Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Readers should carefully consider the risks described below before making an investment decision. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our common stock could decline due to any of these risks, and investors may lose all or part of their investment.
Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has materially and adversely affected, and will likely continue to materially and adversely affect, our results of operations, financial position and liquidity.
In December 2019, an outbreak of COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China. The COVID-19 outbreak spread throughout the world. In March 2020, the President of the United States declared a national emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic has materially and adversely affected passenger demand and bookings for air travel, thereby materially and adversely affecting operating income and cash flows from operations. As a result, we incurred a net loss of $184 million in 2020, our first net loss since 2002. We applied various measures to conserve our liquidity through cost reductions and other means. These efforts included reducing airline capital expenditures, suspending all non-airline capital expenditures; reducing our published flight schedule; placing a number of aircraft in storage; accelerated the retirement date of certain aircraft; implementing voluntary time-off programs for employees; suspending all hiring and non-contract salary increases; temporarily reducing named executive officer salaries and
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Board of Director cash retainer fees; and extending vendor payment terms. We will continue some of these measures into the future as we deem necessary until we return to profitability.
The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and our financial and operational performance will depend on future developments, including the duration, spread, severity and recurrences of the COVID-19 or similar viruses; the possible imposition of testing requirements before domestic travel; the duration and scope of related federal, state and local government restrictions; the availability and effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19 and any variants of the virus; the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall demand for air travel; and our access to capital, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused public health officials to recommend precautions to mitigate the spread of the virus. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal, state and local authorities have at various times instituted measures such as imposing self-quarantine requirements, requiring testing before entry into certain states; issuing directives forcing businesses to temporarily close, restricting air travel and issuing shelter-in-place and similar orders limiting the movement of individuals. Such measures have depressed demand for air travel, disrupted our operations, and materially adversely affected our business. The resulting cancellations of flights resulted in an unprecedented amount of cash refunds and the issuance of travel vouchers to customers. Further, due to the fears and restrictions involved with travel in the near term, sales of tickets for future travel have been adversely affected. The cancellations and cash refunds have negatively affected our revenues and liquidity, and such negative effects may continue based on circumstances surrounding the pandemic. We will continue to be materially adversely affected if government authorities extend existing orders or impose new orders or other restrictions intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, or if fear of travel continues to depress future ticket sales.
Instances of actual or perceived risk of infection among our employees, or our service providers’ employees, could further negatively impact our operations. We could also be materially adversely affected if we are unable to effectively maintain a suitably skilled and sized workforce, address employment-related matters, or maintain satisfactory relations with our employees or our employees’ labor representatives.
Moreover, the ability to attract and retain passengers depends, in part, upon the perception and reputation of our company and the public’s concerns regarding the health and safety of air travel generally. Actual or perceived risk of infection on our flights could have a material adverse effect on the public's comfort with air travel, which could harm our reputation and business. We expect we will continue to incur COVID-19 related costs as we sanitize airplanes and implement additional hygiene-related protocol to airplanes, and take other action to limit infection among our employees and passengers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also significantly increased economic and demand uncertainty. Historically, unfavorable U.S. economic conditions have driven changes in travel patterns, including reduced spending for both leisure and business travel. Unfavorable economic conditions, when low fares are often used to stimulate traffic, have also historically hampered the ability of airlines to raise fares to counteract any increases in fuel, labor, and other costs. Any significant increases in unemployment in the United States due to the adoption of social distancing and other policies to slow the spread of the virus would likely continue to have a negative impact on passenger bookings, and these effects could exist for an extensive period of time. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly evolve. The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is highly uncertain and subject to change.
We rely on discretionary spending by individuals and households as most of our customers fly with us for leisure as opposed to business purposes.
Many attractions in the leisure destinations we serve, such as Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas hotels, temporarily closed, and those which have reopened have done so with restrictions in place, which have and will continue to impact travel to these destinations.
The spread of COVID-19 and related responsive actions have adversely impacted our financial condition, liquidity and cash flow.
