JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORP (JBLU)
SIC breadcrumb: Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas, And Sanitary Services > SIC Major Group 45 > SIC 4512 Air Transportation, Scheduled
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1158463. Latest filing source: 0001158463-26-000007.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read JBLU's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read JBLU's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Peer comparisons including JBLU
- U.S. passenger airlines: peer review · market-risk page
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 9,062,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-12 |
| Net income | -602,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-12 |
| Assets | 16,570,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-12 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-12. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001158463.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 6,584,000,000 | 7,012,000,000 | 7,658,000,000 | 8,094,000,000 | 2,957,000,000 | 6,037,000,000 | 9,158,000,000 | 9,615,000,000 | 9,279,000,000 | 9,062,000,000 |
| Net income | 727,000,000 | 1,140,000,000 | 189,000,000 | 569,000,000 | -1,354,000,000 | -182,000,000 | -362,000,000 | -310,000,000 | -795,000,000 | -602,000,000 |
| Operating income | 1,260,000,000 | 973,000,000 | 266,000,000 | 800,000,000 | -1,714,000,000 | -80,000,000 | -298,000,000 | -230,000,000 | -684,000,000 | -368,000,000 |
| Diluted EPS | 2.13 | 3.45 | 0.60 | 1.91 | -4.88 | -0.57 | -1.12 | -0.93 | -2.30 | -1.66 |
| Operating cash flow | 1,632,000,000 | 1,379,000,000 | 1,200,000,000 | 1,449,000,000 | -683,000,000 | 1,642,000,000 | 379,000,000 | 400,000,000 | 144,000,000 | -94,000,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 850,000,000 | 1,074,000,000 | 908,000,000 | 932,000,000 | 715,000,000 | 907,000,000 | 767,000,000 | 1,128,000,000 | 1,478,000,000 | 1,078,000,000 |
| Assets | 9,323,000,000 | 9,781,000,000 | 10,959,000,000 | 11,918,000,000 | 13,406,000,000 | 13,642,000,000 | 13,045,000,000 | 13,853,000,000 | 16,841,000,000 | 16,570,000,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 4,013,000,000 | 4,732,000,000 | 4,685,000,000 | 4,799,000,000 | 3,951,000,000 | 3,849,000,000 | 3,563,000,000 | 3,337,000,000 | 2,641,000,000 | 2,120,000,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 433,000,000 | 303,000,000 | 474,000,000 | 959,000,000 | 1,918,000,000 | 2,018,000,000 | 1,042,000,000 | 1,166,000,000 | 1,921,000,000 | 1,946,000,000 |
| Free cash flow | 782,000,000 | 305,000,000 | 292,000,000 | 517,000,000 | -1,398,000,000 | 735,000,000 | -388,000,000 | -728,000,000 | -1,334,000,000 | -1,172,000,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 11.04% | 16.26% | 2.47% | 7.03% | -45.79% | -3.01% | -3.95% | -3.22% | -8.57% | -6.64% |
| Operating margin | 19.14% | 13.88% | 3.47% | 9.88% | -57.96% | -1.33% | -3.25% | -2.39% | -7.37% | -4.06% |
| Return on equity | 18.12% | 24.09% | 4.03% | 11.86% | -34.27% | -4.73% | -10.16% | -9.29% | -30.10% | -28.40% |
| Return on assets | 7.80% | 11.66% | 1.72% | 4.77% | -10.10% | -1.33% | -2.78% | -2.24% | -4.72% | -3.63% |
| Liabilities / equity | 1.32 | 1.07 | 1.34 | 1.48 | 2.39 | 2.54 | 2.66 | 3.15 | 5.38 | 6.82 |
| Current ratio | 0.63 | 0.56 | 0.55 | 0.67 | 1.25 | 0.95 | 0.51 | 0.60 | 1.10 | 0.74 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0001158463-26-000007; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0001158463-26-000007; concept PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets | Free cash flow: accession 0001158463-26-000007; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001158463-26-000007; filed 2026-02-12. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-07-28. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001158463.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 0.18 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | -0.58 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 0.41 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 2,353,000,000 | -153,000,000 | -0.46 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 2,325,000,000 | -103,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 2,209,000,000 | -716,000,000 | -2.11 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 2,428,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 0.07 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 2,365,000,000 | -60,000,000 | -0.17 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 2,277,000,000 | -44,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 2,140,000,000 | -208,000,000 | -0.59 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 2,356,000,000 | -74,000,000 | -0.21 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 2,322,000,000 | -143,000,000 | -0.39 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 2,244,000,000 | -177,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 2,240,000,000 | -319,000,000 | -0.86 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-06-30 | 2,697,000,000 | -247,000,000 | -0.66 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001158463-26-000075; filed 2026-07-28. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001158463-26-000075; filed 2026-07-28. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001158463-26-000075; filed 2026-07-28. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001158463-26-000075.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Part I, Item 2 of this Report should be read together with our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Report and our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our 2025 Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current plans, expectations and beliefs involving risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors" of our 2025 Form 10-K and in Part II, Item 1A "Risk Factors" and other parts of this Report.
We expect our operating results to fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter in the future due to factors such as economic and geopolitical conditions, weather events, cost of aircraft fuel, and various other factors, many of which are outside of our control. Consequently, we believe quarter-over-quarter comparisons of our operating results may not necessarily be meaningful; you should not rely on our results for any one quarter as an indication of our future performance. Except for uncertainty related to the cost of aircraft fuel, we expect our expenses to continue to increase from wage rate cost pressures, as we acquire additional aircraft, and as our fleet ages.
OVERVIEW
Second Quarter 2026 Results
In the second quarter of 2026, we had an operating loss of $141 million, compared to an operating income of $6 million in the 2025 period. The increase in operating loss is driven by higher operating expenses, primarily due to higher fuel prices. The increase in operating expenses was partially offset by higher revenue driven by stronger demand and increased pricing.
As we progressed through the second quarter of 2026, demand remained resilient across our network, even as JetBlue and industry fares moved higher throughout the quarter. Strength was robust throughout the booking curve, including close-in demand.
Our second quarter 2026 highlights include the following:
•Second quarter 2026 system available seat miles ("ASMs" or "capacity") increased by 3.2% year-over-year.
•Operating revenue for the second quarter of 2026 was $2.7 billion, a 14.5% increase year-over-year.
•Operating expense for the second quarter of 2026 was $2.8 billion, a 20.8% increase year-over-year.
•Operating expense, excluding special items (1) for the second quarter of 2026 was $2.8 billion, a 22.0% increase year-over-year.
•Operating expense per available seat mile ("CASM") for the second quarter of 2026 increased by 17.0% year-over-year to 16.53 cents compared to the second quarter of 2025.
•Excluding fuel, special items, and operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our cost per available seat mile ("CASM ex-fuel") (1) increased by 2.4% to 11.12 cents in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the second quarter of 2025.
Recent Developments
JetForward
JetForward, our strategic framework, is focused on four priority moves: delivering reliable and caring service, building the best east coast leisure network, offering products and perks customers value, and providing a secure financial future. Our JetForward plan, which is designed to support our long-term profitability goals, reflects various assumptions regarding factors that may impact our operational and financial performance. For further information on potential factors that could affect the success of our strategic initiatives, including JetForward, see Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors" within our 2025 Form 10-K.
The sections below highlight some actions made to support these priority moves during the quarter.
(1) Refer to "Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Table of Contents
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Reliable and Caring Service
We remain focused on delivering safe, reliable, and caring service for our customers. On-time performance, as defined by the DOT, is arrival within 14 minutes of scheduled arrival time. In the three months ended June 30, 2026, our system-wide on-time performance was 78.2% compared to 77.3% for the same period in 2025. Our completion factor was in line with the prior period at 99.5% for the three months ended June 30, 2026 compared to 99.6% for the same period in 2025.
Best East Coast Leisure Network
We are focused on high-performing leisure, visiting-friends-and-relatives and transcontinental routes in core geographies like New York, New England, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
In the second quarter, we continued executing our strategy to build the best East Coast leisure network, and launched seasonal service from Boston to two new destinations, Barcelona and Milan, with Milan marking JetBlue's first-ever service to Italy. Together, these additions expanded our Boston transatlantic reach to nine European destinations.
In addition, we continued expanding our presence in Fort Lauderdale, where Spirit’s exit represents one of the most significant strategic opportunities JetBlue has seen in many years. Fort Lauderdale continued to benefit from very strong customer demand, and second quarter revenue per ASM ("RASM") increased 11%, while capacity increased nearly 40%.
In July 2026, we launched additional service from Fort Lauderdale and now operate more than 125 daily departures to more than 55 nonstop destinations, representing our largest schedule from the airport. We also introduced a more structured bank schedule, with two southbound and two northbound banks designed to better connect customers to the Caribbean and Latin America. By December, we expect to surpass 150 daily flights from Fort Lauderdale and operate the largest Mint® schedule from Fort Lauderdale in JetBlue's history.
In July 2026, we were selected as the successful bidder to acquire certain operating authorizations (slots) previously operated by Spirit Airlines at New York's LaGuardia Airport. If completed, the acquisition would support up to 12 daily roundtrips at LaGuardia. The transaction closing remains subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions.
Products and Perks Customers Value
During the second quarter of 2026, we continued to enhance our products and services by increasing the value of our loyalty program, expanding premium offerings, and introducing additional benefits designed to improve the customer experience.
Blue Sky implementation advanced in the second quarter of 2026 with the introduction of reciprocal loyalty benefits for eligible Mosaic and MileagePlus members, including priority boarding, preferred and extra legroom seating, and same-day standby options. In July 2026, Paisly began distributing United's car rental products, with hotels and travel insurance expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, further supporting our broader travel platform strategy.
We continued to see strong engagement across our loyalty offerings, supported in part by the relaunch of our premium co-brand credit card and demand for its BlueHouseTM benefit, which contributed to growth in new card acquisitions and loyalty remuneration during the quarter. In addition, we launched a new Buy Now, Pay Later option through ClarityPay, providing customers with additional payment flexibility.
We continue to invest in our premium offerings, including our BlueHouseTM lounge network, with the second location expected to open in Boston in August 2026. BlueFirstTM, our planned domestic first-class product is our largest individual JetForward initiative, and an important next step in evolving our product offering. We plan to launch sales in the fall of 2026, with the majority of the retrofit work expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
We also continued to enhance Mint®, which earned the highest ranking in customer satisfaction in the first/business class segment in North America by J.D. Power for the second consecutive year. During the quarter, we announced new onboard culinary partnerships for Mint® with refreshed menu offerings inspired by New York restaurants expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026.
A Secure Financial Future
To secure our financial future, we remain focused on preserving liquidity, maintaining cost discipline, and proactively managing our balance sheet. In the second quarter, as fuel prices remained elevated and the macroeconomic and geopolitical backdrop remained fluid, we focused on the levers within our control, including disciplined capacity, commercial actions, cost
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Table of Contents
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
initiatives, and fuel burn. JetForward continued to support profitability through cost initiatives, including enhanced digital tools and technology modernization to improve crewmember productivity, improved fuel efficiency through advanced flight planning and routing, real-time data, and predictive analytics, and expanded AI- and data science-enabled capabilities to improve planning, automate decision-making, and better manage disruptions.
We also completed a $500 million aircraft-backed financing transaction, further strengthening our liquidity position.We continue to take a disciplined and proactive approach to managing the balance sheet, with a focus on maintaining liquidity, supporting JetForward, and optimizing our cost of capital.
Liquidity
At June 30, 2026, we had $2.2 billion in liquidity, which included unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and investment securities. In addition, we have a $600 million Citibank undrawn line of credit.
Pratt & Whitney
In July 2023, Pratt & Whitney, a division of RTX Corporation, announced the requirement, mandated by the FAA, for removal of certain engines for inspection due to a rare condition involving powdered metal used in the production of certain engine parts on the PW1100G and PW1500G engine types. These engines power our Airbus A321neo and Airbus A220 fleets. The powdered metal affects engines manufactured between October 2015 and September 2021. Those engines are now required to be inspected after they have reached a reduced number of cycles dependent on the fleet type. As a result of these required inspections and other engine durability deficiencies, as of June 30, 2026, we had four aircraft grounded due to lack of engine availability. The Company currently expects each removed engine to take approximately 200 days for the PW1500G engines and approximately 300 days for the PW1100G engines to complete a shop visit and return to a serviceable condition. We believe we are past the peak number of groundings and expect the number of aircraft on the ground due to lack of engine availability to be in mid-single digits for the remainder of 2026.
On July 27, 2026, we entered into supplemental support and other agreements with International Aero Engines, LLC ("IAE"), an affiliate of RTX Corporation, Pratt & Whitney Division, related to certain PW1100G and PW1500G engine operational disruptions, technical issues occurring through December 31, 2025 and other matters. Under the agreements, we received consideration including credits up to $105 million that may be applied toward future purchases of qualifying goods and services from IAE, IAE International Aero Engines AG and Pratt & Whitney through December 31, 2027, including in exchange for waiving certain claims.
These credits are accounted for as vendor consideration under ASC 705-20 and will be allocated to qualifying purchases through December 31, 2027 based on our estimated eligible spend for applicable goods and services during that period. Credits associated with operating expenditures will be recognized as reduction
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current plans, expectations and beliefs involving risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and other parts of this Report.
We expect our operating results to fluctuate significantly from year-to-year and quarter-to-quarter in the future due to factors such as economic conditions, weather events, cost of aircraft fuel, geopolitical developments, regulatory issues, supply constraints, competition and various other factors, including those discussed in this Annual Report, many of which are outside of our control. Consequently, we believe year-over-year comparisons of our operating results may not necessarily be meaningful; you should not rely on our results for any one year as an indication of our future performance. Except for uncertainty related to the cost of aircraft fuel, we expect our expenses to continue to increase from wage rate cost pressures, as we acquire additional aircraft, and as our fleet ages.
OVERVIEW
In 2025, we incurred a net loss of $602 million, compared to a net loss of $795 million in 2024, a decrease of $193 million compared to the prior year. This decrease is primarily due to the 2024 write off of Spirit-related costs for $532 million as a result of the termination of the Merger Agreement in March 2024, as well as lower current year fuel costs and benefits from our JetForward initiatives. The decrease was partially offset by a decrease in operating revenue due to softening demand compared to the prior year as well as higher costs related to maintenance materials and repairs and salaries, wages and benefits. Additionally, we incurred higher interest expense, primarily due to the financing of TrueBlue® loyalty program in August 2024.
During 2025, we adjusted our business to navigate a challenging macro environment by identifying cost savings and proactively reducing capacity as demand softened. Tariff uncertainty weakened consumer demand which resulted in reduced air travel spending. In addition, the fourth quarter was marked by unexpected challenges due to operational disruptions related to the government shutdown, the Airbus airworthiness directive and two major weather events contributing to higher costs and reduced capacity. Despite these headwinds, we have continued to make progress on our JetForward initiatives, partially offsetting these operating margin impacts. We introduced Blue Sky, our collaboration with United Airlines, and launched reciprocal accrual and redemption of loyalty points. Our products and perks are increasingly positioned to capture premium revenue following the enhancement of EvenMore®, the continued outperformance of preferred seating, the release of our premium credit card and the opening of our first-ever lounge at JFK. Our network changes continued to progress well and we have regained our position as Fort Lauderdale's largest airline with new routes and additional frequencies. Additionally, we continue to make progress on the JetForward cost program by implementing AI and data science technology, executing operational initiatives, and strengthening efficiencies.
2025 Results
Our 2025 financial and operational highlights include the following:
•2025 system available seat miles ("ASMs" or "capacity") decreased by 1.6% compared to 2024.
•We generated $9.1 billion in operating revenue, a decrease of $217 million, or 2.3% compared to 2024, primarily due to softening demand.
•Operating expense decreased by 5.3% year-over-year to $9.4 billion.
•Our operating expenses in 2025 and 2024 included the effects of special items. Excluding aircraft fuel, special items, and operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our 2025 adjusted operating expense (1) increased by 4.4% to $7.3 billion, year-over-year.
•Operating expense per available seat mile ("CASM") decreased by 3.8% to 14.51 cents year-over-year.
•Excluding fuel, special items, and operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our cost per available seat mile ("CASM ex-fuel") (1) increased by 6.2% to 11.2 cents year-over-year.
(1) Refer to our "Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Recent Developments
JetForward
JetForward, our strategic framework, is focused on four priority moves: delivering reliable and caring service, building the best east coast leisure network, offering products and perks customers value, and providing a secure financial future. Our JetForward plan, which is designed to support our long-term profitability goals, reflects various assumptions regarding factors that may impact our operational and financial performance. For further information on potential factors that could affect the success of our strategic initiatives, including JetForward, see Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors."
The sections below highlight some additional changes made to support these priority moves during the year.
Reliable and Caring Service
On-time performance, as defined by the DOT, is arrival within 14 minutes of scheduled arrival time. In 2025, our system-wide on-time performance was 74.3% compared to 74.1% in 2024. Our completion factor remained the same at 98.6% in 2025 and 2024. Net Promoter Score increased eight points year over year reflecting customer satisfaction driven by these operational reliability improvements.
Best East Coast Leisure Network
We are focused on high-performing leisure, visiting-friends-and-relatives and transcontinental routes in core geographies like New York, New England, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
In 2025, we expanded our network by launching new service from Boston to two transatlantic locations, Madrid, Spain and Edinburgh, Scotland. We began new service to San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Wilmington, North Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; Traverse City, Michigan; Vero Beach, Florida, and returned service to Daytona Beach, Florida. We added service from Tampa and Fort Myers to various destinations and expanded Boston service to Latin America and the Caribbean.
