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Organization and Operations | 9 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2022
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 the holding company of Mesa Airlines, Inc. ("Mesa Airlines"), a regional air carrier providing scheduled flight service to 121 cities in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Bahamas, and Mexico as well as cargo flight services out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. As of June 30, 2022, Mesa’s fleet consisted of 168 aircraft which were operated under the Company’s Capacity Purchase Agreements (“CPAs”) and Flight Services Agreement (“FSA”), leased to a third party, held for sale or maintained as operational spares, with approximately 360 daily departures and 2,600 employees. Mesa operates all of its flights as either American Eagle, United Express, or DHL Express flights pursuant to the terms of CPAs entered into with American Airlines, Inc. (“American”) and United Airlines, Inc. (“United”) and FSA with DHL Network Operations (USA), Inc. (“DHL”) (each, our “major partner”). The CPAs between us and our major partners involve a revenue-guarantee arrangement whereby the major partners pay fixed-fees for each aircraft under contract, departure, flight hour (measured from takeoff to landing, excluding taxi time) or block hour (measured from takeoff to landing, including taxi time), and reimbursement of certain direct operating expenses in exchange for providing flight services. The major partners also pay certain expenses directly to suppliers, such as fuel, ground operations and landing fees. Under the terms of these CPAs, the major partners control route selection, pricing, and seat inventories, reducing our exposure to fluctuations in passenger traffic, fare levels, and fuel prices. Under our FSA with DHL, we receive a fee per block hour with a minimum block hour guarantee in exchange for providing cargo flight services. Ground support expenses including fueling and airport fees are paid directly by DHL. Impact of Pilot Shortage The length and severity of the pilot shortage, which has impacted the US passenger and cargo carriers, remains uncertain. One of the primary factors contributing to the pilot shortage is the demand for pilots at major carriers, which are hiring at an accelerated rate to backfill the thousands of pilots whom they offered early retirements to at the beginning of the pandemic. These airlines now seek to increase their capacity to meet the growing demand for air travel as the global pandemic has moderated. A primary source of pilots for the major US passenger and cargo carriers are the US regional airlines. While there is strong demand for air travel now in the United States, the exact timing and pace of a full recovery in demand remains uncertain given the significant impact of the pandemic on the overall U.S. and global economy. Air travel demand may continue to fluctuate as a result of the pandemic either moderating or becoming more extreme. Our forecasted expenses and liquidity measures may be modified as we clarify the pilot shortage recovery timing and its impact upon our block hour production. The variable revenue based on the number of block hours has been significantly impacted by pilot attrition and our corresponding shortage of trained pilots. We may experience further reductions in subsequent quarters. As a result of the pilot shortage, elevated pilot attrition and its negative impact on our financial results, we have taken, and are continuing to take, certain actions to increase liquidity and strengthen our financial position which include:
| • | Working collaboratively with our major partners, we have and continue to address financial and operational impacts of pilot attrition, hiring and overall associated costs.
| • | We have added flight training simulators and flight training instructors to expand our training capacity to more rapidly backfill pilots lost to attrition.
| • | We have implemented a bonus program to attract new pilots and put in other incentives to attract and retain simulator instructors and line check airmen.
| • | We have expanded the United Aviate program participation to include all pilots flying for Mesa allowing Mesa to attract and retain more qualified pilots. Previously, pilots had to fly under the United Express contract for a minimum of two (2) years to qualify for the flow through to United Airlines. Now, all pilots regardless of contract, are eligible to flow through to United.
| • | We continue to evaluate other initiatives to increase pilot recruitment and accelerate training throughput.
| • | We have formally listed 12 excess aircraft for sale to raise capital and retire debt
| • | We have a plan to sell 18 CRJ-700 aircraft that are currently leased to a third party.
| • | We have initiated discussions to refinance and defer repayment of our outstanding and drawn balance on our revolving credit facility with CIT Bank, N.A which is currently due in December 2022.
| • | We have delayed and/or deferred major spending on aircraft and engine maintenance to match the current and projected level of flight activity.