The spread of COVID-19 and related government and private sector responsive actions, including actions we have taken to stem the spread of the virus, have and will continue to adversely impact our financial condition, liquidity and cash flow in the near term. While we are focused on mitigating the impact to our balance sheet by, among other things, suspending dividends and share repurchases and suspending all non-essential capital expenditures and discretionary spending, a prolonged disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic could have a longer-term material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and cash flow.
We may need to seek significant amounts of additional liquidity if the pandemic results in continuing losses. In that event, we would consider the issuance of additional debt securities, equity securities and equity-linked securities, as well as through credit facilities. However, the terms of our existing debt agreements, including our Term Loan and Senior Secured Notes (as defined in Management's Discussion and Analysis), may not permit us to do so. These credit agreements contain covenants limiting our ability to, among other things, make certain types of restricted payments, including paying dividends, incur debt or liens, merge or consolidate with others, dispose of assets, enter into certain transactions with affiliates, engage in certain business activities or make certain investments. In addition, the Term Loan and Senior Secured Notes contain financial covenants, including requiring us, at the end of each calendar quarter, to maintain a maximum total leverage ratio of 5.00:1.00 and to maintain a minimum aggregate amount of liquidity of $300.0 million. We have pledged our assets to secure these loans with the exceptions of aircraft
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and aircraft engines, the Sunseeker Resort and certain other exceptions. This will limit our ability to obtain debt secured by these pledged assets while these loans are outstanding. The loan agreements contain various events of default (including failure to comply with the covenants under the loan agreements), and upon an event of default the lenders may, subject to various cure rights, require the immediate payment of all amounts outstanding under these loans. As a result of these restrictive covenants, we may be limited in how we conduct business, and we may be unable to raise additional debt or equity financing.
Moreover, on March 17, 2020, S&P Global Ratings downgraded our corporate issue rating and Moody’s Investors Service placed our ratings on downgrade review, in both cases due to reduced demand for air travel. Our ability to raise cost-effective capital is in part dependent on our credit ratings, and we cannot assure you that our credit ratings will be stable or improve. Such downgrade actions and potential future downgrade actions may negatively affect our ability to seek additional sources of liquidity on favorable terms, if at all.
Although our working capital has been sufficient to meet our obligations to date, our future liquidity could be severely impacted by the prolonged continuance of the COVID-19 pandemic and the aforementioned negative effects on our ability to raise cost-effective capital, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have entered into agreements with the U.S. Treasury with respect to funding support pursuant to the Payroll Support Programs; pursuant to which we have agreed to certain restrictions on how we operate our business and use our cash and which could limit our ability to take actions that we otherwise might have determined to be in the best interests of our company and our shareholders.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") was signed into law. The CARES Act provides liquidity in the form of grants and loans to air carriers, such as to us, that incurred, or are expected to incur, covered losses such that the continued operations of the business are jeopardized, as determined by the Treasury. Additional benefits were made available to us under a section of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “PSP Extension Act”) enacted in December 2020. In April 2020 and in January 2021, we reached agreements with the Treasury with respect to funding support pursuant to the Payroll Support Program and the PSP Extension Act. Pursuant to these agreements, we have agreed to certain restrictions on our business and operations, including the following:
We are prohibited from repurchasing our common stock and from paying cash dividends on our common stock until March 31, 2022;
We must place certain restrictions on certain higher-paid employee and executive pay, including limiting pay increases and severance pay or other benefits upon terminations, until October 1, 2022;
We are prohibited from involuntary terminations or furloughs of our employees (except for death, disability, cause, or certain disciplinary reasons) until March 31, 2021, and we are required to recall and compensate certain employees terminated after October 1, 2020;
We may not reduce the salary, wages, or benefits of our employees (other than our executive officers, or as otherwise permitted under the terms of the Payroll Support Program and PSP Extension Act) until March 31, 2021;
Until March 1, 2022, we must comply with any requirement issued by the DOT that we maintain certain scheduled air transportation service as DOT deems necessary to ensure services to any point served by us before March 1, 2020.
These restrictions may require that we take, or limit taking, actions that we believe to be in the best interests of our company and our shareholders. For example, the restrictions could require that we change certain of our business practices, risk our ability to retain key personnel, and expose us to additional costs (including increased compliance costs).