We regained our position as Fort Lauderdale's largest airline launching over 20 new routes and adding frequencies on a dozen others. Additionally, we expanded the availability of Fort Lauderdale Mint® and are selling up to 26 daily Mint® flights touching Fort Lauderdale this winter.
We further strengthened our Mint® service by launching new seasonal Mint® service from both Newark and Orlando to Las Vegas, marking the first Mint® service in Orlando.
We announced further expansion in Europe by launching seasonal transatlantic routes from Boston to Barcelona, Spain and Milan, Italy, starting in spring 2026.
Products and Perks Customers Value
During the year, we made enhancements to our customer experience by increasing the value of our product offerings and customer experience, and positioning ourselves to capture premium revenue.
We enhanced our EvenMore® product by adding additional amenities such as dedicated overhead bin space, free alcohol, and a premium snack. Additionally, EvenMore® is now selling via global distribution systems, providing customers more opportunities to book our premium economy offering on a single ticket through travel agents and online travel agencies.
We announced our collaboration with United Airlines. This collaboration is structured to give customers of both airlines even more options to find flights that fit their plans as well as new opportunities to earn and use MileagePlus® miles and TrueBlue® points across both airlines. Blue Sky includes a standard interline between JetBlue and United Airlines, which is expected to be implemented over time. In October 2025, customers became eligible to earn and redeem points across both JetBlue Airways and United Airlines loyalty programs. We are also now able to reaccommodate customers across either airline in the event of a real-time cancellation or schedule change. In February 2026 we began to cross-merchandise flights on one another's website, and expect implementation to progress in 2026 at which point we plan to introduce additional enhancements such as reciprocal benefits including priority boarding, preferred and extra legroom seating, and same-day standby and flight changes, with anticipated implementation beginning in March 2026. Additionally, during the second quarter of 2026, we expect to begin selling United Airlines non-air ancillaries through Paisly. We plan to launch with car rentals, followed by cruises, vacation packages and travel insurance, with the expectation to be selling all ancillary products by the end of 2026.
We announced the rebranding of JetBlue Travel Products to Paisly, LLC ("Paisly"). The rebranding marks a strategic milestone within JetBlue's JetForward strategy, as Paisly evolves into a full-service, tech-enabled managed travel services company. With a mission to deliver personalized, human-first experiences, Paisly is positioned to serve not only JetBlue customers but also those of other airlines, starting with our collaboration with United Airlines, and is expected to support a growing range of partners across the broader travel landscape. The collaboration will contribute to our high-margin, high-growth Paisly business for the distribution of hotels, rental cars, cruises, travel insurance and packages under United's brand.
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We expanded our co-brand portfolio with the launch of our premium credit card, which exceeded sign-up targets.
In December 2025, we opened BlueHouse, our first airport lounge, at JFK Terminal 5. The next BlueHouse location is scheduled to open at BOS Terminal C in 2026.
We announced that JetBlue was the first airline in the world to sign on with Amazon's Leo, an advanced low Earth orbit satellite broadband network, to bring even faster and more reliable connectivity to our onboard Wi-Fi. We expect to adopt Amazon Leo's cutting-edge technology on a portion of our fleet in 2027.
We plan to launch domestic first class in 2026, with a portion of our fleet planned to be completed by year-end and the vast majority to be complete by the end of 2027.
We were awarded the top airline for first and business class customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power 2025 North America Airlines Satisfaction Study. Additionally, our core product rose to second place for both economy and premium economy categories.
A Secure Financial Future
To secure our financial future and navigate near-term demand volatility, we are focused on maintaining a healthy liquidity position, executing cost discipline, and managing our fleet to drive capital light growth. We continue to make progress on the JetForward cost program by implementing AI and data science technology to optimize planning, better manage disruptions, and enable greater customer self service. We are modernizing fuel processes and are unlocking cost savings through technology, process and operational initiatives. Additionally, we strengthened efficiencies on our fixed support center costs.
Liquidity
At December 31, 2025, we had $2.5 billion in liquidity, which included unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and investment securities. In addition, we had a $600 million Citibank line of credit.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, we repaid $461 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations.
Refer to Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Report for additional information on these financing transactions.
Pratt & Whitney
In July 2023, Pratt & Whitney, a division of RTX Corporation, announced the requirement, mandated by the FAA, for removal of certain engines for inspection due to a rare condition involving powdered metal used in the production of certain engine parts on the PW1100G and PW1500G engine types. These engines power our Airbus A321neo and Airbus A220 fleets. The powdered metal affects engines manufactured between October 2015 and September 2021. Those engines are now required to be inspected after they have reached a reduced number of cycles dependent on the fleet type. As a result of these required inspections and other engine durability deficiencies, we averaged nine aircraft on the ground in 2025 and as of December 31, 2025, we had four aircraft grounded due to lack of engine availability. The Company currently expects each removed engine to take approximately 200 days for the PW1500G engines and approximately 300 days for the PW1100G engines to complete a shop visit and return to a serviceable condition.
We believe we are past the peak number of groundings and expect the number of aircraft on the ground due to lack of engine availability to be in mid-single digits in 2026. We are currently working with Pratt & Whitney on a commercial resolution and any potential remediation steps remain uncertain.
Embraer E190 Fleet Transition
In 2025, as part of the Company's fleet transition plan, we retired our remaining Embraer E190 aircraft - marking nearly two decades of service and completing our transition to a more cost efficient and customer focused all-Airbus fleet. The Company entered into definitive agreements to sell our remaining owned Embraer E190 fleet, which included 25 airframes, 60 engines and the related Embraer E190 spare parts. These aircraft sales began in July 2025 and are expected to continue through the second quarter of 2026. In 2025, we sold Embraer E190 airframes, engines, as well as full flight simulators, and recorded a net gain of $32 million related to the E190 fleet transactions, which is included in other operating expenses on our consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2025, we had 11 permanently parked Embraer E190 aircraft, of which eight are owned and three are awaiting lease return.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion is a comparison of the 2025 to 2024 results of operations. Refer to Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 for detailed discussions comparing the 2024 to 2023 period.
2025 Compared to 2024
Overview
We reported a net loss of $602 million, an operating loss of $368 million and operating margin of (4.1)% for the year ended December 31, 2025. This compares to net loss of $795 million, operating loss of $684 million, and operating margin of (7.4)% for the year ended December 31, 2024. Our loss per share was $1.66 for 2025 compared to a loss per share of $2.30 for 2024.
Our 2025 and 2024 reported results included the effects of special items. Adjusting for these special items, our adjusted net loss (1) was $593 million, adjusted operating loss (1) was $338 million, and our adjusted operating margin (1) was (3.7)% for 2025. This compares to an adjusted net loss (1) of $245 million, adjusted operating loss (1) of $93 million, and an adjusted operating margin (1) of (1.0)% for 2024. Excluding special items, our adjusted loss per share (1) was $1.64 for 2025 compared to an adjusted loss per share of $0.71 for 2024.
Operating Revenues
| (revenues in millions; percent changes based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| Passenger revenue | $ | 8,336 | $ | 8,617 | (281) | (3.3) | % | |||||||
| Other revenue | 726 | 662 | 64 | 9.6 | ||||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 9,062 | $ | 9,279 | (217) | (2.3) | % | |||||||
| Average fare | $ | 211.93 | $ | 212.78 | (0.85) | (0.4) | ||||||||
| Yield per passenger mile (cents) | 15.57 | 15.68 | (0.11) | (0.7) | ||||||||||
| Passenger revenue per ASM (cents) | 12.82 | 13.04 | (0.22) | (1.7) | ||||||||||
| Operating revenue per ASM (cents) | 13.94 | 14.04 | (0.10) | (0.7) | ||||||||||
| Average stage length (miles) | 1,301 | 1,287 | 14 | 1.1 | ||||||||||
| Revenue passengers (thousands) | 39,336 | 40,498 | (1,162) | (2.9) | ||||||||||
| Revenue passenger miles (millions) | 53,535 | 54,958 | (1,423) | (2.6) | ||||||||||
| Available seat miles (ASMs) (millions) | 65,007 | 66,082 | (1,075) | (1.6) | ||||||||||
| Load factor | 82.4 | % | 83.2 | % | (0.8) | pts |
Passenger revenue is our primary source of revenue which includes seat revenue and baggage fees, as well as revenue from our ancillary product offerings such as EvenMore®. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when the transportation is provided. Passenger revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits are recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration or when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. Passenger revenue decreased for 2025 compared to 2024 by $281 million, or 3.3%. This was mainly driven by a 1.6% reduction in capacity and a 2.9% reduction in revenue passengers.
Other revenue primarily consists of loyalty revenue from the non-transportation elements of the sale of TrueBlue® points. It also includes revenue from the sale of vacation packages, airport concessions, advertising revenue and lounge revenue. The year-over-year increase in other revenue of $64 million, or 9.6%, was principally driven by an increase in TrueBlue® non-transportation revenue due to higher customer spend.
We measure capacity in terms of available seat miles, which represents the number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown. Yield, or the average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile, is calculated by dividing passenger revenue by revenue passenger miles. We attempt to increase passenger revenue by increasing our yield and also increasing our load factor of flights, when possible. Our objective is to optimize our fare mix to increase our overall revenue per available seat mile while continuing to provide our customers with competitive fares.
(1) Refer to our "Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Operating Expenses
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents; percentages based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | Cents per ASM | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | 2025 | 2024 | % Change | ||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel | $ | 2,057 | $ | 2,343 | (286) | (12.2) | 3.16 | 3.55 | (10.8) | |||||||||||||
| Salaries, wages and benefits | 3,453 | 3,263 | 190 | 5.8 | 5.31 | 4.94 | 7.6 | |||||||||||||||
| Landing fees and other rents | 658 | 659 | (1) | (0.1) | 1.01 | 1.00 | 1.5 | |||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 688 | 655 | 33 | 5.0 | 1.06 | 0.98 | 6.7 | |||||||||||||||
| Aircraft rent | 74 | 92 | (18) | (19.1) | 0.12 | 0.14 | (17.7) | |||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 305 | 328 | (23) | (7.0) | 0.47 | 0.50 | (5.5) | |||||||||||||||
| Maintenance, materials and repairs | 791 | 628 | 163 | 26.0 | 1.22 | 0.95 | 28.1 | |||||||||||||||
| Special items | 30 | 591 | (561) | (94.9) | 0.05 | 0.89 | (94.9) | |||||||||||||||
| Other operating expenses | 1,374 | 1,404 | (30) | (2.2) | 2.11 | 2.13 | (0.6) | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,430 | $ | 9,963 | (533) | (5.3) | 14.51 | 15.08 | (3.8) |
Aircraft Fuel and Related Taxes
Aircraft fuel decreased by $286 million, or 12.2%, in 2025 compared to 2024. The average fuel price decreased 9.3% in 2025 to $2.49 per gallon and fuel consumption decreased by 3.2%, or 27 million gallons.
Salaries, Wages and Benefits
Salaries, wages, and benefits increased by $190 million, or 5.8%, in 2025, driven by wage rate increases. The wage rate increases were primarily driven by a pilot union contract wage rate increase of 9% effective August 2024.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization primarily includes owned and finance leased aircraft and spare engines, in-flight entertainment systems, airport leasehold improvements and software development. Depreciation and amortization increased $33 million, or 5.0%, compared to the 2024 period. This increase was primarily driven by the induction of new aircraft and spare engines, partially offset by the retirement of the Embraer E190 fleet as part of the Company's fleet transition plan.
Aircraft Rent
Aircraft rent decreased by $18 million, or 19.1%, in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily as a result of fewer leases for Airbus A320 aircraft and Embraer E190 aircraft. As part of the Company's fleet transition plan, certain Embraer E190 aircraft leases reached their lease expiration and were returned to the lessor. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in the number of leased engines.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing decreased by $23 million, or 7.0%, in 2025 compared to 2024, primarily due to lower credit card fees as a result of the reduction in passenger revenue.
Maintenance, Materials and Repairs
Maintenance, materials and repairs increased by $163 million, or 26.0%, in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily due to the timing and cost of Airbus A320 engine repairs.
Special Items
In 2025, special items included the following:
•$28 million relating to severance expenses; and
•$2 million relating to other special items.
In 2024, special items included the following:
•$532 million relating to Spirit-related costs;
•$26 million relating to union contract costs;
•$17 million relating to severance expenses;
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•$15 million relating to Embraer E190 fleet transition costs; and
•$1 million relating to other special items.
Other Income (Expense)
| (in millions; percent changes based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense | $ | (588) | $ | (365) | $ | (223) | 60.8 | % | |||||||
| Interest income | 127 | 111 | 16 | 14.4 | |||||||||||
| Capitalized interest | 9 | 15 | (6) | (42.2) | |||||||||||
| Gain (loss) on investments, net | 18 | (27) | 45 | NM | (1) | ||||||||||
| Gain on debt extinguishments | — | 22 | (22) | NM | |||||||||||
| Other | 28 | 31 | (3) | (8.2) | |||||||||||
| Total other expense | $ | (406) | $ | (213) | $ | (193) | 90.8 | % |
(1) Not meaningful or greater than 100% change.
Interest Expense
Interest expense increased by $223 million, or 60.8%, for 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. This increase was primarily due to the financing of our TrueBlue® program, the issuance of new equipment notes in 2024, and additional finance lease obligations.
Interest Income
Interest income increased by $16 million, or 14.4%, for 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. This increase was primarily driven by an increase in interest related to short-term investments from the proceeds received from the TrueBlue® Financings.
Gain (Loss) on Investments, Net
Gain (loss) on investments, net resulted in $18 million gain for 2025. This gain primarily relates to realized gains from maturities of available-for-sale securities. For 2024, gain (loss) on investments resulted in a $27 million loss primarily relating to a mark-to-market adjustment on our preferred shares of one of our JetBlue Ventures equity investments.
Gain on Debt Extinguishments
We did not record any gain or loss on debt extinguishments in 2025. Gain on debt extinguishments was $22 million for 2024. This gain was due to the early retirement on a portion of our 0.50% convertible senior notes, due 2026.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The airline business is capital intensive. Our ability to successfully execute our growth plan is largely dependent on the continued availability of capital on attractive terms. In addition, our ability to successfully operate our business depends on maintaining sufficient liquidity. We believe we have adequate resources from a combination of cash and cash equivalents, investment securities on-hand, and available lines of credit. Additionally, our unencumbered assets could be an additional source of liquidity, if necessary.
In October 2025, we entered into an agreement with Citibank, the Administrative Agent of our $600 million revolving credit facility, to hold in escrow funds related to the maturity of our 0.50% convertible senior notes due 2026 to maintain the facility expiration date of October 21, 2029. The escrow account was subsequently funded with the required amount of $100 million prior to December 31, 2025, satisfying the requirement under the Credit and Guaranty Agreement of the revolving credit facility.
In the future, we may decide to seek additional financing or to further increase our capital resources by issuing shares of our capital stock, offering debt or other equity securities or refinancing outstanding debt or securities. Issuing additional shares of our capital stock, other equity securities or additional securities convertible into equity may dilute the economic and voting rights of our existing stockholders, reduce the market price of our common stock, or both. Our debt agreements contain various affirmative, negative and financial covenants and complying with certain of these covenants, or entering into agreements with
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additional covenants, may restrict our ability to pursue our strategy or otherwise constrain our operations. Failure to comply with these covenants could lead to an event of default under the agreements, which may result in, among other things, an acceleration of outstanding obligations under such agreements. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect the availability, amount, timing, or nature of our future offerings. As a result, holders of our common stock bear the risk that our future offerings may reduce the market price of our common stock and dilute their percentage ownership.
As of December 31, 2025, we had unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and investment securities of $2.5 billion, which we believe will be sufficient to satisfy our liquidity needs for at least the next twelve months from the date of this Report, and we expect to meet our long-term liquidity needs with our projected cash from operations, available lines of credit and debt financing.
We believe a healthy liquidity position is a crucial element of our ability to weather any part of the economic cycle while continuing to execute on our plans for profitable growth and increased returns. Our goal is to continue to be diligent with our liquidity, maintain financial flexibility, and be prudent with capital spending.
Analysis of Cash Flows
We had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $1.9 billion as of December 31, 2025. This compares to $1.9 billion and $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We held both short and long-term investments in 2025, 2024, and 2023. These investments totaled $531 million as of December 31, 2025 compared to $2.0 billion and $564 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Operating Activities
Cash used in operating activities was $94 million in 2025. This compares to cash provided by operating activities of $144 million in 2024 and $400 million in 2023. The decrease in operating cash flow is primarily due to operating losses (adjusted for non-cash items, primarily prior year Spirit termination costs and depreciation and amortization expenses, as well as gains associated with flight equipment transactions) offset by change in operating assets and liabilities.
Investing Activities
Cash provided by investing activities totaled approximately $658 million in 2025, and cash used in investing activities totaled $3.1 billion and $1.4 billion in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
During 2025, flight equipment capital expenditures included $833 million related to the purchase of aircraft and spare engines as well as aircraft interior modifications. Flight capital expenditures also included $96 million in spare part purchases and $44 million in aircraft pre-delivery deposits payments. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facility improvements for $149 million. Investing activities for the current year also included $1.5 billion in net proceeds from investment securities and $279 million of proceeds primarily from eight sale-leaseback transactions, the sales of Embraer E190 airframes and Embraer E190 engines, and other flight equipment.
During 2024, flight equipment capital expenditures included $1.3 billion related to the purchase of aircraft and spare engines as well as aircraft interior modifications. Flight capital expenditures also included $81 million in spare part purchases and $141 million in aircraft pre-delivery deposits payments. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facility improvements for $121 million. Investing activities for 2024 also included $1.5 billion in net purchases of investment securities, $30 million of proceeds from the sale of assets and sale-leaseback transactions, and $22 million in Spirit shareholder payments.