While there is no guarantee that these initiatives will come to fruition or otherwise achieve their desired objective, we believe it is probable that the initiatives outlined above, along with the cash flow from operating activities and cash on hand will provide us with adequate cash resources to maintain our operations and comply with our various debt and other contractual agreements, through at least the next 12 months. As of June 30, 2022, the Company has $112.8 million of principal maturity payments on long-term debt due within the next twelve months. We plan to meet these obligations with our cash on hand, ongoing cashflows from our operations, as well as the liquidity created from our plans to monetize 18 CRJ-700 aircraft, refinance our revolving credit facility, and further amend our CPAs. If our plans are not realized, this will necessitate exploring additional opportunities to create liquidity by refinancing and deferring repayment of our principal maturity payments that are due within the next twelve months. The Company continues to monitor covenant compliance with its lenders as any noncompliance could have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, cash flows and results of operations. See Sources and Uses of Cash in our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section for additional disclosure. American Capacity Purchase Agreement As of June 30, 2022, we operated 40 CRJ-900 aircraft under an Amended and Restated Capacity Purchase Agreement with American dated November 19, 2020 (as amended, the “American CPA”). In exchange for providing passenger flight services, 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 departure (“CD0”) and controllable flight completion (“CCF”) percentages. American also reimburses us for certain costs on an actual basis, including passenger liability and hull insurance and aircraft property taxes. 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. The American CPA expires on December 31, 2025. Our American CPA is subject to termination prior to its expiration in various circumstances including:
| • | If either American or we become insolvent, file for bankruptcy, or fail to pay the debts as they become due, the non-defaulting party may terminate the agreement;
| • | If either we or American fail to perform the covenants, conditions, or provisions of the American CPA, subject to certain notice and cure rights, the non-defaulting party may terminate the agreement;
| • | If, at any time during the term of the American CPA, the number of covered aircraft is less than twenty (20);
| • | If we are required by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) or the United States Department of Transportation (“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;
| • | If either our CCF or CD0 falls below certain levels for a specified period of time;
| • | Upon the occurrence of a force majeure event (as defined in the American CPA) that lasts for a specified period of consecutive days and affects our ability to operate scheduled flights, including a future epidemic or pandemic;
| • | If a labor dispute affects our ability to operate over a specified number of days or we operate in violation of any existing American collective bargaining agreement; or
| • | Upon a change in our ownership or control without the written approval of American.
Under the American CPA, American had the option in its sole discretion to withdraw up to: (i) ten (10) aircraft during calendar year 2021, (ii) five (5) aircraft during each of calendar years 2022 and 2023, and (iii) during the period from January 1, 2024 to July 31, 2024, American can remove the first 20 aircraft to the extent not otherwise removed in 2021 – 2023, and thereafter American has the right to remove the remaining 20 aircraft. American also has the right and option to withdraw a specified number of aircraft upon each occurrence of the following:
| • | If our CCF falls below certain levels for a specified period of time, American may withdraw one aircraft;
| • | If our CD0 falls below certain levels for a specified period of time, American may withdraw one aircraft;
| • | If we fail to satisfactorily complete established cabin interior program requirements by certain deadlines, American may withdraw one aircraft; or
| • | If our block hour utilization falls below certain levels for a specified period of time, American may withdraw a specified number of aircraft.
On June 10, 2022, we amended our American CPA, pursuant to Amendment No. 8 thereto, to modify certain commercial terms thereunder. On June 20, 2022, we amended our American CPA, pursuant to Amendment No. 9 thereto, which amended and restated Schedule 1 (Covered Aircraft) to the American CPA and set forth certain equipment modification requirements with respect to Covered Aircraft added to such Schedule. For the months of May and June 2022, we did not meet the CCF or CD0 minimum performance levels under the American CPA. The failure to meet the CCF or CD0 minimum performance levels for two (2) consecutive months under the terms of the American CPA gives American the right to remove two (2) additional aircraft from the CPA, one (1) aircraft for not meeting the CCF minimum performance level for two (2) consecutive months and one (1) aircraft for not meeting the CD0 minimum performance level for two (2) consecutive months. The Company's failure to meet the CCF or CD0 minimum performance levels for three (3) consecutive months gives American the right to terminate the CPA upon 90 days' notice and to provide a wind-down schedule. Subsequent to June 30, 2022, we entered into Amendment No. 10 to our American CPA which, among other things, reset the CCF and CD0 3-month measurement periods for purposes of American's termination rights to commence August 2022. See Note 17 - Subsequent Events for a discussion of Amendment