Risks Related to Allegiant
Our reputation and financial results could be harmed in the event of an accident or restrictions affecting aircraft in our fleet.
As of February 12, 2021, our operating fleet consists exclusively of 97 Airbus A320 series aircraft, of which all but 13 were acquired used. Our aircraft range from 1 to 23 years from their manufacture date at February 12, 2021, with an average age of 14 years.
An accident involving one of our aircraft, even if fully insured, could result in a public perception that we are less safe or reliable than other airlines, which would harm our business. Further, there is no assurance that the amount of insurance we carry would be sufficient to protect us from material loss. Because we are smaller than most airlines, an accident would likely adversely affect us to a greater degree than a larger, more established airline.
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In-flight emergencies affecting our aircraft, and resulting media attention, could also contribute to a public perception regarding safety concerns and a loss of business.
The FAA could suspend or restrict the use of our aircraft in the event of actual or perceived mechanical problems or safety issues while it conducts its own investigation, whether involving our aircraft or another U.S. or foreign airline’s aircraft. Our business could also be significantly harmed if the public avoids flying our aircraft due to an adverse perception of the aircraft we utilize because of safety concerns or other problems, whether real or perceived, or in the event of an accident involving these aircraft.
A breach in the security of personal or credit card data could severely damage our reputation, cause considerable additional costs and result in regulatory penalties.
We receive, retain, and transmit certain personal information about our customers. Our on-line operations also rely on the secure transmission of this customer data. We use third party systems, software, and tools in order to protect the customer data we obtain through the course of our business. Although we use these security measures to protect this customer information, a compromise of our physical or network security systems through a cyber-security attack would create the risk that our customers’ personal information might be obtained by unauthorized persons. A compromise in our security systems could adversely affect our reputation, which could impact customers' willingness to do business with us using credit or debit cards, disrupt operations, and could also result in litigation or the imposition of penalties. In addition, it could be costly to remediate.
The way businesses handle customer data is subject to increasing legislation and regulation typically intended to protect the privacy of customer data received, retained, and transmitted. We could be adversely affected if we fail to comply with existing rules or practices, or if legislation or regulations are expanded to require changes in our business practices. These privacy developments are difficult to anticipate and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We rely heavily on automated systems to operate our business and any failure of these systems could harm our business.
We depend on automated systems to operate our business, including our air reservation system, telecommunication systems, our website, and other automated systems. Our continuing initiatives to enhance the capabilities of our automated systems could increase the risk of automation failures. Any failure by us to handle our automation needs could negatively affect our internet sales (on which we rely heavily) and customer service, and result in lost revenues and increased costs.
Our website and reservation system must be able to accommodate a high volume of traffic and deliver necessary functionality to support our operations. Our automated systems cannot be completely protected against events that are beyond our control, such as natural disasters, telecommunications failures, malware, ransom ware, security breaches or cyber-security attacks. Although we have implemented security measures, have information systems disaster recovery plans in place and carry cyber-security insurance, we cannot assure investors that these measures are adequate to prevent disruptions or that the insurance would cover all losses. Substantial or repeated website, reservations system, or telecommunication system failures could decrease the attractiveness of our services. Any disruption to these systems could result in the loss of important data and revenue, increase in expenses, and harm to our business.
Increases in fuel prices or unavailability of fuel would harm our business and profitability.
Fuel costs constituted approximately 17.5 percent of our total operating expenses in 2020. Significant increases in fuel costs have negatively affected our operating results in the past, and future fuel cost volatility could materially affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Both the cost and availability of aircraft fuel are subject to many economic and political factors and events occurring throughout the world over which we have no control. Meteorological events may also result in short-term disruptions in the fuel supply. Aircraft fuel availability is also subject to periods of market surplus and shortage, and is affected by demand for heating oil, gasoline, and other petroleum products. Due to the effect of these events on the price and availability of aircraft fuel, our ability to control this cost is limited, and the price and future availability of fuel cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty. Due to the high percentage of our operating costs represented by fuel, a relatively small increase in the price of fuel could have a significantly negative impact on our operating costs. A fuel supply shortage or higher fuel prices could result in reduction of our service during the period affected.