During 2023, flight equipment capital expenditures included $946 million related to the purchase of aircraft and spare engines as well as aircraft interior modifications. Flight capital expenditures also included $63 million in spare part purchases and $78 million in flight equipment pre-delivery deposits. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facility improvements for $119 million. Investing activities for 2023 also included $131 million in Spirit shareholder payments and $42 million in net purchases of investment securities.
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Financing Activities
Financing activities during the year primarily consisted of the following proceeds:
•$52 million from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
Financing activities during 2025 also included the following payments:
•$461 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations; and
•$8 million for the acquisition of treasury stock, which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period.
Financing activities during 2024 primarily consisted of the following proceeds:
•$2.8 billion in proceeds from the TrueBlue® Financings;
•$662 million in floating rate equipment notes;
•$460 million from the issuance of 2.50% convertible senior notes;
•$668 million in proceeds from failed sale-leaseback transactions; and
•$60 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
These proceeds were partially offset by debt repayments of $748 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments:
•$402 million on our 0.50% convertible senior notes;
•$244 million on our term loan debt;
•$96 million on our failed sale-leaseback obligations; and
•$6 million on our finance lease obligations.
Financing activities during 2024 also included $6 million for the acquisition of treasury stock, which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period. It also included $66 million in financing fees related to new debt agreements in 2024.
Financing activities during 2023 primarily consisted of the following proceeds:
•$1.3 billion in proceeds from failed sale-leaseback transactions;
•$78 million in proceeds from long-term debt; and
•$53 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
These proceeds were partially offset by debt repayments of $347 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments:
•$322 million on our term loan debt;
•$24 million on our failed sale-leaseback obligations; and
•$1 million on our finance lease obligations.
Financing activities during 2023 also included $4 million for the acquisition of treasury stock, which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period. It also included $4 million in financing fees related to new debt agreements in 2023 and the extension of our $600 million revolving credit facility agreement.
Capital Resources
Depending on market conditions, we may use a mix of cash and debt financing for aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2026. For deliveries after 2026, although we believe debt and/or lease financing should be available to us, we cannot give any assurance that we will be able to secure financing on attractive terms, if at all.
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We have a revolving line of credit with Morgan Stanley for up to approximately $200 million. This line of credit is secured by a portion of our investment securities held by Morgan Stanley and the borrowing amount may vary accordingly. This line of credit bears interest at a floating rate based upon the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), or such replacement index as the bank may determine from time to time in accordance with the terms of the agreement, plus a margin. We did not borrow under this facility in 2025, 2024 or 2023.
We have a revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement with Citibank N.A. as the administrative agent, for up to $600 million (the "Revolving Facility"). The term of the Revolving Facility runs through October 2029. Borrowings under the Revolving Facility bear interest at a variable rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"), plus a margin. The Revolving Facility is secured by spare parts, aircraft, simulators, and certain other assets as permitted thereunder. The Revolving Facility includes covenants that require us to maintain certain minimum balances in unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and unused commitments available under revolving credit facilities. In addition, the covenants restrict our ability to, among other things, dispose of certain collateral, or merge, consolidate, or sell assets. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, we did not have a balance outstanding or any borrowings under the Revolving Facility.
We have the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility with Barclays Bank PLC, as administrative agent, and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as collateral administrator, for up to $765 million, with the Company and JetBlue Loyalty, LP as co-borrowers. The term of the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility runs through August 2029. The TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility is guaranteed by certain of the Company's subsidiaries and secured, on a pari passu basis with the TrueBlue® Notes, by a first lien on certain collateral in connection with the Company's customer loyalty program, TrueBlue®. The loans under the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility bear interest at a variable rate equal to Term SOFR (as defined in the agreement governing the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility) plus an applicable margin (subject to a Term SOFR floor), or another index rate plus an applicable margin. The TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility is subject to quarterly amortization payments beginning in December 2024. The TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility contains customary affirmative, negative and financial covenants including compliance with certain debt service coverage ratios and minimum liquidity requirements as well as events of default. As of and for the year ended December 31, 2025, we had a $755 million balance outstanding under the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility.
Working Capital
We had working capital deficit of $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2025 compared to a working capital surplus of $377 million as of December 31, 2024. Our working capital decreased by $1.5 billion primarily due to fewer investment securities and an increase in current maturities of long-term debt, partially offset by an increase in prepaid expenses and other. The increase in current maturities of long-term debt is due to the Company's 0.50% convertible senior notes, with a principal amount of $325 million, becoming current in 2025. The increase in prepaid expenses and other is due to an increase in held for sale assets primarily related to permanently parked airframes, engines, and related spare parts expected to sell within one year, as well as an increase in tax receivables.
Working capital deficits can be customary in the airline industry since a large portion of air traffic liability is classified within current liability.
We expect to meet our obligations as they become due through available cash, investment securities, and internally generated funds, supplemented, as necessary, by financing activities which may be available to us. We cannot predict what the effect on our business might be from future developments related to the extremely competitive environment in which we operate, or from events beyond our control, such as volatile fuel prices, economic conditions, weather-related disruptions, airport infrastructure challenges, the spread of infectious diseases, the impact of other airline bankruptcies, restructurings or consolidations, U.S. or international military actions, acts of terrorism, or other external geopolitical events and conditions. We believe there is sufficient liquidity available to us to meet our cash requirements for at least the next 12 months.
Debt and Finance Leases
As part of our efforts to effectively manage our balance sheet, we expect to continue to actively manage our debt balances. Our approach to debt management includes managing the mix of fixed and floating rate debt, annual maturities of debt, and the weighted average cost of debt. Additionally, our unencumbered assets allow some flexibility in managing our cost of debt and capital requirements.
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Other
On February 27, 2025, we filed an automatic shelf registration statement with the SEC. This registration statement replaces the previous one, which expired in February 2025. Under this shelf registration statement, we may offer and sell from time to time common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depository shares, warrants, stock purchase contracts, stock purchase units, subscription rights, and pass-through certificates. We may utilize this shelf registration statement, or a replacement filed with the SEC, in the future to raise capital to fund the continued development of our products and services, the commercialization of our products and services, to repay indebtedness, or for other general corporate purposes. The warrants issued in connection with the various federal government support programs were made, and any issuances of our underlying common stock are expected to be made, in reliance on the exemption from the registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), for transactions not involving a public offering.
None of our lenders or lessors are affiliated with us.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
Our material cash requirements for known contractual and other obligations as of December 31, 2025 includes the following (in millions):
| Payments due in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | Thereafter | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt and finance lease obligations (1) | $ | 1,314 | $ | 950 | $ | 1,028 | $ | 2,227 | $ | 957 | $ | 5,010 | $ | 11,486 | ||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 139 | 128 | 110 | 89 | 84 | 938 | 1,488 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Flight equipment purchase obligations (2) | 641 | 302 | 519 | 444 | 398 | 3,375 | 5,679 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other obligations (3) | 352 | 409 | 431 | 280 | 307 | — | 1,779 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 2,446 | $ | 1,789 | $ | 2,088 | $ | 3,040 | $ | 1,746 | $ | 9,323 | $ | 20,432 |
The amounts stated above do not include additional obligations incurred as a result of financing activities executed after December 31, 2025, except as otherwise noted.
(1)The interest rates are fixed for $6.6 billion of our debt and finance lease obligations, with the remaining $1.9 billion having floating interest rates. The estimated floating rate is equal to SOFR plus an applicable margin based on December 31, 2025 rates. The weighted average maturity of all of our debt was 6 years as of December 31, 2025.
(2)Committed expenditures for our firm aircraft and spare engines include estimated amounts for contractual price escalations and pre-delivery deposits. We expect to meet our pre-delivery deposit requirements for our aircraft by paying cash or by using short-term borrowing facilities for deposits generally required six to 24 months prior to delivery. Any pre-delivery deposits paid by the issuance of notes are fully repaid at the time of delivery of the related aircraft.
Flight equipment purchase obligations include obligations for one Airbus A321neo XLR variant aircraft that has been contracted to sell following delivery of the aircraft. The aircraft is anticipated to deliver in the second quarter of 2026.
(3)Amounts primarily include non-cancelable commitments for flight equipment maintenance, construction and information technology.
Debt and Finance Lease Obligations
As of December 31, 2025, we were in compliance with the material covenants of our debt and lease agreements.
In August 2024, JetBlue co-issued with JetBlue Loyalty, LP, the TrueBlue® Notes and TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility. The agreements governing the TrueBlue® Notes and TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility contain affirmative, negative and financial covenants including compliance with certain debt service coverage ratios and minimum liquidity requirements. These agreements also contain events of default, including a cross-default to other material indebtedness.
We have $60 million of restricted cash pledged under standby letters of credit related to certain leases that will expire at the end of the related lease terms. Approximately 61% of our owned property and equipment and intangible assets at net book value were pledged or committed to be pledged as security under various loan agreements.
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Operating Lease Obligations
As of December 31, 2025, we had operating lease obligations for 10 aircraft with lease terms that expire between 2027 and 2028. Our aircraft lease agreements contain termination provisions which include standard maintenance and return conditions. Our policy is to record these lease return conditions when they are probable and the costs can be estimated. As of December 31, 2025, the average age of our operating fleet was 12 years. We also lease airport terminal space and other airport facilities in each of our markets, as well as office space and other equipment.
We have a lease agreement with the PANYNJ for terminal 5 through November 2042 with the option to terminate the agreement in 2033. In November 2022, we amended the lease to relinquish a portion of the former Terminal 6 property to allow for development of a new Terminal 6 by our development partners, JFK Millennium Partners ("JMP") through a $65 million letter of credit in exchange for 5% ownership. This amount is included in restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2025. In 2025 we reassessed the lease term and concluded that we intend to utilize the facility through 2042 rather than exercise the early termination option in 2033. As a result, we adjusted the related right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability to reflect the 2042 end date. Minimum ground and facility rents at JFK totaling $1.2 billion are included in the commitments table above as operating lease obligations.
We have a long term lease for our primary corporate office in Long Island City until 2039. We have a one-time option to terminate the lease in 2034. At the end of the initial lease term, we have the option to renew the lease for either one renewal term of 10 years, or two renewal terms of five years each. The total committed expenditure for the lease through 2039 is approximately $76 million.
Flight Equipment Purchase Obligations
Our firm aircraft orders include the following aircraft (1):
| Year | Airbus A220 | Airbus A321neo (3) | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 | 1 | 15 | |||
| 2027 | 5 | — | 5 | |||
| 2028 | 11 | — | 11 | |||
| 2029 | 10 | — | 10 | |||
| 2030 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||
| Thereafter | — | 41 | 41 | |||
| Total (2) | 41 | 45 | 86 |
(1) Our committed future aircraft deliveries are subject to change based on modifications to the contractual agreements or changes in the delivery schedules.
(2) In addition, we have options to purchase 20 A220-300 aircraft in 2027 and 2028.
(3) Includes one Airbus A321neo XLR variant aircraft which has been contracted to sell following delivery of the aircraft. The aircraft is anticipated to deliver in the second quarter of 2026.
Depending on market conditions, we may use a mix of cash and debt financing for aircraft scheduled for delivery in future years. Although we believe debt and/or lease financing should be available to us, we cannot give any assurance that we will be able to secure financing on attractive terms, if at all. To the extent we cannot secure financing on terms we deem attractive, we may be required to pay in cash, further modify our aircraft acquisition plans, or incur higher than anticipated financing costs.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
We have determined that we hold a variable interest in, but are not the primary beneficiary of, certain pass-through trusts. The beneficiaries of these pass-through trusts are the purchasers of equipment notes issued by us to finance the acquisition of aircraft. Each trust maintains a liquidity facility whereby a third party agrees to make payments sufficient to pay up to 18 months of interest on the applicable certificates if a payment default occurs.
We have also made certain guarantees and indemnities to other unrelated parties that are not reflected on our consolidated balance sheets, which we believe will not have a significant impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. We have no other off-balance sheet arrangements. See Notes 3, 4, and 11 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, for a more detailed discussion of our variable interests and other contingencies, including guarantees and indemnities.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") requires management to adopt accounting policies as well as make estimates and judgments to develop amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. We maintain a thorough process to review the application of our accounting policies and to evaluate the appropriateness of the estimates that are required to prepare our financial statements. We believe our estimates and judgments are reasonable; however, actual results and the timing of recognition of such amounts could differ from those estimates. In addition, estimates routinely require adjustment based on changing circumstances and the receipt of new or better information.
Critical accounting policies and estimates are defined as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties that could potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. The policies and estimates discussed below have been reviewed with our independent registered public accounting firm and with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. For a discussion of these and other significant accounting policies, see Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8.
Passenger Revenue
Ticket sales and related ancillary fees are initially deferred in air traffic liability. Air traffic liability represents tickets sold but not yet flown, credits which can be used for future travel, and a portion of the liability related to our TrueBlue® loyalty program. The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation identified in a passenger ticket based on relative standalone selling price. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when transportation is provided.
The majority of passenger tickets sold are non-refundable. Non-refundable fares may be canceled prior to the scheduled departure date for a credit for future travel. Refundable fares may be canceled at any time prior to the scheduled departure date. Failure to cancel a refundable fare prior to departure will result in the cancellation of the original ticket and an issuance of a credit for future travel. Most passenger credits can be used for future travel up to one year from the date of booking. Passenger breakage revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits will be recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. Breakage revenue consists of tickets that remain unused past the departure date, have continued validity, and are expected to ultimately expire unused, as well as passenger credits that are not expected to be redeemed prior to expiration. JetBlue uses estimates based on historical experience of expired tickets and credits and considers other factors that could impact future expiration patterns of tickets and credits. Tickets which do not have continued validity past the departure date are recognized as revenue after the scheduled departure date has lapsed.
Loyalty Program
Customers may earn points under our customer loyalty program, TrueBlue®, based on the fare paid and fare product purchased for a flight. Customers can also earn points through business partners such as credit card companies, hotels, car rental companies, and our participating airline partners.
Points Earned From a Ticket Purchase. When a TrueBlue® member travels, we recognize a portion of the fare as revenue and defer in air traffic liabilities the portion that represents the value of the points net of spoilage, or breakage. We allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis. We determine the standalone selling price of TrueBlue® points issued using the redemption value approach. To maximize the use of observable inputs, we utilize the actual ticket value of the tickets purchased with TrueBlue® points. The liability is relieved and passenger revenue is recognized when the points are redeemed and the free travel is provided.
Points Sold to TrueBlue® Partners. Our most significant contract to sell TrueBlue® points is with our co-branded credit card partner Barclays. Co-branded credit card partnerships have the following identified performance obligations: air transportation; use of the JetBlue brand name, and access to our frequent flyer customer lists; advertising; and other airline benefits. In determining the estimated standalone selling price, for co-branded credit card partnerships, JetBlue considers multiple inputs, methods, and assumptions, including: discounted cash flows; estimated redemption value, net of fulfillment discount; points expected to be awarded and redeemed; estimated annual spending by cardholders; estimated annual royalty for use of JetBlue's frequent flyer customer lists; and estimated utilization of other airline benefits. Payments are typically due monthly based on the volume of points sold during the period, and the terms of our marketing contracts are generally from one to ten years. The overall consideration received is allocated to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The air transportation element is deferred and recognized as passenger revenue when the points are redeemed. The other elements are recognized as other revenue when the performance obligations related to those services are satisfied, which is generally the same period as when consideration is received from the participating company.
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Amounts allocated to the air transportation element which are initially deferred include a portion that are expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within air traffic liability on our consolidated balance sheets), and a portion that are not expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within air traffic liability - non-current on our consolidated balance sheets). We periodically update this analysis and adjust the split between current and non-current liabilities as appropriate.
Points earned by TrueBlue® members never expire. TrueBlue® members can pool points between small groups of people, branded as Points Pooling™. Breakage is estimated using historical redemption patterns to determine a breakage rate. Breakage rates used to estimate breakage revenue are evaluated annually. Changes to breakage estimates impact revenue recognition prospectively.
Accounting for Long-Lived Assets
In accounting for long-lived assets, we make estimates about the expected useful lives, projected residual values, and the potential for impairment. In estimating useful lives and residual values of our aircraft, we have relied upon actual industry experience with the same or similar aircraft types and our anticipated utilization of the aircraft. Changing market prices of new and used aircraft, government regulations, and changes in our maintenance program or operations could result in changes to these estimates.
Our long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment when events and circumstances indicate the assets may be impaired. Indicators include operating or cash flow losses, significant decreases in market value, or changes in technology.
When events and circumstances indicate that our aircraft used in operations may be impaired, we determine if impairment exists by grouping our aircraft by fleet type (the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows) and then estimating their future cash flows based on projections of capacity, aircraft age, maintenance requirements, and other relevant conditions. An impairment occurs when the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows is less than the aggregate carrying value of the fleet. The impairment loss recognized is the amount by which the fleet's carrying value exceeds its estimated fair value.
Refer to Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 for further details of our impairment charges.
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REGULATION G RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
We report our financial results in accordance with GAAP; however, we present certain non-GAAP financial measures in this Report. Non-GAAP financial measures are financial measures that are derived from the consolidated financial statements, but that are not presented in accordance with GAAP. We present these non-GAAP financial measures because we believe they provide useful supplemental information that enables a meaningful comparison of our results to others in the airline industry and our prior year results. Investors should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial performance measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Further, our non-GAAP information may be different from the non-GAAP information provided by other companies. The information below provides an explanation of each non-GAAP financial measure used in this Report and shows a reconciliation of certain non-GAAP financial measures to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
Operating Expenses, excluding Fuel, Other Non-Airline Operating Expenses, and Special Items ("Operating Expenses ex-fuel") and Operating Expense ex-fuel per Available Seat Mile ("CASM ex-fuel")
Operating Expense per Available Seat Mile ("CASM") is a common metric used in the airline industry. Our CASM for the relevant periods are summarized in the table below. We exclude aircraft fuel, operating expenses related to other non-airline businesses, such as Paisly (f/k/a JetBlue Travel Products) and JetBlue Technology Ventures (JBV), and special items from total operating expenses to determine Operating Expenses ex-fuel, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, and we exclude the same items from CASM to determine CASM ex-fuel, which is also a non-GAAP financial measure. We believe the impact of these special items distorts our overall trends and that our metrics are more comparable with the presentation of our results excluding such impact.