No. 10. In addition to the foregoing, our block hour utilization has fallen below required levels in prior months, which also gives American the right to withdraw certain aircraft, subject to complying with applicable notice requirements under the American CPA. As of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, American has not exercised such withdrawal rights. United Capacity Purchase Agreement As of June 30, 2022, we operated 60 E-175 and 20 E-175LL aircraft under a Second Amended and Restated Capacity Purchase Agreement with United dated November 4, 2020 (as amended, the “United CPA”). In exchange for providing passenger flight services, 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 reimburses us for certain costs on an actual basis, including property tax per aircraft and passenger liability insurance. United also 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 E-175 aircraft owned by United. Other expenses, including fuel and certain landing fees, are directly paid to suppliers by United. Under our United CPA, United owns 42 of the 60 E-175 aircraft and all of the E-175LL aircraft and leases them to us at nominal amounts. The E-175 aircraft owned by United and leased to us have terms expiring between 2024 and 2028, and the 18 E-175 aircraft owned by us have terms expiring in 2028. The E-175LL aircraft have terms expiring between 2032 and 2033. Pursuant to the United CPA, we agreed to lease our CRJ-700 aircraft to another United Express service provider for a term of nine (9) years. We ceased operating our CRJ-700 fleet in February 2021 in connection with the transfer of those aircraft into a lease agreement, and as of June 30, 2022, have entered into agreements to lease 20 of our 20 CRJ-700 aircraft. Our United CPA is subject to termination rights prior to its expiration in various circumstances including:
| • | If certain operational performance factors fall below a specified percentage for a specified time, subject to notice under certain circumstances;
| • | If we fail to perform the material covenants, agreements, terms or conditions of our United CPA 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;
| • | 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;
| • | United, subject to certain conditions, including the payment of certain costs tied to aircraft type, may terminate the agreement in its discretion, or remove E-175 aircraft from service, by giving us notice of 90 days or more;
| • | If United elects to terminate our United CPA in its entirety or permanently remove certain aircraft from service, we are permitted to return any of the affected E-175 aircraft leased from United at no cost to us; and
| • | Commencing five (5) years after the actual in-service date, United has the right to remove the E-175 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.
DHL Flight Services Agreement On December 20, 2019, we entered into a Flight Services Agreement with DHL (the “DHL FSA”). Under the terms of the DHL FSA, we operate three (3) Boeing 737-400F aircraft to provide cargo air transportation services. In exchange for providing cargo flight services, we receive a fee per block hour with a minimum block hour guarantee. We are eligible for a monthly performance bonus or subject to a monthly penalty based on timeliness and completion performance. Ground support expenses including fueling and airport fees are paid directly by DHL. Under our DHL FSA, DHL leases two (2) Boeing 737-400F aircraft and subleases them to us at nominal amounts. DHL reimburses us on a pass-through basis for all costs related to heavy maintenance including C-checks, off-wing engine maintenance and overhauls including life limited parts (“LLPs”), landing gear overhauls and LLPs, thrust reverser overhauls, and APU overhauls and LLPs. Certain items such as fuel, de-icing fluids, landing fees, aircraft ground handling fees, en-route navigation fees, and custom fees are paid directly to suppliers by DHL or otherwise reimbursed if incurred by us. Our DHL FSA expires five (5) years from the commencement date of the first aircraft placed into service, which was in October 2020. DHL has the option to extend the agreement with respect to one or more aircraft for a period of one year with 90 days’ advance written notice. Our DHL FSA is subject to termination rights prior to its expiration in various circumstances including:
| • | If either party fails to comply with the obligations, warranties, representations, or undertakings under the DHL FSA, subject to certain notice and cure rights;
| • | If either party is declared bankrupt or insolvent;
| • | If we are unable to legally operate the aircraft under the DHL FSA for a specified number of days;
| • | At any time after the first anniversary of the commencement date of the first aircraft placed in service with 90 days’ written notice;
| • | If we fail to comply with performance standards for three consecutive measurement periods;
| • | If we are subject to a labor incident that materially and adversely affects our ability to perform services under the DHL FSA for a specified number of days;
| • | Upon a change in our control or ownership; and
| • | DHL may terminate the agreement for a specific aircraft if it is subject to a total loss and we do not provide alternate services at our expense, or if the aircraft becomes unavailable for more than 30 days due to unscheduled maintenance.
For the months of April, May, and June 2022, we did not meet the CCF and CA minimum performance levels under the DHL FSA. The failure to meet the minimum performance levels for three (3) consecutive months under the terms of the DHL FSA gives DHL the right to terminate the FSA. Management has received a waiver arising out of the failure to meet the aforementioned CCF and CA performance levels.

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