We have made a business decision not to purchase financial derivatives to hedge against increases in the cost of fuel. This decision may make our operating results more vulnerable to the impact of fuel price increases.
Increased labor costs could result from industry conditions and could be impacted by labor-related disruptions.
Labor costs excluding the impact of the CARES Act grant constituted approximately 30 percent of our total operating costs in 2020, our largest expense line item.
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Further, we have four employee groups (pilots, flight attendants, flight dispatchers and maintenance technicians) which have elected union representation. These groups represent approximately 65 percent of our employees.
In 2016, we reached a collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing our pilots, which became effective as of August 1, 2016. The pilot agreement becomes amendable in August 2021.
An agreement with the Transport Workers Union for the flight attendant group was approved in December 2017, and an agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for the flight dispatchers was approved in May 2019. These agreements will also increase costs over their respective five-year contract terms.
We are also still in the negotiation process with our maintenance technicians, for which negotiations commenced in January 2019.
Union contracts with these, or other, work groups could put additional pressure on our labor costs.
If we are unable to reach agreement on the terms of collective bargaining agreements in the future, or we experience wide-spread employee dissatisfaction, we could be subject to work slowdowns or stoppages. Any of these events could have an adverse effect on our operations and future results.
The successful development of our first Sunseeker Resort is dependent on commercial and economic factors, some of which are beyond our control.
We are developing a hotel resort in Southwest Florida. Construction began in the first quarter of 2019 but construction was suspended in March 2020 so that we could conserve liquidity during the pandemic. We do not currently intend to re-commence construction until we secure satisfactory financing arrangements. The successful development of the project will be subject to various risks inherent in construction projects (such as securing sufficient financing on a timely basis, cost overruns and construction delays) as well as risks of gaining sufficient interest from vacationers to stay in our hotel and suites, the desirability of the project’s location, competition and the ability to profitably operate the hotel and related offerings once open.
Increases in taxes could impact demand for our services.
In 2021, Congress may consider legislation that could increase the amount of Federal Excise Tax (“FET”) and/or one or more of the other government fees imposed on air travel. Under the CARES Act, applicability of FET was suspended for the remainder of 2020; it was reinstated as of January 1, 2021. By increasing the overall price charged to passengers, any additional taxes or fees could lessen the demand for air travel or force carriers to lower fares to maintain demand. Increased taxes and fees per passenger may impact our load factors more than other airlines as our lower fares are designed to stimulate demand for our services.
FAA limitations could impact our ability to grow in the future.
As with all airlines, the FAA must approve all aircraft and cities to be added to our operation specifications. Although there are no restrictions in place at the current time, future limitations from the FAA could potentially hinder our growth.
Unfavorable economic conditions may adversely affect travel from our markets to our leisure destinations.
The airline industry is particularly sensitive to changes in economic conditions. Unfavorable U.S. economic conditions have historically driven changes in travel patterns and have resulted in reduced discretionary spending for leisure travel. Unfavorable economic conditions could impact demand for airline travel in our small and medium-sized cities to our leisure destinations. During difficult economic times, we may be unable to raise prices in response to fuel cost increases, labor, or other operating costs, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
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Our indebtedness, debt service obligations and other commitments could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations as well as limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry and prevent us from servicing our debt and operating our business.
Our debt and finance lease obligations as of December 31, 2020 totaled $1.66 billion. This indebtedness and other commitments with debt service and fixed charge obligations could:
– make it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our indebtedness, and any failure to comply with the obligations of any of our debt instruments, including financial and other restrictive covenants, could result in an event of default under agreements governing our indebtedness;
– make it more difficult to satisfy our other future obligations, including our obligations to pay the purchase price in respect of current and future aircraft purchase contracts;
– require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available to fund internal growth through working capital, capital expenditures, and for other purposes;
– limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business, the competitive environment, legislation and our industry;
– make us more vulnerable to adverse changes in our business, economic, industry, market or competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;
– expose us to interest rate and pricing increases on indebtedness and financing arrangements;
– restrict us from pursuing strategic acquisitions or exploiting certain business opportunities;
– subject us to a greater risk of non-compliance with financial and other restrictive covenants in financing arrangements;
– limit, among other things, our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, execution of our business strategy and other purposes or raise equity capital in the future and increasing the costs of such additional financings; and
– place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors who may not be as highly leveraged or who have less debt in relation to cash flow.