Special items for 2025 include severance expenses and other special items.
Special items for 2024 included Spirit-related costs, union contract costs, severance expenses, Embraer E190 fleet transition costs, and other special items.
Special items for 2023 included union contract costs and Spirit-related costs.
We believe Operating Expenses ex-fuel and CASM ex-fuel are useful for investors because they provide investors the ability to measure our financial performance excluding items that are beyond our control, such as fuel costs, which are subject to many economic and political factors, as well as items that are not related to the generation of an available seat mile, such as operating expense related to certain non-airline businesses and special items. We believe these non-GAAP measures are more indicative of our ability to manage airline costs and are more comparable to measures reported by other major airlines.
The table below provides a reconciliation of our total operating expenses (GAAP measure) to Operating Expenses ex-fuel, and our CASM to CASM ex-fuel for the periods presented.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE AND OPERATING EXPENSE PER ASM (CASM), EXCLUDING FUEL | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||||
| $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,430 | 14.51 | $ | 9,963 | 15.08 | $ | 9,845 | 14.37 | |||||||||||
| Less: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel | 2,057 | 3.16 | 2,343 | 3.55 | 2,807 | 4.10 | ||||||||||||||
| Other non-airline expenses | 65 | 0.10 | 60 | 0.09 | 64 | 0.09 | ||||||||||||||
| Special items | 30 | 0.05 | 591 | 0.89 | 197 | 0.29 | ||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses, excluding fuel | $ | 7,278 | 11.20 | $ | 6,969 | 10.55 | $ | 6,777 | 9.89 | |||||||||||
| Percent change | 6.2 | % | 6.6 | % |
With respect to JetBlue's CASM ex-fuel guidance, we are unable to provide a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure to GAAP CASM, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, because the quantification of certain excluded items reflected in the CASM ex-fuel guidance cannot be calculated or predicted at this time without unreasonable efforts. The reconciling information that is unavailable would include a forward-looking range of financial performance measures beyond our control, such as fuel costs, which are subject to many economic and political factors. For the same reasons, we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could have a potentially unpredictable and potentially significant impact on our future GAAP financial results.
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Operating Expense, Operating Loss, Operating Margin, Pre-tax Loss, Pre-tax Margin, Net Loss and Loss per Share, excluding Special Items, Gain (Loss) on Investments and Gain on Debt Extinguishments
Our GAAP results in the applicable periods were impacted by charges that were deemed special items.
Special items for 2025 include severance expenses and other special items.
Special items for 2024 included Spirit-related costs, union contract costs, severance expenses, Embraer E190 fleet transition costs, and other special items.
Special items for 2023 included union contract costs and Spirit-related costs.
Certain gains and losses on our investments, net were also excluded from our 2025, 2024 and 2023 non-GAAP results. Additionally, the gain on debt extinguishments was also excluded from our 2024 non-GAAP results.
We believe the impact of these items distort our overall trends and that our metrics are more comparable with the presentation of our results excluding the impact of these items. The table below provides a reconciliation of our GAAP reported amounts to the non-GAAP amounts excluding the impact of these items for the periods presented.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE, OPERATING LOSS, OPERATING MARGIN, PRE-TAX LOSS, PRE-TAX MARGIN, NET LOSS, LOSS PER SHARE, EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS, GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS AND GAIN ON DEBT EXTINGUISHMENTS | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| (in millions except percentages) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 9,062 | $ | 9,279 | $ | 9,615 | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE | |||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,430 | $ | 9,963 | $ | 9,845 | |||||
| Less: Special items | 30 | 591 | 197 | ||||||||
| Total operating expenses excluding special items | $ | 9,400 | $ | 9,372 | $ | 9,648 | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING LOSS | |||||||||||
| Operating loss | $ | (368) | $ | (684) | $ | (230) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 30 | 591 | 197 | ||||||||
| Operating loss excluding special items | $ | (338) | $ | (93) | $ | (33) | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING MARGIN | |||||||||||
| Operating margin | (4.1) | % | (7.4) | % | (2.4) | % | |||||
| Operating loss excluding special items | $ | (338) | $ | (93) | $ | (33) | |||||
| Total operating revenues | 9,062 | 9,279 | 9,615 | ||||||||
| Adjusted operating margin | (3.7) | % | (1.0) | % | (0.3) | % | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF PRE-TAX LOSS | |||||||||||
| Loss before income taxes | $ | (774) | $ | (897) | $ | (334) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 30 | 591 | 197 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain (loss) on investments, net | 18 | (27) | 9 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on debt extinguishments | — | 22 | — | ||||||||
| Loss before income taxes excluding special items, gain (loss) on investments and gain on debt extinguishments | $ | (762) | $ | (301) | $ | (146) | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF PRE-TAX MARGIN | |||||||||||
| Pre-tax margin | (8.5) | % | (9.7) | % | (3.5) | % | |||||
| Loss before income taxes excluding special items | $ | (762) | $ | (301) | $ | (146) | |||||
| Total operating revenues | 9,062 | 9,279 | 9,615 | ||||||||
| Adjusted pre-tax margin | (8.4) | % | (3.2) | % | (1.5) | % |
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| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE, OPERATING LOSS, OPERATING MARGIN, PRE-TAX LOSS, PRE-TAX MARGIN, NET LOSS, LOSS PER SHARE, EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS, GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS AND GAIN ON DEBT EXTINGUISHMENTS (CONTINUED) | |||||||||||
| (in millions except per share amounts) | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||
| RECONCILIATION OF NET LOSS | |||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (602) | $ | (795) | $ | (310) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 30 | 591 | 197 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit related to special items | 7 | 45 | 31 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain (loss) on investments, net | 18 | (27) | 9 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to gain (loss) on investments, net | (4) | 6 | (2) | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on debt extinguishments | — | 22 | — | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax expense related to gain on debt extinguishments | — | (5) | — | ||||||||
| Net loss excluding special items, gain (loss) on investments and gain on debt extinguishments | $ | (593) | $ | (245) | $ | (151) | |||||
| CALCULATION OF LOSS PER SHARE | |||||||||||
| Loss per common share | |||||||||||
| Basic | $ | (1.66) | $ | (2.30) | $ | (0.93) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 0.08 | 1.71 | 0.59 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit related to special items | 0.02 | 0.13 | 0.09 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain (loss) on investments, net | 0.05 | (0.08) | 0.03 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to gain (loss) on investments, net | (0.01) | 0.02 | (0.01) | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on debt extinguishments | — | 0.06 | — | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax expense related to gain on debt extinguishments | — | (0.01) | — | ||||||||
| Basic excluding special items, gain (loss) on investments and gain on debt extinguishments | $ | (1.64) | $ | (0.71) | $ | (0.45) | |||||
| Diluted | $ | (1.66) | $ | (2.30) | $ | (0.93) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 0.08 | 1.71 | 0.59 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit related to special items | 0.02 | 0.13 | 0.09 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain (loss) on investments, net | 0.05 | (0.08) | 0.03 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to gain (loss) on investments, net | (0.01) | 0.02 | (0.01) | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on debt extinguishments | — | 0.06 | — | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax expense related to gain on debt extinguishments | — | (0.01) | — | ||||||||
| Diluted excluding special items, gain (loss) on investments and gain on debt extinguishments | $ | (1.64) | $ | (0.71) | $ | (0.45) |
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Glossary of Airline terminology
Airline terminology used in this section and elsewhere in this Report:
•Aircraft utilization - The average number of block hours operated per day per aircraft for the total fleet of aircraft.
•Available seat miles - The number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown.
•Average fare - The average one-way fare paid per flight segment by a revenue passenger.
•Average fuel cost per gallon - Total aircraft fuel costs, including related taxes, into-plane, transportation, airport fuel flowage, storage fees and effective portion of fuel hedging, divided by the total number of fuel gallons consumed.
•Average stage length - The average number of miles flown per flight.
•Fuel efficiency (ASMs per fuel gallon) - Available seat miles divided by the total number of fuel gallons consumed.
•Load factor - The percentage of aircraft seating capacity actually utilized, calculated by dividing revenue passenger miles by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile - Operating expenses divided by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile, excluding fuel - Operating expenses, less aircraft fuel, other non-airline expenses, and special items, divided by available seat miles.
•Operating revenue per available seat mile - Operating revenues divided by available seat miles.
•Passenger revenue per available seat mile - Passenger revenue divided by available seat miles.
•Revenue passengers - The total number of paying passengers flown on all flight segments.
•Revenue passenger miles - The number of miles flown by revenue passengers.
•Yield per passenger mile - The average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile.
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MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001158463-25-000005.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current plans, expectations and beliefs involving risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in Part I. Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and other parts of this Report.
We expect our operating results to fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter in the future due to factors such as economic conditions, weather events, cost of aircraft fuel, and various other factors, many of which are outside of our control. Consequently, we believe quarter-over-quarter comparisons of our operating results may not necessarily be meaningful; you should not rely on our results for any one quarter as an indication of our future performance. Except for uncertainty related to the cost of aircraft fuel, we expect our expenses to continue to increase from wage rate cost pressures, as we acquire additional aircraft, and as our fleet ages.
OVERVIEW
In 2024, we incurred a net loss of $795 million, compared to a net loss of $310 million in 2023, an increase of $485 million compared to the prior year. This increase is primarily due to the write off of Spirit-related costs for $532 million as a result of the termination of the Merger Agreement in March 2024.
Despite a reduction in capacity, we progressed on our revenue initiatives during the year. We saw revenue strength in our premium product offerings, with Even More® Space, preferred seating, and Mint® performing well. Also, our Blue Basic carry-on bag changes implemented this year helped bolster our revenue results. In addition, improvements in our operational metrics resulted in greater cost efficiencies. Fuel prices declined over the year and we continued to make progress on our cost savings programs, allowing us to maintain low costs for the year.
2024 Results
Our 2024 financial and operational highlights include the following:
•2024 system available seat miles ("ASMs" or "capacity") decreased by 3.5% compared to 2023.
•We generated $9.3 billion in operating revenue, a decrease of $336 million, or 3.5% compared to 2023, primarily due to lower capacity.
•Operating expense increased by 1.2% year-over-year to $10.0 billion.
•Our operating expenses in 2024 and 2023 included the effects of special items. Excluding aircraft fuel, special items, and operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our 2024 adjusted operating expense (1) increased by 2.8% to $7.0 billion, year-over-year.
•Operating expense per available seat mile ("CASM") increased by 4.9% to 15.08 cents year-over-year.
•Excluding fuel, special items, and operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our cost per available seat mile ("CASM ex-fuel") (1) increased by 6.6% to 10.55 cents year-over-year.
Recent Developments
JetForward
In July 2024, JetBlue announced JetForward, our strategic framework focused on four priority moves: delivering reliable and caring service, building the best east coast leisure network, offering products and perks customers value, and providing a secure financial future. Our JetForward plan, which is designed to support our long-term profitability goals, reflects various assumptions regarding factors that may impact our operational and financial performance.
The sections below highlight some additional changes made to support these priority moves during the year.
Reliable and Caring Service
On-time performance, as defined by the DOT, is arrival within 14 minutes of scheduled arrival time. In 2024, our system-wide on-time performance was 74.1% compared to 67.4% in 2023. Our completion factor increased to 98.6% in 2024 compared to 98.1% in 2023.
We were ranked 6th overall in Wall Street Journal's 2024 Airline Rankings, a three spot improvement from 2023.
(1) Refer to our "Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. 39
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Best Coast East Leisure Network
We are committed to refocusing our network to high-performing leisure, visiting-friends-and-relatives and transcontinental routes in core geographies like New York, New England, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
During 2024, we redeployed approximately 20% of our network to focus on our core strengths. These network changes included 15 station closures and over 50 route exits and the announcement of service to several new BlueCities.
We also opened a flight attendant crew base in San Juan, Puerto Rico in December 2024 with plans to open a pilot crew base in early 2025.
Products and Perks Customers Value
During the year, we made enhancements to our customer experience to evolve with customer preferences. We are creating more options by increasing the value of our product offerings and customer experience.
We introduced preferred seating, added new loyalty partners, and implemented a baggage policy update to the Blue Basic fare, which now includes a free carry-on bag. In 2024, we also expanded the co-brand portfolio with the announcement of a premium co-branded credit card, which launched in January 2025.
We announced plans to improve the Even More® Space booking process and onboard soft product experience. Beginning in January 2025, Even More® Space was rebranded to EvenMore® which includes dedicated overhead bin space, complimentary alcoholic beverages, and premium snack options.
We announced plans for the opening of airport lounges at JFK Terminal 5 and BOS Terminal C. The JFK lounge is expected to open in late 2025, with the BOS lounge expected to follow shortly thereafter.
We also announced plans to introduce a new domestic first class cabin on all non-Mint® aircraft, beginning in 2026.
A Secure Financial Future
To secure our financial future we deferred approximately $3.0 billion dollars of capital expenditures related to Airbus aircraft deliveries and raised significant financing. These moves strengthened our liquidity position.
Airbus Aircraft Deferral
On July 26, 2024, JetBlue and Airbus S.A.S. ("Airbus") entered into an amended delivery schedule pursuant to which we agreed to defer 44 Airbus A321neo aircraft originally scheduled for delivery from 2025 through 2029 to revised delivery dates of 2030 and beyond. This aircraft deferral shifted approximately $3.0 billion in capital expenditures to 2030 and beyond.
The Company is pursuing capital-light growth through extending the lives of certain A320 aircraft.
Liquidity
At December 31, 2024, we had $3.9 billion in liquidity, which included unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and long-term marketable securities. In addition, we had a $600 million Citibank line of credit.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we completed the following financing transactions:
•raised approximately $2.8 billion in proceeds through the issuance of 9.875% senior secured notes due 2031 ("TrueBlue® Notes") and borrowings under a new senior secured term loan facility due 2029 (the "TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility", collectively the "TrueBlue® Financings");
•issued $460 million of 2.50% convertible senior notes;
•issued $662 million in floating rate equipment notes;
•entered into $668 million of failed sale-leaseback transactions; and
•repaid $748 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, including the early retirement of $425 million related to our existing 0.50% convertible senior notes.
Refer to Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Report for additional information on these financing transactions.
Sustainability
In 2024, we signed a new commercial agreement to purchase SAF during the initial 12-month period, approximately 3.3 million gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel (with an option to purchase up to an additional 13.3 million gallons). The SAF purchase began supplying JFK airport in the fourth quarter of 2024.
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We were also one of three airlines included in the purchase of SAF certificates, equal to about 50 million gallons of high-integrity SAF, or 500,000 tons, of abated CO e, through the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance.
Pratt & Whitney
In July 2023, Pratt & Whitney, a division of RTX Corporation, announced the requirement, mandated by the FAA, for removal of certain engines for inspection due to a rare condition involving powdered metal used in the production of certain engine parts on the PW1100G and PW1500G engine types. These engines power our Airbus A220 and Airbus A321neo fleets. The powdered metal affects engines manufactured between October 2015 and September 2021. Those engines are now required to be inspected after they have reached a reduced number of cycles dependent on the fleet type. As a result of these required inspections and other engine reliability deficiencies, as of December 31, 2024, we had 11 aircraft grounded due to lack of engine availability. The Company currently expects each removed engine to take approximately 360 days to complete a shop visit and return to a serviceable condition. We currently expect aircraft out of service in 2025 to average in the mid-to-high teens.
Given that we expect to have a certain number of aircraft groundings into 2025 and beyond, we plan to continue to assess the resulting impact on our future capacity plans. We are currently working with Pratt & Whitney on a resolution and any potential remediation steps remains uncertain.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion is a comparison of the 2024 to 2023 results of operations. Refer to Part II. Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 for detailed discussions comparing the 2023 to 2022 period.
2024 Compared to 2023
Overview
We reported a net loss of $795 million, an operating loss of $684 million and operating margin of (7.4)% for the year ended December 31, 2024. This compares to net loss of $310 million, operating loss of $230 million, and operating margin of (2.4)% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Our loss per share was $2.30 for 2024 compared to a loss per share of $0.93 for 2023.
Our 2024 and 2023 reported results included the effects of special items. Adjusting for these special items, our adjusted net loss (1) was $245 million, adjusted operating loss (1) was $93 million, and our adjusted operating margin (1) was (1.0)% for 2024. This compares to an adjusted net loss (1) of $151 million, adjusted operating loss (1) of $33 million, and an adjusted operating margin (1) of (0.3)% for 2023. Excluding special items, our adjusted loss per share (1) was $0.71 for 2024 compared to an adjusted loss per share of $0.45 for 2023.
