned operating subsidiaries. Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative United States generally accepted accounting principles as found in the Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") and Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Reclassifications of certain immaterial prior period amounts have been made to conform to the current period presentation.

These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with, the Company's audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as of and for the year ended September 30, 2020 included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2020 on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements have been condensed or omitted in these condensed consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC and GAAP. These condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments that, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly the results of operations for the interim periods presented.

The Company is an "emerging growth company," as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the "JOBS Act,") and may remain an emerging growth company until the last day of its fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the Company’s initial public offer (“IPO”), subject to specified conditions. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period afforded by the JOBS Act for the implementation of new or revised accounting standards. The Company has elected to "opt out" of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

Contract revenue and Pass- through and other

The Company recognizes contract revenue when the service is provided under its capacity purchase agreements. Under the capacity purchase agreements, our major airline partners generally pay for each departure, flight hour (measured from takeoff to landing, excluding taxi time) or block hour (measured from takeoff to landing, including taxi time) incurred, and an amount per aircraft in service each month with additional incentives based on flight completion and on-time performance. The major airline partners also directly pay for or reimburses the Company for certain direct expenses incurred under the capacity purchase agreement, such as fuel and airport landing fees. The Company’s performance obligation is met when each flight is completed, and revenue is recognized and reflected in contract revenue. The directly reimbursed expenses, earned as flights are completed over the agreement term, are recognized and reflected in pass-through revenue. The Company records deferred revenue when cash payments are received or are due from our airline partners in advance of the Company’s performance, including amounts that are refundable.

We received an $81.5 million prepayment under the amended and restated United Capacity Purchase Agreement, as discussed in Note 1. As of December 31, 2020, we recognized $33.3 million of the prepayment and we expect to recognize the remaining $48.2 million as flight services are performed during the second quarter of 2021.

The deferred revenue balance as of December 31, 2020 represents our aggregate remaining performance obligations that will be recognized as revenue over the period in which the performance obligations are satisfied, and is expected to be recognized as revenue as follows (In thousands):

Periods Ending December 31,	Total Maturities
Remainder of 2021	$	48,420
2022		9,714
2023		9,563
2024		8,503
2025		1,338
Thereafter		219
Total	$	77,757

A portion of the Company's compensation under its capacity purchase agreements with American and United is designed to reimburse the Company for certain aircraft ownership costs. The Company has concluded that a component of its revenue under these agreements is deemed to be lease revenue, as such agreements identify the "right of use" of a specific type and number of aircraft over a stated period-of-time. The lease revenue associated with the Company's capacity purchase agreements is accounted for as an operating lease and is reflected as contract revenue on the Company's consolidated statements of operations. The Company recognized $49.5 million and $53.3 million of lease revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company has not separately stated aircraft rental income and aircraft rental expense in the consolidated statements of operations because the use of the aircraft is not a separate activity of the total service provided under our capacity purchase agreements.

Aircraft Lease

In addition to the aircraft we receive from United as nominal leases under our United Capacity Purchase Agreement, approximately 11% of our aircraft are leased from third parties. All of our aircraft leases have been classified as operating leases, which results in rental payments being charged to expense over the term of the related leases. In the event that we or one of our major airline partners decide to exit an activity involving leased aircraft, losses may be incurred. In the event that we exit an activity that results in exit losses, these losses are accrued as each aircraft is removed from operations for early termination penalties, lease settle up and other charges. Additionally, any remaining ROU assets and lease liabilities will be written off.

The majority of the Company's leased aircraft are leased through trusts that have a sole purpose to purchase, finance, and lease these aircraft to the Company; therefore, they meet the criteria of a variable interest entity. However, since these are single-owner trusts in which the Company does not participate, the Company is not at risk for losses and is not considered the primary beneficiary. Management believes that the Company's maximum exposure under these leases is the remaining lease payments.

Contract Liabilities

Contract liabilities consist of deferred credits for cost reimbursements from major airline partners related to aircraft modifications associated with capacity purchase agreements and pilot training. The deferred credits are recognized over time depicting the pattern of transfer of control of services resulting in ratable recognition of revenue over the remaining term of the capacity purchase agreements.

Current and non-current deferred credits are recorded to other accrued expenses and non-current deferred credits in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company's total current and non-current deferred credit balances at December 31, 2020 and September 30, 2020 are $7.7 million and $8.5 million, respectively. The Company recognized $0.8 million and $1.1 million of the deferred credits to revenue during the three months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.

Contract Assets

The Company recognizes assets from the costs incurred to fulfill a contract including aircraft painting and reconfiguration and flight service personnel training costs. These costs are amortized based on the pattern of transfer of the services in relation to flight hours over the term of the contract. Contract assets are recorded as other assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company's contract assets balances at December 31, 2020 and September 30, 2020 are $1.6 million and $2.0 million, respectively. Contract cost amortization was $0.4 million and $0.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Maintenance Expense

The Company operates under a Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") approved continuous inspection and maintenance program. The Company uses the direct expense method of accounting for its maintenance of regional jet engine overhauls, airframe, landing gear, and normal recurring maintenance wherein the Company recognizes the expense when the maintenance work is completed, or over the repair period, if materially different. Our maintenance policy is determined by fleet when major maintenance is incurred. For leased aircraft, the Company is subject to lease return provisions that require a minimum portion of the "life" of an overhaul be remaining on the engine at the lease return date. The Company estimates the cost of maintenance lease return obligations and accrues such costs over the remaining lease term when the expense is probable and can be reasonably estimated.

Under the Company's aircraft operating lease agreements and FAA operating regulations, it is obligated to perform all required maintenance activities on its fleet, including component repairs, scheduled air frame checks and major engine restoration events. The Company estimates the timing of the next major maintenance event based on assumptions including estimated usage, FAA-mandated maintenance intervals and average removal times as recommended by the manufacturer. The timing and the cost of maintenance are based on estimates, which can be impacted by changes in utilization of its aircraft, changes in government regulations and suggested manufacturer maintenance intervals. Major maintenance events consist of overhauls to major components.

Engine overhaul expense totaled $14.4 million and $10.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020, and 2019, respectively, of which $9.6 million and $1.9 million, respectively, was pass-through expense. Airframe C-check expense totaled $10.1 million and $7.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020, and 2019, respectively, of which $7.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, was pass-through expense.