In addition, our ability to service our indebtedness will depend on our future performance, which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and other factors. Many of these factors are beyond our control and could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
At maturity, or in the event of an acceleration of payment obligations, we may be unable to pay our outstanding indebtedness with our cash and cash equivalents then on hand. In such event, we would be required to seek alternative sources of funding, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, terms as favorable as our current agreements, or at all. If we are unable to refinance our indebtedness or find alternative means of financing our operations, we may be required to take actions that are inconsistent with our current business practices or strategy.
The announced upcoming discontinuance of publishing LIBOR rates may impact the cost or availability of financing for us.
A large portion of our variable rate indebtedness references the London interbank offered rates ("LIBOR") as a benchmark for establishing the rate. As announced in July 2017, LIBOR is expected to be phased out by the end of 2021. Although all of our LIBOR-based borrowings offer prepayment without penalty, uncertainty as to the nature of alternative reference rates and as to potential changes or other reforms to LIBOR may adversely impact the cost and availability of borrowings on which we have relied and intend to rely in the future.
Covenants in our senior secured term loan and senior secured notes could limit how we conduct our business, which could affect our long-term growth potential.
As of December 31, 2020, the principal balances of our Term Loan and Senior Secured Notes totaled $691.4 million. The loan agreements contain covenants limiting our ability to, among other things, make certain types of restricted payments, including paying dividends, incur debt or liens, merge or consolidate with others, dispose of assets, enter into certain transactions with affiliates, engage in certain business activities or make certain investments. In addition, the loan agreements contain financial covenants, including requiring us, at the end of each calendar quarter, to maintain a maximum total leverage ratio of 5.00:1.00 and to maintain a minimum aggregate amount of liquidity of $300.0 million. We have pledged our assets to secure the Term Loan and Senior Secured Notes with the exceptions of aircraft and aircraft engines, the Sunseeker Resort and certain other exceptions. This will limit our ability to obtain debt secured by these pledged assets while these loans are outstanding.
These loan agreements contain various events of default (including failure to comply with the covenants under the loan agreements), and upon an event of default the lenders may, subject to various cure rights, require the immediate payment of all amounts outstanding under the these loans.
As a result of these restrictive covenants, we may be limited in how we conduct business, and we may be unable to raise additional debt or equity financing to operate during difficult times or to take advantage of new business opportunities.
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Any inability to obtain financing for aircraft under contract could harm our fleet growth plan.
We typically finance our aircraft through debt financing after purchase. Although we believe debt financing will be available
for the aircraft we will acquire, we cannot provide assurance that we will be able to secure such financing on terms attractive to
us or at all. To the extent we cannot secure such financing on acceptable terms or at all, we may be required to modify our
aircraft acquisition plans, incur higher than anticipated financing costs, or use more of our cash balances for aircraft acquisitions than we currently expect.
Our maintenance costs may increase as our fleet ages.
In general, the cost to maintain aircraft increases as they age, and exceeds the cost to maintain newer aircraft. FAA regulations, including the Aging Aircraft Airworthiness Directives, require additional and enhanced maintenance inspections for older aircraft. These regulations can directly impact the frequency of inspections as an aircraft ages, and vary by aircraft or engine type, depending on the unique characteristics of each aircraft and/or engine.
Engine overhaul expenses for our Airbus A320 series aircraft are significantly higher than similar expenses for our prior MD-80 aircraft fleet. These major maintenance expenses for the Airbus aircraft are capitalized and amortized as part of depreciation and amortization expense.
In addition, we may be required to comply with any future law changes, regulations, or airworthiness directives. We cannot assure investors our maintenance costs will not exceed our expectations.
We rely on third parties to provide us with facilities, aircraft and services that are integral to our business.
We have entered into agreements with third party contractors to provide certain facilities and services required for our operations, such as aircraft maintenance, ground handling, baggage services, and ticket counter space. Our reliance on others to provide essential services on our behalf gives us less control over costs and the efficiency, timeliness and quality of contract services.