Operating Revenues
| (revenues in millions; percent changes based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| Passenger revenue | $ | 8,617 | $ | 9,008 | (391) | (4.3) | % | |||||||
| Other revenue | 662 | 607 | 55 | 9.0 | ||||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 9,279 | $ | 9,615 | (336) | (3.5) | % | |||||||
| Average fare | $ | 212.78 | $ | 211.79 | 0.99 | 0.5 | ||||||||
| Yield per passenger mile (cents) | 15.68 | 15.92 | (0.24) | (1.5) | ||||||||||
| Passenger revenue per ASM (cents) | 13.04 | 13.15 | (0.11) | (0.8) | ||||||||||
| Operating revenue per ASM (cents) | 14.04 | 14.04 | — | — | ||||||||||
| Average stage length (miles) | 1,287 | 1,230 | 57 | 4.6 | ||||||||||
| Revenue passengers (thousands) | 40,498 | 42,534 | (2,036) | (4.8) | ||||||||||
| Revenue passenger miles (millions) | 54,958 | 56,578 | (1,620) | (2.9) | ||||||||||
| Available seat miles (ASMs) (millions) | 66,082 | 68,497 | (2,415) | (3.5) | ||||||||||
| Load factor | 83.2 | % | 82.6 | % | 0.6 | pts |
Passenger revenue is our primary source of revenue which includes seat revenue and baggage fees, as well as revenue from our ancillary product offerings such as Even More® Space. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when the transportation is provided. Passenger revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits are recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration or when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. Passenger revenue decreased for 2024 compared to 2023 by $391 million, or 4.3%. This was mainly driven by a 3.5% reduction in capacity.
Other revenue primarily consists of loyalty revenue from the non-transportation elements of the sale of TrueBlue® points. It also includes revenue from the sale of vacation packages, airport concessions and advertising revenue. The year-over-year increase in other revenue of $55 million, or 9.0%, was principally driven by an increase in TrueBlue® non-transportation revenue due to higher customer spend as well as an increase in vacation bookings.
We measure capacity in terms of available seat miles, which represents the number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown. Yield, or the average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile, is calculated by dividing passenger revenue by revenue passenger miles. We attempt to increase passenger revenue by increasing our yield and also increasing our load factor of flights, when possible. Our objective is to optimize our fare mix to increase our overall revenue per available seat mile while continuing to provide our customers with competitive fares.
(1) Refer to our "Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. 42
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Operating Expenses
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents; percentages based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | Cents per ASM | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel | $ | 2,343 | $ | 2,807 | (464) | (16.5) | 3.55 | 4.10 | (13.5) | |||||||||||||
| Salaries, wages and benefits | 3,263 | 3,055 | 208 | 6.8 | 4.94 | 4.46 | 10.7 | |||||||||||||||
| Landing fees and other rents | 659 | 657 | 2 | 0.4 | 1.00 | 0.96 | 4.1 | |||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 655 | 621 | 34 | 5.5 | 0.98 | 0.90 | 9.4 | |||||||||||||||
| Aircraft rent | 92 | 126 | (34) | (27.2) | 0.14 | 0.18 | (24.5) | |||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 328 | 316 | 12 | 4.0 | 0.50 | 0.46 | 7.8 | |||||||||||||||
| Maintenance, materials and repairs | 628 | 654 | (26) | (4.1) | 0.95 | 0.96 | (0.6) | |||||||||||||||
| Special items | 591 | 197 | 394 | NM (1) | 0.89 | 0.29 | NM | |||||||||||||||
| Other operating expenses | 1,404 | 1,412 | (8) | (0.6) | 2.13 | 2.06 | 3.1 | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,963 | $ | 9,845 | 118 | 1.2 | 15.08 | 14.37 | 4.9 |
(1) Not meaningful or greater than 100% change.
Aircraft Fuel and Related Taxes
Aircraft fuel decreased by $464 million, or 16.5%, in 2024 compared to 2023. The average fuel price decreased 12.1% in 2024 to $2.75 per gallon and fuel consumption decreased by 4.9%, or 44 million gallons.
Salaries, Wages and Benefits
Salaries, wages, and benefits increased $208 million, or 6.8%, in 2024, driven by wage rate increases. The wage rate increases were primarily due to the new pilot union contract effective March 1, 2023, which included an initial pay rate increase of 14% and additional pay rate increases of 3% and 9% in August 2023 and August 2024, respectively.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization primarily includes owned and finance leased aircraft and spare engines, in-flight entertainment systems, airport leasehold improvements and software development. Depreciation and amortization increased $34 million, or 5.5%, compared to the 2023 period. This increase was primarily driven by the induction of new aircraft and spare engines.
Aircraft Rent
Aircraft rent decreased $34 million, or 27.2%, in 2024 compared to the 2023 period as a result of fewer leases for the Airbus A320 aircraft and the Embraer E190 aircraft. The Company purchased certain Airbus A320 aircraft off lease and certain Embraer E190 aircraft leases reached their lease expiration and were returned to the lessor as part of the Company's fleet transition plan.
Special Items
In 2024, special items included the following:
•$532 million relating to Spirit-related costs;
•$26 million relating to union contract costs;
•$17 million relating to voluntary opt-out costs;
•$15 million relating to Embraer E190 fleet transition costs; and
•$1 million relating to other special items.
In 2023, special items included the following:
•$105 million related to union contract costs; and
•$92 million related to Spirit-related costs.
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Other Income (Expense)
| (in millions; percent changes based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense | $ | (365) | $ | (210) | $ | (155) | 73.3 | % | |||||||
| Interest income | 111 | 70 | 41 | 58.1 | |||||||||||
| Capitalized interest | 15 | 19 | (4) | (21.2) | |||||||||||
| Gain (loss) on investments, net | (27) | 9 | (36) | NM | (1) | ||||||||||
| Gain on debt extinguishments | 22 | — | 22 | NM | |||||||||||
| Other | 31 | 8 | 23 | NM | |||||||||||
| Total other expense | $ | (213) | $ | (104) | $ | (109) | NM |
(1) Not meaningful or greater than 100% change.
Interest Expense
Interest expense increased by $155 million, or 73.3%, for 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. This increase was primarily due to incremental aircraft failed sale-leaseback transactions, new equipment notes, and the financing of our TrueBlue® program. These increases were partially offset by commitment fees incurred in 2023 related to the $3.5 billion Senior Secured Bridge Facility but canceled in March 2024 in connection with the termination of the merger with Spirit.
Interest Income
Interest income increased by $41 million, or 58.1%, for 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. This increase was primarily driven by an increase in short term investments from the proceeds received from the TrueBlue® Financings.
Gain (Loss) on Investments, Net
Gain (loss) on investments, net resulted in $27 million loss for 2024. This loss primarily relates to a mark-to-market adjustment on our preferred shares of one of our JetBlue Ventures equity investments. For 2023, gain (loss) on investments resulted in a $9 million gain on certain equity securities.
Gain on Debt Extinguishments
Gain on debt extinguishments was $22 million for 2024. This gain was due to the early retirement on a portion of our 0.50% convertible senior notes, due 2026.
Other
Other income increased by $23 million for 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. This increase is primarily due to income recorded related to our share of equity method investees' financial results.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The airline business is capital intensive. Our ability to successfully execute our growth plan is largely dependent on the continued availability of capital on attractive terms. In addition, our ability to successfully operate our business depends on maintaining sufficient liquidity. We believe we have adequate resources from a combination of cash and cash equivalents, investment securities on-hand, and available lines of credit. Additionally, our unencumbered assets could be an additional source of liquidity, if necessary.
In July 2024, we entered into an amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Credit and Guaranty Agreement (the "Facility"), dated July 29, 2024, among JetBlue, Citibank N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto (the "Second Amendment"), which modifies the Facility to, among other things, (i) extend the final maturity of the Facility to October 21, 2029; (ii) adjust the margin and the minimum liquidity requirements of the Company; (iii) replace the sustainability adjustment mechanism; (iv) allow for certain additions of eligible collateral; and (v) remove provisions relating to the terminated merger agreement with Spirit.
In August 2024, we raised approximately $2.8 billion in proceeds through the issuance of the TrueBlue® Financings, which in each case are secured by collateral consisting of assets related to our TrueBlue® loyalty program. We also raised $460 million in proceeds through the issuance of 2.50% convertible senior notes, due 2029. The initial net proceeds from the 2.50%
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convertible senior notes were used to retire a portion of our existing 0.50% convertible senior notes, due 2026. Refer to Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Report for additional information on these financing transactions.
In the future, we may decide to seek additional financing or to further increase our capital resources by issuing shares of our capital stock, offering debt or other equity securities or refinancing outstanding debt or securities. Issuing additional shares of our capital stock, other equity securities or additional securities convertible into equity may dilute the economic and voting rights of our existing stockholders, reduce the market price of our common stock, or both. Our debt agreements contain various affirmative, negative and financial covenants and complying with certain of these covenants, or entering into agreements with additional covenants, may restrict our ability to pursue our strategy or otherwise constrain our operations. Failure to comply with these covenants could lead to an event of default under the agreements, which may result in, among other things, an acceleration of outstanding obligations under such agreements. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect the availability, amount, timing, or nature of our future offerings. As a result, holders of our common stock bear the risk that our future offerings may reduce the market price of our common stock and dilute their percentage ownership.
As of December 31, 2024, our unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and long-term marketable securities of $3.9 billion, which we believe will be sufficient to satisfy our liquidity needs for at least the next twelve months from the date of this Report, and we expect to meet our long-term liquidity needs with our projected cash from operations, available lines of credit and debt financing.
We believe a healthy liquidity position is a crucial element of our ability to weather any part of the economic cycle while continuing to execute on our plans for profitable growth and increased returns. Our goal is to continue to be diligent with our liquidity, maintain financial flexibility, and be prudent with capital spending.
Analysis of Cash Flows
We had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $1.9 billion as of December 31, 2024. This compares to $1.2 billion and $1.0 billion as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We held both short and long-term investments in 2024, 2023, and 2022. These investments totaled $2.0 billion as of December 31, 2024 compared to $564 million and $522 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities was $144 million in 2024. This compares to cash provided by operating activities of $400 million in 2023 and $379 million in 2022. The decrease in operating cash flow is driven by higher operating losses due to lower revenue as a result of capacity reduction. The decrease is also due to the change in working capital and the Spirit merger termination.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities totaled approximately $3.1 billion, $1.4 billion, and $908 million in 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively.
During 2024, flight equipment capital expenditures included $1.3 billion related to the purchase of aircraft and spare engines as well as aircraft interior modifications. Flight capital expenditures also included $81 million in spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facility improvements for $121 million. Investing activities for the current year also included $1.5 billion in net purchases of investment securities, $141 million in aircraft pre-delivery deposits payments, $30 million of proceeds from the sale of assets and sale-leaseback transactions, and $22 million in Spirit shareholder payments.
During 2023, flight equipment capital expenditures included $946 million related to the purchase of aircraft and spare engines as well as aircraft interior modifications. Flight capital expenditures also included $63 million in spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facility improvements for $119 million. Investing activities for 2023 also included $131 million in Spirit shareholder payments, $78 million in flight equipment pre-delivery deposits and $42 million in net purchases of investment securities.
During 2022, flight equipment capital expenditures included $571 million related to the purchase of aircraft and spare engines as well as aircraft interior modifications. Flight capital expenditures also included $64 million for spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facility improvements for $132 million. Investing activities in 2022 also included the net proceeds of $321 million from our investment securities, $297 million in Spirit shareholder payments and $156 million in flight equipment pre-delivery deposits.
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Financing Activities
Financing activities during the year primarily consisted of the following proceeds:
• $2.8 billion in proceeds from the TrueBlue® Financings;
•$662 million in floating rate equipment notes;
•$460 million from the issuance of 2.50% convertible senior notes;
•$668 million in proceeds from failed sale-leaseback transactions; and
•$60 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
These proceeds were partially offset by debt repayments of $748 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments:
•$402 million on our 0.5% convertible senior notes;
•$244 million on our term loan debt;
•$96 million on our failed sale-leaseback obligations; and
•$6 million on our finance lease obligations.
Financing activities during 2024 also included $6 million for the acquisition of treasury stock, which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period. It also includes $66 million in financing fees related to new debt agreements in 2024.
Financing activities during 2023 primarily consisted of the following proceeds:
•$1.3 billion in proceeds from failed sale-leaseback transactions;
•$78 million in proceeds from long-term debt; and
•$53 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
These proceeds were partially offset by debt repayments of $347 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments:
•$322 million on our term loan debt;
•$24 million on our failed sale-leaseback obligations; and
•$1 million on our finance lease obligations.
Financing activities during 2023 also included $4 million for the acquisition of treasury stock, which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period. It also includes $4 million in financing fees related to new debt agreements in 2023 and the extension of our $600 million revolving credit facility agreement.
Financing activities during 2022 primarily consisted of debt repayments of $369 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments and extinguishments:
•$351 million on our term loan debt;
•$11 million towards early extinguishment of debt;
•$6 million on our failed sale-leaseback obligations; and
•$1 million on our finance lease obligations.
These principal payments were partially offset by:
•$52 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
Financing activities during 2022 also included $37 million in financing fees, of which $35 million relate to the $3.5 billion Senior Secured Bridge Facility to support the purchase of Spirit, and $6 million used for the acquisition of treasury stock, which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period.
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Capital Resources
Depending on market conditions, we may use a mix of cash and debt financing for aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2025. For deliveries after 2025, although we believe debt and/or lease financing should be available to us, we cannot give any assurance that we will be able to secure financing on attractive terms, if at all.
We have a revolving line of credit with Morgan Stanley for up to approximately $200 million. This line of credit is secured by a portion of our investment securities held by Morgan Stanley and the borrowing amount may vary accordingly. This line of credit bears interest at a floating rate based upon the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), or such replacement index as the bank may determine from time to time in accordance with the terms of the agreement, plus a margin. We did not borrow under this facility in 2024, 2023 or 2022.
We have a revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement with Citibank N.A. as the administrative agent, for up to $600 million (the "Revolving Facility"). The term of the Revolving Facility runs through October 2029. Borrowings under the Revolving Facility bear interest at a variable rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"), plus a margin. The Revolving Facility is secured by spare parts, aircraft, simulators, and certain other assets as permitted thereunder. The Revolving Facility includes covenants that require us to maintain certain minimum balances in unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and unused commitments available under revolving credit facilities. In addition, the covenants restrict our ability to, among other things, dispose of certain collateral, or merge, consolidate, or sell assets. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, we did not have a balance outstanding or any borrowings under the Revolving Facility.
We have the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility with Barclays Bank PLC, as administrative agent, and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as collateral administrator, for up to $765 million, with the Company and JetBlue Loyalty, LP as co-borrowers. The term of the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility runs through August 2029. The TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility is guaranteed by certain of the Company's subsidiaries and secured, on a pari passu basis with the TrueBlue® Notes, by a first lien on certain collateral in connection with the Company's customer loyalty program, TrueBlue®. The loans under the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility bear interest at a variable rate equal to Term SOFR (as defined in the agreement governing the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility) plus an applicable margin (subject to a Term SOFR floor), or another index rate plus an applicable margin. The TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility is subject to quarterly amortization payments beginning in December 2024. The TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility contains customary affirmative, negative and financial covenants including compliance with certain debt service coverage ratios and minimum liquidity requirements as well as events of default. As of and for the year ended December 31, 2024, we had a $763 million balance outstanding under the TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility.
Working Capital
We had working capital of $377 million as of December 31, 2024 compared to a deficit of $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2023. Our working capital increased by $1.8 billion primarily due to an increase in cash and investment securities from raising $2.8 billion in proceeds from the TrueBlue® Financings and raising $460 million in proceeds from the issuance of the 2.50% convertible senior notes. These increases were offset in part by $748 million in payments on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included an early retirement of a portion of our 0.50% convertible senior notes.
Working capital deficits can be customary in the airline industry since a large portion of air traffic liability is classified within current liability.
We expect to meet our obligations as they become due through available cash, investment securities, and internally generated funds, supplemented, as necessary, by financing activities which may be available to us. We cannot predict what the effect on our business might be from future developments related to the extremely competitive environment in which we operate, or from events beyond our control, such as volatile fuel prices, economic conditions, weather-related disruptions, airport infrastructure challenges, the spread of infectious diseases, the impact of other airline bankruptcies, restructurings or consolidations, U.S. or international military actions, acts of terrorism, or other external geopolitical events and conditions. We believe there is sufficient liquidity available to us to meet our cash requirements for at least the next 12 months.
Debt and Finance Leases
As part of our efforts to effectively manage our balance sheet, we expect to continue to actively manage our debt balances. Our approach to debt management includes managing the mix of fixed and floating rate debt, annual maturities of debt, and the weighted average cost of debt. Additionally, our unencumbered assets allow some flexibility in managing our cost of debt and capital requirements.
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Other
In February 2022, we filed an automatic shelf registration statement with the SEC. Under this shelf registration statement, we may offer and sell from time to time common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depository shares, warrants, stock purchase contracts, stock purchase units, subscription rights, and pass-through certificates. We may utilize this shelf registration statement, or a replacement filed with the SEC, in the future to raise capital to fund the continued development of our products and services, the commercialization of our products and services, to repay indebtedness, or for other general corporate purposes. The warrants issued by JetBlue to Treasury under the Acts were made, and any issuances of our underlying common stock are expected to be made, in reliance on the exemption from the registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act for transactions not involving a public offering.
None of our lenders or lessors are affiliated with us.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
Our material cash requirements for known contractual and other obligations as of December 31, 2024 includes the following (in millions):
| Payments due in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | Thereafter | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt and finance lease obligations (1) | $ | 937 | $ | 1,247 | $ | 908 | $ | 986 | $ | 2,188 | $ | 5,719 | $ | 11,985 | ||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 132 | 108 | 96 | 82 | 75 | 301 | 794 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Flight equipment purchase obligations | 981 | 690 | 288 | 410 | 321 | 3,754 | 6,444 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other obligations (2) | 397 | 372 | 376 | 425 | 290 | 9 | 1,869 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 2,447 | $ | 2,417 | $ | 1,668 | $ | 1,903 | $ | 2,874 | $ | 9,783 | $ | 21,092 |
The amounts stated above do not include additional obligations incurred as a result of financing activities executed after December 31, 2024 except as otherwise noted.