We also rely on the owners of aircraft under contract to be able to deliver aircraft in accordance with the terms of executed agreements in a timely manner. Our planned initiation of service with these aircraft in the future could be adversely affected if the third parties fail to perform as contractually obligated.
We may not be able to maintain or grow our ancillary revenues .
Our business strategy includes expanding our ancillary products and services. We cannot ensure that passengers will pay for additional ancillary products and services we offer in the future, or that they will continue to pay for the ancillary products and services we currently offer. Regulatory changes could also adversely affect our ancillary revenue opportunities. Failure to maintain our ancillary revenues could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and stock price. If we are unable to maintain and grow these revenues, we may be unable to execute our strategy to continue to offer low base fares in order to stimulate demand.
Our business could be harmed if we lose the services of our key personnel.
Our business depends upon the efforts of our chief executive officer, Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., president, John Redmond, and a small number of executive management and operating personnel. We do not currently maintain key-man life insurance on Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Redmond or any other executives. We may have difficulty replacing management or other key personnel who leave and, therefore, the loss of the services of any of these individuals could harm our business.
Risks Associated with the Airline and Travel Industry
Our operating results could be affected by outbreaks of communicable diseases.
As has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, contagious illness and fear of contagion could have a material adverse impact on the airline industry. Any general reduction in airline passenger traffic as a result of an outbreak of disease or other travel advisories could dampen demand for our services even if not applicable to our markets. Resulting decreases in passenger volume would harm our load factors, could increase our cost per passenger and adversely affect our operating results.
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The airline industry is highly competitive and future competition in our under-served markets could harm our business.
The airline industry is highly competitive. The smaller cities we serve on a scheduled basis have traditionally attracted considerably less attention from our potential competitors than larger markets, and in most of our small city markets, we are the only provider of nonstop service to our leisure destinations. We have continued to expand service to medium-sized cities which we believe to be under-served for nonstop service to our leisure destinations. If other airlines or new airline start-ups begin to provide nonstop services to and from these or similar markets, or otherwise target these or similar markets, the increase in the amount of direct or indirect competition could cause us to reconsider service to affected markets, could impact our margins or could impact our future planned service.
A future act of terrorism, the threat of such acts, or escalation of U.S. military involvement overseas could adversely affect our industry.
Even if not directed at the airline industry, a future act of terrorism, the threat of such acts, or escalation of U.S. military involvement overseas could have an adverse effect on the airline industry. In the event of a terrorist attack, the industry would likely experience significantly reduced demand for travel services. These actions, or consequences resulting from these actions, would likely harm our business and the airline and travel industry. If we are called on to provide aircraft in the event of national emergencies as a result of our participation in the CRAF program, our operations would be disrupted.
Changes in government laws and regulations imposing additional requirements and restrictions on our operations could increase our operating costs.
Airlines are subject to extensive regulatory and legal compliance requirements, both domestically and internationally, that involve significant costs. In the last several years, the FAA has issued a number of directives and other regulations relating to the maintenance and operation of aircraft that have required us to incur significant expenditures. FAA requirements cover, among other things, retirement of older aircraft, fleet integration of newer aircraft, safety management systems, collision avoidance systems, airborne windshear avoidance systems, noise abatement, weight and payload limits, assumed average passenger weight, employee drug and alcohol testing, and increased inspection and maintenance procedures to be conducted on aging aircraft. The future cost of complying with these and other laws, rules and regulations, including new federal legislative and DOT regulatory requirements in the consumer-protection area, cannot be predicted and could significantly increase our costs of doing business.
Over the past 12 years the DOT has adopted revisions and expansions to a variety of its consumer protection regulations and policies. Additional new regulations or policies may be proposed or take effect in 2021 or thereafter, whether on DOT's initiative or as directed by Congress. We are not able to predict the impact of any new consumer protection rules on our business, though we monitor the progress of potential rulings. We are subject to fines or other enforcement actions if the DOT believes we are not in compliance with these or other rules or regulations or with the federal consumer protection laws administered by the DOT.
Even if our practices are found to be in compliance with the DOT rules, we could incur substantial costs defending our practices. Congress may in the future consider privatization of the U.S. Air Traffic Control system with user fee based funding; the potential effect on our operating costs is unknown. Additionally, federal funding to airports and/or airport bond financing could be affected through future deficit reduction legislation, which could result in higher fees, rates, and charges at many of the airports we serve. From time to time legislative proposals have been made to re-regulate the airline industry in varying degrees - for example, to specify minimum seat-size and legroom requirements - which if adopted could affect our costs materially.
We anticipate that in 2021 and thereafter, legislative and regulatory concern with the environmental impacts of the air transportation industry will increase, and that the longer-term effects on our fleet and operating costs may be substantial. Aviation accounts for approximately 2.6 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions and approximately 9 percent of emissions by the U.S. transportation sector as a whole. In the past, legislation to address climate change issues as they relate to the transportation industry has been introduced in the U.S. Congress, including a proposal to require transportation fuel producers and importers to acquire market-based allowances to offset the emissions resulting from combustion of their fuels. Similarly, as recently as February 2021, legislation was introduced in the U.S. Congress to incentivize the production of sustainable aviation fuel (also known as biofuel) and to assist the aviation industry in reducing GHG emissions. If enacted as proposed, the legislation would establish a national goal for the U.S. aviation sector to achieve a net 35 percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050. We cannot predict whether this or any similar legislation will pass the Congress or, if enacted into law, how it ultimately would apply to the airline industry.
In addition, the EPA concluded in 2016 that current and projected concentrations of GHG emitted by various aircraft, including all of the aircraft we and other carriers operate, threaten public health and welfare. This finding may be a precursor to EPA regulation of commercial aircraft emissions in the United States, as has taken effect for operations within the European Union under EU legislation. Binding international measures adopted under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”), a specialized agency of the United Nations, are scheduled to become effective over the next several years, with the pilot phase beginning in 2021. In January 2021 the EPA adopted regulations setting emissions standards equivalent to ICAO’s for newly-designed aircraft, with immediate effect, and for in-production aircraft, effective 2028. The aircraft we currently operate are not affected by these standards, although as noted, we anticipate an ever-increasing legislative and regulatory focus on
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aviation’s impacts on the environment. These developments and any additional legislation or regulations addressing climate change are likely to increase our costs of doing business in the future and the increases could be material.
With respect to aircraft weight and balance, consumer protection, climate change, taxation, and other matters affecting the airline industry, whether the source of new requirements is legislative or regulatory, increased costs will adversely affect our profitability if we are unable to pass the costs on to our customers or adjust our operations to offset the new costs.
Existing and proposed state-specific labor laws could affect our ability to schedule and operate flights efficiently, and as a result could increase our operating costs and liability exposure.
Various states and localities across the country are attempting to impose requirements, such as wage and hour requirements, meal and rest break and sick leave laws, on flight attendants and pilots (“flight crew”) who spend the vast majority of their working hours in the air and in various states and jurisdictions on a daily basis. These requirements would create significant operational challenges for air carriers by creating a patchwork of state and local laws which undermine the federal deregulation of the airline industry and, in theory, could require airlines to simultaneously comply with rules which conflict with those of other jurisdictions and the provisions of labor agreements. Courts continue to remain divided on whether federal deregulation preempts these state laws and Congress has not addressed the issue. The impact on flight crew staffing, pay and scheduling technology may potentially increase our costs of doing business and could make certain routes cost prohibitive. Flight crews have filed class action lawsuits against air carriers in a number of states with varied results and, in many cases, the results have been appealed. We have been sued in California by a flight attendant seeking class action certification on claims involving these issues. Such suits are costly to defend and could result in sizeable liability exposure for any air carrier.
Airlines are often affected by factors beyond their control, including air traffic congestion, weather conditions, increased security measures, and a reduction in demand to any particular market, any of which could harm our operating results and financial condition.