(1)The interest rates are fixed for $6.8 billion of our debt and finance lease obligations, with the remaining $1.7 billion having floating interest rates. The estimated floating rate is equal to SOFR plus an applicable margin based on December 31, 2024 rates. The weighted average maturity of all of our debt was 7 years as of December 31, 2024.
(2)Amounts primarily include non-cancelable commitments for flight equipment maintenance, construction and information technology.
Debt and Finance Lease Obligations
As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with the material covenants of our debt and lease agreements.
In August 2024, JetBlue co-issued with JetBlue Loyalty, LP, the TrueBlue® Notes and TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility. The agreements governing the TrueBlue® Notes and TrueBlue® Term Loan Facility contains affirmative, negative and financial covenants including compliance with certain debt service coverage ratios and minimum liquidity requirements. These agreements also contain events of default, including a cross-default to other material indebtedness.
We have $61 million of restricted cash pledged under standby letters of credit related to certain leases that will expire at the end of the related lease terms. Approximately 65% of our owned property and equipment and intangible assets at net book value were pledged or committed to be pledged as security under various loan agreements.
Operating Lease Obligations
As of December 31, 2024, we had operating lease obligations for 26 aircraft with lease terms that expire between 2025 and 2028. Our aircraft lease agreements contain termination provisions which include standard maintenance and return conditions. Our policy is to record these lease return conditions when they are probable and the costs can be estimated. As of December 31, 2024, the average age of our operating fleet was 12 years. We also lease airport terminal space and other airport facilities in each of our markets, as well as office space and other equipment. Minimum ground and facility rents at JFK totaling $535 million are included in the commitments table above as operating lease obligations. In November 2022, we amended the lease to relinquish a portion of the former Terminal 6 property to allow for development of a new Terminal 6 by our development partners JMP through a $65 million letter of credit in exchange for 5% ownership. This amount is included in restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024.
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We have a long term lease for our primary corporate office in Long Island City until 2039. We have a one-time option to terminate the lease in 2034. At the end of the initial lease term, we have the option to renew the lease for either one renewal term of 10 years, or two renewal terms of five years each. The total committed expenditure for the lease through 2039 is approximately $81 million.
Flight Equipment Purchase Obligations
Our firm aircraft orders include the following aircraft (1):
| Year | Airbus A220 | Airbus A321neo | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | 4 | 24 | |||
| 2026 | 17 | — | 17 | |||
| 2027 | 5 | — | 5 | |||
| 2028 | 9 | — | 9 | |||
| 2029 | 7 | — | 7 | |||
| Thereafter | — | 44 | 44 | |||
| Total (2) | 58 | 48 | 106 |
(1) Our committed future aircraft deliveries are subject to change based on modifications to the contractual agreements or changes in the delivery schedules.
(2) In addition, we have options to purchase 20 A220-300 aircraft in 2027 and 2028.
Committed expenditures for our firm aircraft and spare engines include estimated amounts for contractual price escalations and pre-delivery deposits. We expect to meet our pre-delivery deposit requirements for our aircraft by paying cash or by using short-term borrowing facilities for deposits generally required six to 24 months prior to delivery. Any pre-delivery deposits paid by the issuance of notes are fully repaid at the time of delivery of the related aircraft.
Depending on market conditions, we may use a mix of cash and debt financing for aircraft scheduled for delivery in future years. Although we believe debt and/or lease financing should be available to us, we cannot give any assurance that we will be able to secure financing on attractive terms, if at all. To the extent we cannot secure financing on terms we deem attractive, we may be required to pay in cash, further modify our aircraft acquisition plans, or incur higher than anticipated financing costs.
Other Obligations
Our Terminal at JFK, T5, is governed by a lease agreement we entered into with the PANYNJ in 2005. We are responsible for making various payments under the lease. This includes ground rents for the terminal site which began at the time of the lease execution in 2005 and facility rents which commenced in October 2008 upon our occupancy of T5. The facility rents are based on the number of passengers enplaned out of the terminal, subject to annual minimums. The PANYNJ reimbursed us for construction costs of this project in accordance with the terms of the lease, except for approximately $76 million in leasehold improvements provided by us. In 2012, we amended this lease to include additional ground space for our international arrivals facility, T5i, which we opened in November 2014.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
We have determined that we hold a variable interest in, but are not the primary beneficiary of, certain pass-through trusts. The beneficiaries of these pass-through trusts are the purchasers of equipment notes issued by us to finance the acquisition of aircraft. Each trust maintains a liquidity facility whereby a third party agrees to make payments sufficient to pay up to 18 months of interest on the applicable certificates if a payment default occurs.
We have also made certain guarantees and indemnities to other unrelated parties that are not reflected on our consolidated balance sheets, which we believe will not have a significant impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. We have no other off-balance sheet arrangements. See Notes 3, 4, and 11 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8, for a more detailed discussion of our variable interests and other contingencies, including guarantees and indemnities.
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Concern over climate change has led to significant U.S. and international legislative and regulatory efforts to reduce GHG emissions, including our aircraft and ground operations emissions. Below is a discussion of the regulations that are relevant to JetBlue and the efforts we have taken to address climate change.
Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation ("CORSIA")
In October 2016, ICAO passed a resolution adopting CORSIA, which is a global, market-based measure for the airline industry to achieve carbon-neutral growth for international flying beyond 2020. Annual international emissions reporting is required via CORSIA as of the 2019 reporting year, and offsetting compliance is being implemented through multiple phases that began in 2021. ICAO continues to develop details regarding implementation and, while we expect compliance with CORSIA will increase our operating costs, the anticipated cost of compliance with CORSIA is uncertain due to a number of factors, including the volatility in demand for international air travel, regulatory uncertainty, and uncertainty in the supply and price of eligible carbon offsets or low-carbon aircraft fuels.
GHG emission standards
In January 2021, the USEPA promulgated a final rule implementing the 2017 ICAO aircraft engine GHG emission standards, which will apply to larger business and commercial jet aircraft with either new design types (not previously certified by the FAA) or existing design types that are in production as of January 1, 2028. Pursuant to the Clean Air Act, the FAA issued a final rule in February 2024 to implement these standards, introducing new fuel efficiency certification regulations. These regulations became effective in April 2024 and apply to airplanes manufactured after January 1, 2028, as well as to uncertified large business and commercial jet aircrafts.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credit & Clean Fuel Production Credit
One of the various programs within the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the "IRA") was the creation of a tax credit for SAF. The SAF credit applies to a qualified fuel mixture containing sustainable aviation fuel for certain sales or uses in calendar years 2023 and 2024. The credit provides for a $1.25 credit for each gallon of SAF in a qualified mixture, which must have a minimum reduction of 50% in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, there is a supplemental credit of one cent for each percent that the reduction exceeds 50%, for a total credit range of $1.25 to $1.75 per gallon. Though this credit (40B SAF Tax Credit) has been a meaningful development to stimulate the production of SAF, making it more affordable and widely available, the tax credit will only be available through the end of 2024. In 2025, the IRA 40B will be replaced by the Clean Fuel Production Credit (45Z), which will apply to qualifying transportation fuel produced between 2025 and 2027. Beginning January 1, 2025, the Treasury Department will offer tax credits for the production and sale of low emission transportation fuels, including SAF. The tax credit amount is $0.20 per gallon for non-aviation fuel and $0.35 per gallon for SAF. For facilities that satisfy the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements, the credit amount is $1.00 per gallon for non-aviation fuel and $1.75 per gallon for SAF. For any taxable year, the IRA 45Z is equal to the applicable credit amount per gallon multiplied by the fuel's carbon dioxide emissions factor. We believe tax credits like 40B and 45Z are an important step in helping the U.S. airline industry reach its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well as our own goal of net zero emissions by 2040. Given the new administration in 2025, we expect some uncertainty around the specifics of these tax credits (requirements, longevity, disbursement, etc.) looking forward.
SAF Mandates
There are also growing initiatives to mandate use of SAF or otherwise reduce GHG emissions associated with various aircraft design types. For more information, see our risk factor titled "We may be affected by global climate change or by legal, regulatory or market responses to such changes."
In October 2023, the European Commission reached an agreement on the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative. Included in this mandate is supplying a minimum share of SAF at all EU airports – starting at 2% by 2025, 6% by 2030 and 20% by 2035, up to 70% by 2050. Of these amounts, 1.2% in 2030, and 5% in 2035 must be power to liquid ("PtL") or E-Fuels, increasing to 35% by 2050. This agreement is a step towards the implementation of the "Fit for 55" legislative package to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. We can also expect a SAF mandate in the UK starting January 1, 2025, structured similarly to the EU mandate, with a slightly different timescale, ramp-up of SAF volumes, and non-compliance structure. Additionally, France defined its SAF roadmap in 2019, which includes SAF consumption objectives of 2% by 2025, 5% by 2030 and 50% in 2050. Though the obligated party is the fuel provider, JetBlue has worked with its fuel partners throughout Europe & the UK to proactively plan for SAF requirements. JetBlue has similarly worked alongside our partner airlines to preemptively understand reporting requirements and expectations of the various airlines.
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California Climate Disclosure Laws
In 2023, the state of California passed several climate disclosure laws that could impact our operations. These laws require specific disclosures on the amount of Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions created by an organization, as well as disclosures around climate-related risks and the associated response to those risks, for any entity doing business in California with annual revenue in excess of $1 billion. The potential impacts to our business are not known at this time, but additional costs can be expected in relation to these disclosures. Implementation is expected to be required beginning in 2026. California also adopted a third law requiring disclosure of certain information related to greenhouse gas emissions reduction claims and the purchase or sale of voluntary carbon offsets, which may require us to incur additional costs.
EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Following the EU's adoption of the Emissions Trading System ("ETS") in 2009, a policy to regulate GHG emissions with subsequent emissions allowances, exemptions have been extended to airlines with flights originating or landing outside of the European Economic Area ("EEA") through 2026. In future years, however, the European Commission may decide to integrate all extra-EU flights into the EU ETS which may result in an adverse effect to our business, including to the extent we must navigate conflicting legal requirements such as pursuant to the US's EU ETS Prohibition Act.
Other Related Risks
We investigate means of mitigating climate risk exposure from a physical and transitional risk perspective. Physical risks include, the number of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, and rainstorms, which are generally expected to increase in frequency and severity as our climate warms. Occurrences of these extreme weather events may result in flight cancellations, delays, and diversions, impacting our operations and thus adversely affecting our financial results and conditions. Additionally, as stakeholders across our industry are increasingly developing new expectations, behaviors, regulations and technologies that are changing the way we do business, we are evaluating the way our operations will potentially be impacted from financial and operational challenges as we, and our partners, transition into a low-carbon system. However, risks may manifest in ways that we have not foreseen or are otherwise not able to wholly mitigate.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") requires management to adopt accounting policies as well as make estimates and judgments to develop amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. We maintain a thorough process to review the application of our accounting policies and to evaluate the appropriateness of the estimates that are required to prepare our financial statements. We believe our estimates and judgments are reasonable; however, actual results and the timing of recognition of such amounts could differ from those estimates. In addition, estimates routinely require adjustment based on changing circumstances and the receipt of new or better information.
Critical accounting policies and estimates are defined as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties that could potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. The policies and estimates discussed below have been reviewed with our independent registered public accounting firm and with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. For a discussion of these and other significant accounting policies, see Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8.
Passenger Revenue
Ticket sales and related ancillary fees are initially deferred in air traffic liability. Air traffic liability represents tickets sold but not yet flown, credits which can be used for future travel, and a portion of the liability related to our TrueBlue® loyalty program. The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation identified in a passenger ticket on a relative standalone basis. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when transportation is provided.
The majority of passenger tickets sold are non-refundable. Non-refundable fares may be canceled prior to the scheduled departure date for a credit for future travel. Refundable fares may be canceled at any time prior to the scheduled departure date. Failure to cancel a refundable fare prior to departure will result in the cancellation of the original ticket and an issuance of a credit for future travel. Passenger credits can be used for future travel up to a year from the date of booking. Passenger breakage revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits will be recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. Breakage revenue consists of tickets that remain unused past the departure date, have continued validity, and are expected to ultimately expire unused, as well as passenger credits that are not expected to be redeemed prior to expiration. JetBlue uses estimates based on historical experience of expired tickets and credits and considers other factors that could impact future expiration patterns of tickets and credits. Tickets which do not have continued validity past the departure date are recognized as revenue after the scheduled departure date has lapsed.
Loyalty Program
Customers may earn points under our customer loyalty program, TrueBlue®, based on the fare paid and fare product purchased for a flight. Customers can also earn points through business partners such as credit card companies, hotels, car rental companies, and our participating airline partners.
Points Earned From a Ticket Purchase. When a TrueBlue® member travels, we recognize a portion of the fare as revenue and defer in air traffic liabilities the portion that represents the value of the points net of spoilage, or breakage. We allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation on a relative standalone basis. We determine the standalone selling price of TrueBlue® points issued using the redemption value approach. To maximize the use of observable inputs, we utilize the actual ticket value of the tickets purchased with TrueBlue® points. The liability is relieved and passenger revenue is recognized when the points are redeemed and the free travel is provided.
Points Sold to TrueBlue® Partners. Our most significant contract to sell TrueBlue® points is with our co-branded credit card partner Barclays. Co-branded credit card partnerships have the following identified performance obligations: air transportation; use of the JetBlue brand name, and access to our frequent flyer customer lists; advertising; and other airline benefits. In determining the estimated standalone selling price, for co-branded credit card partnerships, JetBlue considers multiple inputs, methods, and assumptions, including: discounted cash flows; estimated redemption value, net of fulfillment discount; points expected to be awarded and redeemed; estimated annual spending by cardholders; estimated annual royalty for use of JetBlue's frequent flyer customer lists; and estimated utilization of other airline benefits. Payments are typically due monthly based on the volume of points sold during the period, and the terms of our marketing contracts are generally from one to ten years. The overall consideration received is allocated to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The air transportation element is deferred and recognized as passenger revenue when the points are redeemed. The other elements are recognized as other revenue when the performance obligations related to those services are satisfied, which is generally the same period as when consideration is received from the participating company.
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Amounts allocated to the air transportation element which are initially deferred include a portion that are expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within air traffic liability), and a portion that are not expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within air traffic liability - non-current). We periodically update this analysis and adjust the split between current and non-current liabilities as appropriate.
Points earned by TrueBlue® members never expire. TrueBlue® members can pool points between small groups of people, branded as Points Pooling™. Breakage is estimated using historical redemption patterns to determine a breakage rate. Breakage rates used to estimate breakage revenue are evaluated annually. Changes to breakage estimates impact revenue recognition prospectively.
Accounting for Long-Lived Assets
In accounting for long-lived assets, we make estimates about the expected useful lives, projected residual values, and the potential for impairment. In estimating useful lives and residual values of our aircraft, we have relied upon actual industry experience with the same or similar aircraft types and our anticipated utilization of the aircraft. Changing market prices of new and used aircraft, government regulations, and changes in our maintenance program or operations could result in changes to these estimates.
Our long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment when events and circumstances indicate the assets may be impaired. Indicators include operating or cash flow losses, significant decreases in market value, or changes in technology.
To determine if impairment exists for our aircraft used in operations, we group our aircraft by fleet-type (the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows) and then estimate their future cash flows based on projections of capacity, aircraft age, maintenance requirements, and other relevant conditions. An impairment occurs when the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows is less than the aggregate carrying value of the fleet. The impairment loss recognized is the amount by which the fleet's carrying value exceeds its estimated fair value.
Refer to Note 17 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8 for further details of our impairment charges.
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REGULATION G RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
We report our financial results in accordance with GAAP; however, we present certain non-GAAP financial measures in this Report. Non-GAAP financial measures are financial measures that are derived from the consolidated financial statements, but that are not presented in accordance with GAAP. We present these non-GAAP financial measures because we believe they provide useful supplemental information that enables a meaningful comparison of our results to others in the airline industry and our prior year results. Investors should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Further, our non-GAAP information may be different from the non-GAAP information provided by other companies. The information below provides an explanation of each non-GAAP financial measure used in this Report and shows a reconciliation of each such non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
Operating Expenses, excluding Fuel, Other Non-Airline Operating Expenses, and Special Items ("Operating Expenses ex-fuel") and Operating Expense ex-fuel per Available Seat Mile ("CASM ex-fuel")
Operating Expense per Available Seat Mile ("CASM") is a common metric used in the airline industry. Our CASM for the relevant periods are summarized in the table below. We exclude aircraft fuel, operating expenses related to other non-airline businesses, such as JetBlue Technology Ventures and JetBlue Travel Products, and special items from total operating expenses to determine Operating Expenses ex-fuel, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, and we exclude the same items from CASM to determine CASM ex-fuel, which is also a non-GAAP financial measure. We believe the impact of these special items distorts our overall trends and that our metrics are more comparable with the presentation of our results excluding such impact.
Special items for 2024 include Spirit-related costs, union contract costs, voluntary opt-out costs, Embraer E190 fleet transition costs, and other special items.
Special items for 2023 include Spirit-related costs and union contract costs.
Special items for 2022 include Spirit-related costs, union contract costs and Embraer E190 fleet transition costs.
We believe Operating Expenses ex-fuel and CASM ex-fuel are useful for investors because they provide investors the ability to measure our financial performance excluding items that are beyond our control, such as fuel costs, which are subject to many economic and political factors, as well as items that are not related to the generation of an available seat mile, such as operating expense related to certain non-airline businesses and special items. We believe these non-GAAP measures are more indicative of our ability to manage airline costs and are more comparable to measures reported by other major airlines.
The table below provides a reconciliation of our total operating expenses (GAAP measure) to Operating Expenses ex-fuel, and our CASM to CASM ex-fuel for the periods presented.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE AND OPERATING EXPENSE PER ASM (CASM), EXCLUDING FUEL | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||
| $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,963 | 15.08 | $ | 9,845 | 14.37 | $ | 9,456 | 14.67 | |||||||||||
| Less: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel | 2,343 | 3.55 | 2,807 | 4.10 | 3,190 | 4.95 | ||||||||||||||
| Other non-airline expenses | 60 | 0.09 | 64 | 0.09 | 55 | 0.08 | ||||||||||||||
| Special items | 591 | 0.89 | 197 | 0.29 | 113 | 0.18 | ||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses, excluding fuel | $ | 6,969 | 10.55 | $ | 6,777 | 9.89 | $ | 6,098 | 9.46 | |||||||||||
| Percent change | 6.6 | % | 4.6 | % |
With respect to JetBlue's CASM ex-fuel guidance, we are unable to provide a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure to GAAP CASM, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, because the quantification of certain excluded items reflected in the CASM ex-fuel guidance cannot be calculated or predicted at this time without unreasonable efforts. The reconciling information that is unavailable would include a forward-looking range of financial performance measures beyond our control, such as fuel costs, which are subject to many economic and political factors. For the same reasons, we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could have a potentially unpredictable and potentially significant impact on our future GAAP financial results.
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Operating Expense, Operating Loss, Operating Margin, Pre-tax Loss, Pre-tax Margin, Net Loss and Loss per Share, excluding Special Items, Gain (Loss) on Investments and Gain on Debt Extinguishments
Our GAAP results in the applicable periods were impacted by credits and charges that are deemed special items.
Special items for 2024 include Spirit-related costs, union contract costs, voluntary opt-out costs, Embraer E190 fleet transition costs, and other special items.
Special items for 2023 include Spirit costs and union contract costs.
Special items for 2022 include Spirit costs, union contract costs and Embraer E190 fleet transition costs.
Certain net gains and losses on our investments and the gain on debt extinguishments were also excluded from our 2024, 2023 and 2022 non-GAAP results.
We believe the impact of these items distort our overall trends and that our metrics are more comparable with the presentation of our results excluding the impact of these items. The table below provides a reconciliation of our GAAP reported amounts to the non-GAAP amounts excluding the impact of these items for the periods presented.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE, OPERATING LOSS, OPERATING MARGIN, PRE-TAX LOSS, ADJUSTED PRE-TAX MARGIN, NET LOSS, LOSS PER SHARE, EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS, GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS AND GAIN ON DEBT EXTINGUISHMENTS | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| (in millions except percentages) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 9,279 | $ | 9,615 | $ | 9,158 | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE | |||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,963 | $ | 9,845 | $ | 9,456 | |||||
| Less: Special items | 591 | 197 | 113 | ||||||||
| Total operating expenses excluding special items | $ | 9,372 | $ | 9,648 | $ | 9,343 | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING LOSS | |||||||||||
| Operating loss | $ | (684) | $ | (230) | $ | (298) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 591 | 197 | 113 | ||||||||
| Operating loss excluding special items | $ | (93) | $ | (33) | $ | (185) | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING MARGIN | |||||||||||
| Operating margin | (7.4) | % | (2.4) | % | (3.3) | % | |||||
| Operating loss excluding special items | $ | (93) | $ | (33) | $ | (185) | |||||
| Total operating revenues | 9,279 | 9,615 | 9,158 | ||||||||
| Adjusted operating margin | (1.0) | % | (0.3) | % | (2.0) | % | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF PRE-TAX LOSS | |||||||||||
| Loss before income taxes | $ | (897) | $ | (334) | $ | (437) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 591 | 197 | 113 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain (loss) on investments, net | (27) | 9 | (9) | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on debt extinguishments | 22 | — | — | ||||||||
| Loss before income taxes excluding special items, gain (loss) on investments and gain on debt extinguishments | $ | (301) | $ | (146) | $ | (315) | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF PRE-TAX MARGIN | |||||||||||
| Pre-tax margin | (9.7) | % | (3.5) | % | (4.8) | % | |||||
| Loss before income taxes excluding special items | $ | (301) | $ | (146) | $ | (315) | |||||
| Total operating revenues | 9,279 | 9,615 | 9,158 | ||||||||
| Adjusted pre-tax margin | (3.2) | % | (1.5) | % | (3.4) | % |
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| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE, OPERATING LOSS, OPERATING MARGIN, PRE-TAX LOSS, PRE-TAX MARGIN, NET LOSS, LOSS PER SHARE, EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS, NET GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS AND GAIN ON DEBT EXTINGUISHMENTS (CONTINUED) | |||||||||||
| (in millions except per share amounts) | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| RECONCILIATION OF NET LOSS | |||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (795) | $ | (310) | $ | (362) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 591 | 197 | 113 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit related to special items | 45 | 31 | 19 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain (loss) on investments, net | (27) | 9 | (9) | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to gain (loss) on investments, net | 6 | (2) | 1 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on debt extinguishments | 22 | — | — | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax expense related to gain on debt extinguishments | (5) | — | — | ||||||||
| Net loss excluding special items, gain (loss) on investments and gain on debt extinguishments | $ | (245) | $ | (151) | $ | (260) | |||||
| CALCULATION OF LOSS PER SHARE | |||||||||||
| Loss per common share | |||||||||||
| Basic | $ | (2.30) | $ | (0.93) | $ | (1.12) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 1.71 | 0.59 | 0.35 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax expense related to special items | 0.13 | 0.09 | 0.06 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain (loss) on investments, net | (0.08) | 0.03 | (0.03) | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to gain (loss) on investments, net | 0.02 | (0.01) | — | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on debt extinguishments | 0.06 | — | — | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax expense related to gain on debt extinguishments | (0.01) | — | — | ||||||||
| Basic excluding special items, gain (loss) on investments and gain on debt extinguishments | $ | (0.71) | $ | (0.45) | $ | (0.80) | |||||
| Diluted | $ | (2.30) | $ | (0.93) | $ | (1.12) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 1.71 | 0.59 | 0.35 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit related to special items | 0.13 | 0.09 | 0.06 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain (loss) on investments, net | (0.08) | 0.03 | (0.03) | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to gain (loss) on investments, net | 0.02 | (0.01) | — | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on debt extinguishments | 0.06 | — | — | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax expense related to gain on debt extinguishments | (0.01) | — | — | ||||||||
| Diluted excluding special items, gain (loss) on investments and gain on debt extinguishments | $ | (0.71) | $ | (0.45) | $ | (0.80) |
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Glossary of Airline terminology
Airline terminology used in this section and elsewhere in this Report:
•Aircraft utilization - The average number of block hours operated per day per aircraft for the total fleet of aircraft.
•Available seat miles - The number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown.
•Average fare - The average one-way fare paid per flight segment by a revenue passenger.
•Average fuel cost per gallon - Total aircraft fuel costs, including related taxes, into-plane, transportation, airport fuel flowage, storage fees and effective portion of fuel hedging, divided by the total number of fuel gallons consumed.
•Average stage length - The average number of miles flown per flight.
•Load factor - The percentage of aircraft seating capacity actually utilized, calculated by dividing revenue passenger miles by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile - Operating expenses divided by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile, excluding fuel - Operating expenses, less aircraft fuel, other non-airline expenses, and special items, divided by available seat miles.
•Operating revenue per available seat mile - Operating revenues divided by available seat miles.
•Passenger revenue per available seat mile - Passenger revenue divided by available seat miles.
•Revenue passengers - The total number of paying passengers flown on all flight segments.
•Revenue passenger miles - The number of miles flown by revenue passengers.
•Yield per passenger mile - The average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile.
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FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001158463-24-000006.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current plans, expectations and beliefs involving risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in Part I. Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and other parts of this Report.
OVERVIEW
In 2023, we faced a challenging operating environment due to ATC delays, weather-related disruptions, industry cost pressures and engine issues. We also navigated disruptions in our supply chains and those of our business partners, which led to aircraft delivery delays and negatively impacted our ability to source spare parts and complete maintenance on a timely basis, as well as reliability challenges with certain of our aircraft engines. Despite these challenges, we saw revenue growth supported by leisure demand and loyalty program enhancements.
2023 Results
For the year ended December 31, 2023:
•System capacity increased by 6.2% year-over-year.
•We generated $9.6 billion in operating revenue, an increase of $457 million compared to 2022, primarily due to a 7.5% increase in revenue passengers.
•Operating revenue per available seat mile (“RASM”) decreased by 1.2% to 14.04 cents year-over-year.
•Operating expense increased by 4.1% year-over-year to $9.8 billion.
•Operating expense per available seat mile (“CASM”) decreased by 2.0% to 14.37 cents year-over-year.
•Our operating expenses in 2023 and 2022 included the effects of special items. Excluding fuel and related taxes, special items, and operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our 2023 adjusted operating expense (1) increased by 11.0% to $6.9 billion, year-over-year.
•Excluding fuel and related taxes, special items, and operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our cost per available seat mile (“CASM ex-fuel”) (1) increased by 4.5% to 10.02 cents year-over-year.
•Our operating margin was (2.4)% in 2023 and (3.3)% in 2022. Excluding special items, our adjusted operating margin(1) was (0.3)% in 2023 and (2.0)% in 2022.
•We reported a net loss of $310 million in 2023 compared to a net loss of $362 million in 2022. Excluding special items, adjusted net loss (1) for 2023 of $151 million compared to adjusted net loss of $260 million in 2022.
•Our reported loss per share for 2023 and 2022 was $0.93 and $1.12, respectively. Excluding special items, our adjusted loss per share (1) for 2023 and 2022 was $0.45 and $0.80, respectively.
•During 2023, we took delivery of seven Airbus A321neo aircraft and 10 Airbus A220 aircraft.
We expect our operating results to significantly fluctuate from quarter-to-quarter in the future as a result of various factors, many of which are outside of our control. For example, ATC shortages in the Northeast, which have forced us to cut back our capacity plans to help protect our operations, are expected to continue for at least the near-term and lead to further challenges in the operating environment. Consequently, we believe quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results may not necessarily be meaningful; you should not rely on our results for any one quarter as an indication of our future performance. Except for uncertainty related to the cost of aircraft fuel, we expect our expenses to continue to increase as we acquire additional aircraft, as our fleet ages, and as we expand the frequency of flights in existing markets as well as enter into new markets.
2023 Developments
Network
During 2023, we began service to the following new destinations (“BlueCities”): Paris, France; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Belize City, Belize; St. Kitts and Nevis. In addition, we announced service to the following destinations which will begin service in 2024: Dublin, Ireland; Edinburgh, Scotland; Tallahassee, Florida; and Tulum, Mexico.
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We remain focused on taking steps to match capacity with demand. In 2023, we announced the closure of two underperforming markets - Havana, Cuba and Burlington, Vermont.
Customer Experience
In 2023, we launched an updated TrueBlue® loyalty program, offering members more value and new opportunities to earn perks. New features include:
•Earn Tiles to Build Your Mosaic, Your Way: Tiles are the new way for TrueBlue® members to track progress toward Mosaic status while unlocking valuable perks along the way.
•More Perks for More Customers: The New TrueBlue® gives customers the ability to choose the rewards that are most valuable to them.
•Take Mosaic to the Next Level: The new and expanded Mosaic now contains four levels, each offering Mosaic Signature Perks to enjoy.
We expect these new value enhancements will strengthen customer engagement with the TrueBlue® loyalty program. We also announced new and improved perks for Mosaic members in JetBlue's TrueBlue® loyalty program starting in 2024, reflecting JetBlue's commitment to identifying new ways to add value to the program.
JetBlue continues its ongoing commitment to enhance the travel experience and promote a comfortable and stress-free journey. We recently announced, a formal family seating guarantee that children 13 years and younger can sit next to an adult traveling with them on the same reservation, for no additional fee.
Pratt and Whitney
In July 2023, Pratt & Whitney, a division of Raytheon Technologies, announced the requirement, mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), for removal of certain engines for inspection due to contaminated powdered metal used in high-pressure turbine disks on the V2500, PW1100G, and PW1500G engine types. These engines power our Airbus A320, Airbus A220 and Airbus A321neo fleets. The contaminated powdered metal affects engines manufactured between October 2015 and September 2021. Engines are now required for inspection after they have reached a reduced number of cycles dependent on the fleet type. As of December 31, 2023, we had six aircraft and 12 engines grounded for required inspection. The Company currently expects each removed engine to take up to 360 days to complete a shop visit and return to a serviceable condition and expects the number of out of service aircraft to rise to between 13 and 15 by the end of 2024.
We reached a confidential settlement agreement with Pratt & Whitney, which is intended to address damages incurred by us in 2023 due to the grounding of the affected engines. However, into 2024 and beyond, we expect to have a certain number of engines grounded and, therefore, will continue to assess the resulting impact on our future capacity plans. We expect discussions with Pratt & Whitney for further compensation to be ongoing.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion is a comparison of the 2023 to 2022 results of operations. Refer to Part II. Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 for detailed discussions comparing the 2022 to 2021 period.
2023 Compared to 2022
Overview
We reported a net loss of $310 million, an operating loss of $230 million and operating margin of (2.4)% for the year ended December 31, 2023. This compares to net loss of $362 million, operating loss of $298 million, and operating margin of (3.3)% for the year ended December 31, 2022. Our loss per share was $0.93 for 2023 compared to a loss per share of $1.12 for 2022.
Our 2023 and 2022 reported results included the effects of special items. Adjusting for these one-time items, our adjusted net loss (1) was $151 million, adjusted operating loss (1) was $33 million, and our adjusted operating margin (1) was (0.3)% for 2023. This compares to an adjusted net loss (1) of $260 million, adjusted operating loss (1) of $185 million, and an adjusted operating margin (1) of (2.0)% for 2022. Excluding one-time items, our adjusted loss per share (1) was $0.45 for 2023 compared to an adjusted loss per share of $0.80 for 2022.
Operating Revenues
| (revenues in millions; percent changes based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| Passenger revenue | $ | 9,008 | $ | 8,586 | 422 | 4.9 | % | |||||||
| Other revenue | 607 | 572 | 35 | 6.2 | ||||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 9,615 | $ | 9,158 | 457 | 5.0 | % | |||||||
| Average fare | $ | 211.79 | $ | 217.03 | (5.24) | (2.4) | ||||||||
| Yield per passenger mile (cents) | 15.92 | 16.34 | (0.42) | (2.6) | ||||||||||
| Passenger revenue per ASM (cents) | 13.15 | 13.32 | (0.17) | (1.2) | ||||||||||
| Operating revenue per ASM (cents) | 14.04 | 14.20 | (0.16) | (1.2) | ||||||||||
| Average stage length (miles) | 1,230 | 1,213 | 17 | 1.4 | ||||||||||
| Revenue passengers (thousands) | 42,534 | 39,562 | 2,972 | 7.5 | ||||||||||
| Revenue passenger miles (millions) | 56,578 | 52,552 | 4,026 | 7.7 | ||||||||||
| Available seat miles (ASMs) (millions) | 68,497 | 64,475 | 4,022 | 6.2 | ||||||||||
| Load factor | 82.6 | % | 81.5 | % | 1.1 | pts |
Passenger revenue accounted for 93.7% of our total operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 and is our primary source of revenue which includes seat revenue and baggage fees. In addition, passenger revenue includes revenue from our ancillary product offerings such as Even More® Space. Revenue generated from international routes, including Puerto Rico and excluding Canada, accounted for 36.8% of our total operating revenues in 2023. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when the transportation is provided. Passenger revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits are recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration or when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. Other revenue is primarily comprised of the marketing component of the sales of our TrueBlue® points. It also includes revenue from the sale of vacation packages, commissions revenue, airport concessions and advertising revenue.
We measure capacity in terms of available seat miles, which represents the number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown. Yield, or the average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile, is calculated by dividing passenger revenue by revenue passenger miles. We attempt to increase passenger revenue primarily by increasing our yield per flight which produces higher revenue per available seat mile. Our objective is to optimize our fare mix to increase our overall average fare while continuing to provide our customers with competitive fares.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Operating Expenses
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents; percentages based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | Cents per ASM | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel and related taxes | $ | 2,720 | $ | 3,105 | (385) | (12.4) | 3.97 | 4.82 | (17.5) | |||||||||||||
| Salaries, wages and benefits | 3,055 | 2,747 | 308 | 11.2 | 4.46 | 4.26 | 4.7 | |||||||||||||||
| Landing fees and other rents | 657 | 544 | 113 | 20.7 | 0.96 | 0.84 | 13.6 | |||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 621 | 585 | 36 | 6.1 | 0.90 | 0.91 | (0.1) | |||||||||||||||
| Aircraft rent | 126 | 114 | 12 | 10.4 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 3.9 | |||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 316 | 289 | 27 | 9.2 | 0.46 | 0.45 | 2.8 | |||||||||||||||
| Maintenance, materials and repairs | 654 | 591 | 63 | 10.9 | 0.96 | 0.91 | 4.4 | |||||||||||||||
| Special items | 197 | 113 | 84 | 74.1 | 0.29 | 0.18 | 63.8 | |||||||||||||||
| Other operating expenses | 1,499 | 1,368 | 131 | 9.6 | 2.19 | 2.12 | 3.1 | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,845 | $ | 9,456 | 389 | 4.1 | 14.37 | 14.67 | (2.0) |
Aircraft Fuel and Related Taxes
Aircraft fuel and related taxes represented 27.6% of our total operating expenses in 2023 compared to 32.8% in 2022. The average fuel price decreased 17.9% in 2023 to $3.03 per gallon. Our fuel consumption increased by 6.5%, or 55 million gallons, due to higher capacity increases as demand for travel grew.