Like other airlines, we are subject to delays caused by factors beyond our control, including air traffic congestion at airports and en route, adverse weather conditions, increased security measures, and the outbreak of disease. Delays frustrate passengers and increase costs, which in turn could affect profitability. During periods of fog, snow, rain, storms or other adverse weather conditions, flights may be canceled or significantly delayed. Cancellations or delays due to weather conditions, traffic control problems, and breaches in security could harm our operating results and financial condition.
A substantial proportion of our scheduled flights have Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Los Angeles, Punta Gorda, Cincinnati, or Destin as either their destination or origin. Our business could be harmed by any circumstances causing a reduction in demand for air transportation to one or more of these markets, or our other leisure destinations, such as adverse changes in local economic conditions, negative public perception of the particular city, significant price increases, or the impact of future terrorist attacks or natural disasters.
Risks Related to Our Stock Price
The market price of our common stock may be volatile, which could cause the value of an investment in our stock to decline.
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate substantially due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:
– the impact of pandemics and other communicable diseases on air travel and any related government restrictions impacting air travel
– fuel price volatility, and the effect of economic and geopolitical factors and worldwide oil supply and consumption on fuel availability
– announcements concerning our competitors, new market entrants, the airline industry, or the economy in general
– strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings
– media reports and publications about the safety of our aircraft or the aircraft types we operate
– new regulatory pronouncements and changes in regulatory guidelines
– announcements concerning our business strategy
– our ability to grow service in the future as rapidly as the market anticipates as we continue to add more cities to our network
– general and industry-specific economic conditions
– changes in financial estimates or recommendations by securities analysts
– substantial sales of our common stock or other actions by investors with significant shareholdings
– additional issuances of our common stock
– labor work actions
23
– general market conditions
The stock markets in general have experienced substantial volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These types of broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
In the past, stockholders have sometimes instituted securities class action litigation against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their securities. Although we have insurance to cover these claims, these lawsuits or similar litigation could result in substantial costs, divert management’s attention and resources, and harm our business or results of operations.
Other companies may have difficulty acquiring us, even if doing so would benefit our stockholders, due to provisions under our corporate charter and bylaws, as well as Nevada law.
Provisions in our articles of incorporation, our bylaws, and under Nevada law could make it more difficult for other companies to acquire us, even if doing so would benefit our stockholders. Our articles of incorporation and bylaws contain the following provisions, among others, which may inhibit an acquisition of our company by a third party:
– advance notification procedures for matters to be brought before stockholder meetings
– a limitation on who may call stockholder meetings
– the ability of our board of directors to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock without a stockholder vote
We are also subject to provisions of Nevada law that prohibit us from engaging in any business combination with any “interested stockholder,” meaning generally that a stockholder who beneficially owns 10 percent or more of our stock cannot acquire us for a period of time after the date this person became an interested stockholder, unless various conditions are met, such as approval of the transaction by our board of directors and stockholders.
Under U.S. laws and the regulations of the DOT, we must be under the actual control of U.S. citizens at all times. By law, our president/CEO and at least two-thirds of our board of directors and other managing officers must be U.S. citizens and not more than 25 percent of our voting stock may be owned or controlled by non-U.S. citizens (although consistent with DOT policy, our overall foreign economic ownership may be as high as 49 percent). Any of these restrictions as well as DOT prior-approval requirements could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control.
Our corporate charter and bylaws include provisions limiting voting by non-U.S. citizens.
To comply with restrictions imposed by federal law on foreign ownership of U.S. airlines, our articles of incorporation and bylaws restrict voting of shares of our capital stock by non-U.S. citizens. The restrictions imposed by federal law currently require no more than 25 percent of our stock be voted, directly or indirectly, by persons who are not U.S. citizens, and that our president and at least two-thirds of the members of our board of directors be U.S. citizens. Our bylaws provide no shares of our capital stock may be voted by or at the direction of non-U.S. citizens unless such shares are registered on a separate stock record, which we refer to as the foreign stock record. Our bylaws further provide no shares of our capital stock will be registered on the foreign stock record if the amount so registered would exceed the foreign ownership restrictions imposed by federal law. Registration on the foreign stock record is made in chronological order based on the date we receive a written request for registration. Non-U.S. citizens will be able to own and vote shares of our common stock only if the combined ownership by all non-U.S. citizens does not violate these requirements.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.