We recognized fuel hedge gains of $7 million and losses of $7 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively, which are recorded in aircraft fuel and related taxes in our consolidated statement of operations.
Salaries, Wages and Benefits
Salaries, wages, and benefits increased $308 million, or 11.2% in 2023, driven by higher wage rates. The wage rate increase was primarily due to the new pilot union contract effective March 1, 2023, which included an initial pay rate increase of 14% and an additional 3% pay rate increase in August 2023. An increase in full-time equivalent (“FTE”) crewmembers also contributed to the increase. The average number of FTEs increased by 2.8% compared to the same period in 2022.
Landing Fees and Other Rents
Landing fees and other rents increased $113 million, or 20.7%, in 2023 primarily due to rate increases at certain BlueCities, higher landing fees and a 4.4% increase in departures compared to 2022. Other rent primarily consists of airport rent at our BlueCities, many of which contain a mix of both variable and fixed rent. We are subject to premium landing fee rates in our focus cities, which are primarily located in the Northeast corridor of the United States, due to heavy traffic.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization primarily includes owned and finance leased aircraft and spare engines, in-flight entertainment systems, airport leasehold improvements and software development. Depreciation and amortization increased $36 million, or 6.1%, compared to the 2022 period. This increase was primarily driven by 17 aircraft and 12 spare engines delivered and placed into service in 2023. In addition, one aircraft was delivered in 2022 and placed into service in 2023.
Aircraft Rent
Aircraft rent increased $12 million, or 10.4%, in 2023. This increase was driven primarily by incremental engine leases and lease return costs.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing increased $27 million, or 9.2%, in 2023 primarily driven by higher credit card fees, driven by an increase in demand for air travel. Revenue passengers increased by 7.5% in 2023 to 42.5 million compared to 39.6 million in 2022. Advertising and marketing fees also contributed to this increase.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Maintenance, Materials and Repairs
Maintenance, materials, and repairs are generally expensed when incurred unless covered by a long-term flight hour services contract. The average age of our aircraft in 2023 was 12.3 years. As our fleet ages our maintenance costs will increase significantly, both on an absolute basis and as a percentage of our unit costs, as older aircraft require additional, more expensive repairs over time.
In 2023, maintenance, materials and repairs increased by $63 million, or 10.9% compared to 2022. The increase was primarily due to timing and the type of maintenance events that occurred during the period as well as increased repairs due to the aging of our fleet.
Special Items
In 2023, special items included the following:
•$105 million relating to union contract costs; and
•$92 million relating to Spirit costs.
In 2022, special items included the following:
•$52 million relating to an impairment as well as engine exchanges as part of the retirement of our Embraer E190 fleet;
•$33 million relating to union contract costs; and
•$28 million relating to Spirit costs.
Other Operating Expenses
Other operating expenses consist of the following categories: outside services, airport expenses (including expenses related to fueling, ground handling, skycap, security, and catering services), personnel expenses, professional and legal fees, onboard supplies, shop and office supplies, bad debts, communication costs, and taxes other than payroll and fuel taxes.
In 2023, other operating expenses increased by $131 million, or 9.6%, compared to 2022 primarily due to a 6.2% increase in capacity, costs associated with ATC delays and weather-related disruptions during the year.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The airline business is capital intensive. Our ability to successfully execute our growth plan is largely dependent on the continued availability of capital on attractive terms. In addition, our ability to successfully operate our business depends on maintaining sufficient liquidity. We believe we have adequate resources from a combination of cash and cash equivalents, investment securities on-hand, and available lines of credit. Additionally, our unencumbered assets could be an additional source of liquidity, if necessary. As of December 31, 2023, our unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and long-term marketable securities was $1.7 billion. We believe this will be sufficient to satisfy our liquidity needs for at least the next twelve months, and we expect to meet our long-term liquidity needs with our projected cash from operations, available lines of credit and debt financing. Our adjusted debt to capitalization ratio(1) at December 31, 2023 was 59%, up from 52% at December 31, 2022.
We believe a healthy liquidity position is a crucial element of our ability to weather any part of the economic cycle while continuing to execute on our plans for profitable growth and increased returns. Our goal is to continue to be diligent with our liquidity, maintain financial flexibility, and be prudent with capital spending.
Analysis of Cash Flows
We had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2023. This compares to $1.0 billion and $2.0 billion as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We held both short and long-term investments in 2023, 2022, and 2021. Our investments totaled $564 million as of December 31, 2023 compared to $522 million and $863 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities totaled approximately $400 million in 2023. This compares to cash provided by operating activities of $379 million in 2022 and $1.6 billion in 2021. 2021 includes federal grants received under various payroll support programs, and the initial cash receipts associated with our co-branded credit card agreements, contributing to the decrease in operating cash flows of $1.3 billion in 2022 compared to 2021.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities totaled approximately $1.4 billion, $908 million, and $704 million in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
During 2023, flight equipment capital expenditures included $946 million related to the purchase of aircraft and spare engines as well as aircraft interior modifications. Flight capital expenditures also included $63 million in spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facility improvements for $119 million. Investing activities for the current year also included $131 million in Spirit shareholder payments, $78 million in flight equipment pre-delivery deposits and $42 million in net purchases of investment securities.
During 2022, flight equipment capital expenditures included $571 million related to the purchase of aircraft and spare engines as well as aircraft interior modifications. Flight capital expenditures also included $64 million for spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facility improvements for $132 million. Investing activities in 2022 also included the net proceeds of $321 million from our investment securities, $297 million in Spirit payments and $156 million in flight equipment pre-delivery deposits.
During 2021, flight equipment capital expenditures included $770 million related to the purchase of aircraft and spare engines as well as aircraft interior modifications. Flight capital expenditures also included $44 million for spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facility improvements for $93 million. Investing activities in 2021 also included the net proceeds of $296 million in investment securities and $88 million for flight equipment pre-delivery deposits.
Financing Activities
Financing activities during the year primarily consisted of the following proceeds:
•$1.3 billion in proceeds from sale leaseback transactions;
•$78 million in proceeds from long-term debt; and
•$53 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
These proceeds were partially offset by debt repayments of $347 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments:
•$322 million on our term loan debt;
•$24 million on our sale leaseback obligations; and
•$1 million on our finance lease obligations.
Financing activities during 2023 also included $4 million for the acquisition of treasury stock, which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period. It also includes $4 million in financing fees related to new debt agreements in 2023 and the extension of our $600 million revolving credit facility agreement.
Financing activities during 2022 primarily consisted of debt repayments of $369 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments and extinguishments:
•$351 million on our term loan debt;
•$11 million towards early extinguishment of debt;
•$6 million on our sale leaseback obligations; and
•$1 million on our finance lease obligations.
These principal payments were partially offset by:
•$52 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
Financing activities during 2022 also included $37 million in financing fees, of which $35 million relate to the $3.5 billion Senior Secured Bridge Facility to support the purchase of Spirit, and $6 million used for the acquisition of treasury stock, which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period.
Financing activities during 2021 primarily consisted of repayments of $1.9 billion on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments:
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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•$722 million on our term loan facility;
•$550 million on our revolving credit facility; and
•$115 million on our secured loan balance under the CARES Act Loan Program.
These principal payments were partially offset by:
•Net proceeds of $734 million from the issuance of our 0.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026;
•Net proceeds of $276 million and $14 million from the issuances of unsecured term loans and warrants, respectively, in connection with Payroll Support Program 2 under the Consolidated Appropriations Act and Payroll Support Program 3 under the American Rescue Plan Act; and
•$46 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
Financing activities during 2021 also included $8 million used for the acquisition of treasury stock which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period.
Capital Resources
Depending on market conditions, we anticipate using a mix of cash and debt financing for aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2024. For deliveries after 2024, although we believe debt and/or lease financing should be available to us, we cannot give any assurance that we will be able to secure financing on attractive terms, if at all.
We have a revolving line of credit with Morgan Stanley for up to approximately $200 million. This line of credit is secured by a portion of our investment securities held by Morgan Stanley and the borrowing amount may vary accordingly. This line of credit bears interest at a floating rate based upon the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), or such replacement index as the bank may determine from time to time in accordance with the terms of the agreement, plus a margin. We did not borrow under this facility in 2023, 2022 or 2021.
We have a revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement with Citibank N.A. as the administrative agent, for up to $600 million (the “Revolving Facility”). The term of the Revolving Facility runs through October 2025. Borrowings under the Revolving Facility bear interest at a variable rate equal to SOFR, plus a margin. The Revolving Facility is secured by spare parts, aircraft, simulators, and certain other assets as permitted thereunder. The Revolving Facility includes covenants that require us to maintain certain minimum balances in unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and unused commitments available under revolving credit facilities. In addition, the covenants restrict our ability to, among other things, dispose of certain collateral, or merge, consolidate, or sell assets. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we did not have a balance outstanding or any borrowings under the Revolving Facility.
Working Capital
We had a working capital deficit of $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2023 compared to a deficit of $1.8 billion as of December 31, 2022. Our working capital deficit decreased by $364 million due to several factors, including an increase in cash and cash equivalents and accounts payable, offset by a decrease in current maturities of long-term debt and air traffic liability.
Working capital deficits can be customary in the airline industry since a large portion of air traffic liability is classified within current liability.
We expect to meet our obligations as they become due through available cash, investment securities, and internally generated funds, supplemented, as necessary, by financing activities. We cannot predict what the effect on our business might be from future developments related to the extremely competitive environment in which we operate, or from events beyond our control, such as volatile fuel prices, economic conditions, weather-related disruptions, air traffic control shortages, airport infrastructure challenges, the spread of infectious diseases, the impact of other airline bankruptcies, restructurings or consolidations, U.S. or international military actions, acts of terrorism, or other external geopolitical events and conditions. We believe there is sufficient liquidity available to us to meet our cash requirements for at least the next 12 months.
Debt and Finance Leases
As part of our efforts to effectively manage our balance sheet, we expect to continue to actively manage our debt balances. Our approach to debt management includes managing the mix of fixed and floating rate debt, annual maturities of debt, and the weighted average cost of debt. Additionally, our unencumbered assets allow some flexibility in managing our cost of debt and capital requirements.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Other
In February 2022, we filed an automatic shelf registration statement with the SEC. Under this shelf registration statement, we may offer and sell from time to time common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depository shares, warrants, stock purchase contracts, stock purchase units, subscription rights, and pass-through certificates. We may utilize this shelf registration statement, or a replacement filed with the SEC, in the future to raise capital to fund the continued development of our products and services, the commercialization of our products and services, to repay indebtedness, or for other general corporate purposes. The warrants issued by JetBlue to Treasury under the Acts were made, and any issuances of our underlying common stock are expected to be made, in reliance on the exemption from the registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act for transactions not involving a public offering.
None of our lenders or lessors are affiliated with us.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
Our material cash requirements for known contractual and other obligations as of December 31, 2023 includes the following (in millions):
| Payments due in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | Thereafter | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt and finance lease obligations (1) | $ | 496 | $ | 455 | $ | 1,190 | $ | 427 | $ | 515 | $ | 2,916 | $ | 5,999 | ||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 160 | 115 | 90 | 86 | 73 | 365 | 889 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Flight equipment purchase obligations (2) | 1,235 | 1,169 | 1,145 | 1,015 | 1,504 | 1,137 | 7,205 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other obligations (3) | 382 | 367 | 418 | 447 | 765 | — | 2,379 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 2,273 | $ | 2,106 | $ | 2,843 | $ | 1,975 | $ | 2,857 | $ | 4,418 | $ | 16,472 |
The amounts stated above do not include additional obligations incurred as a result of financing activities executed after December 31, 2023 except as otherwise noted.
(1)The interest rates are fixed for $4.6 billion of our debt and finance lease obligations, with the remaining $109 million having floating interest rates. The estimated floating rate is equal to SOFR plus an applicable margin based on December 31, 2023 rates. The weighted average maturity of all of our debt was 7.3 years as of December 31, 2023.
(2)On January 26, 2024, JetBlue and Airbus amended the Company's aircraft delivery schedule pursuant to which we agreed to defer 41 aircraft originally scheduled for delivery from 2024 through 2027 to revised delivery dates from 2025 through 2029. The table above and the Flight Equipment Purchase Obligation table below reflect our aircraft purchase commitments after giving effect to this revised delivery schedule.
(3)Amounts primarily include non-cancelable commitments for flight equipment maintenance, construction and information technology.
Debt and Finance Lease Obligations
As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with the covenants of our debt and lease agreements.
We have $54 million of restricted cash pledged under standby letters of credit related to certain leases that will expire at the end of the related lease terms. Approximately 70% of our owned property and equipment and intangible assets at net book value were pledged or committed to be pledged as security under various loan agreements.
Operating Lease Obligations
As of December 31, 2023, we had operating lease obligations for 56 aircraft with lease terms that expire between 2024 and 2028. Our aircraft lease agreements contain termination provisions which include standard maintenance and return conditions. Our policy is to record these lease return conditions when they are probable and the costs can be estimated. As of December 31, 2023, the average age of our operating fleet was 12.3 years. We also lease airport terminal space and other airport facilities in each of our markets, as well as office space and other equipment. Minimum ground and facility rents at JFK totaling $591 million are included in the commitments table above as operating lease obligations. In November 2022, we amended the lease to relinquish a portion of the former Terminal 6 property to allow for development of a new Terminal 6 by our development partners JMP through a $65 million letter of credit in exchange for 5% ownership. This amount is included in restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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We have a long term lease for our primary corporate office in Long Island City until 2039. We have a one-time option to terminate the lease in 2034. At the end of the initial lease term, we have the option to renew the lease for either one renewal term of 10 years, or two renewal terms of five years each. The total committed expenditure for the lease through 2039 is approximately $86 million.
Flight Equipment Purchase Obligations
Our committed future aircraft deliveries are as follows (1):
| Year | Airbus A220 | Airbus A321neo | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 20 | 7 | 27 | |||
| 2025 | 20 | 5 | 25 | |||
| 2026 | 20 | 4 | 24 | |||
| 2027 | 5 | 9 | 14 | |||
| Thereafter | 11 | 30 | 41 | |||
| Total (2) | 76 | 55 | 131 |
(1) Refer to the Contractual Obligations table above for additional information on the amended Airbus delivery schedule.
(2) In addition, we have options to purchase an additional 20 A220-300 aircraft.
Committed expenditures for our firm aircraft and spare engines include estimated amounts for contractual price escalations and pre-delivery deposits. We expect to meet our pre-delivery deposit requirements for our aircraft by paying cash or by using short-term borrowing facilities for deposits generally required six to 24 months prior to delivery. Any pre-delivery deposits paid by the issuance of notes are fully repaid at the time of delivery of the related aircraft.
Other Obligations
Our Terminal at JFK, T5, is governed by a lease agreement we entered into with the PANYNJ in 2005. We are responsible for making various payments under the lease. This includes ground rents for the terminal site which began at the time of the lease execution in 2005 and facility rents which commenced in October 2008 upon our occupancy of T5. The facility rents are based on the number of passengers enplaned out of the terminal, subject to annual minimums. The PANYNJ reimbursed us for construction costs of this project in accordance with the terms of the lease, except for approximately $76 million in leasehold improvements provided by us. In 2012, we amended this lease to include additional ground space for our international arrivals facility, T5i, which we opened in November 2014.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
We have determined that we hold a variable interest in, but are not the primary beneficiary of, certain pass-through trusts. The beneficiaries of these pass-through trusts are the purchasers of equipment notes issued by us to finance the acquisition of aircraft. Each trust maintains a liquidity facility whereby a third party agrees to make payments sufficient to pay up to 18 months of interest on the applicable certificates if a payment default occurs.
We have also made certain guarantees and indemnities to other unrelated parties that are not reflected on our consolidated balance sheets, which we believe will not have a significant impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. We have no other off-balance sheet arrangements. See Notes 3, 4, and 11 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8, for a more detailed discussion of our variable interests and other contingencies, including guarantees and indemnities.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Concern over climate change, including the impact of global warming, has led to significant U.S. and international legislative and regulatory efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, including our aircraft and ground operations emissions. Below is a discussion of the regulations that are relevant to JetBlue and the efforts we have taken to address climate change.
Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation ("CORSIA")
In October 2016, ICAO passed a resolution adopting CORSIA, which is a global, market-based measure for the airline industry to achieve carbon-neutral growth for international flying beyond 2020. Annual international emissions reporting is required via CORSIA as of the 2019 reporting year, and offsetting compliance is being implemented through multiple phases that began in 2021. ICAO continues to develop details regarding implementation and, while we expect compliance with CORSIA will increase our operating costs, the anticipated cost of compliance with CORSIA is uncertain due to a number of factors, including the volatility in demand for international air travel resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty in the supply and price of eligible carbon offsets or low-carbon aircraft fuels.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credit
One of the various programs within the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was the creation of a tax credit for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (“SAF”). In December 2023, the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2024-06 establishing guidance on this credit. The SAF credit applies to a qualified fuel mixture containing sustainable aviation fuel for certain sales or uses in calendar years 2023 and 2024. The credit provides for a $1.25 credit for each gallon of SAF in a qualified mixture, which must have a minimum reduction of 50% in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, there is a supplemental credit of one cent for each percent that the reduction exceeds 50%, for a total credit range of $1.25 to $1.75 per gallon. We believe this credit will be a meaningful development to stimulate the production of SAF, making it more affordable and widely available. We believe this to be an important step in helping the U.S. airline industry reach its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well as our own goal of net zero emissions by 2040.
SAF Mandates
There are also growing initiatives to mandate use of SAF or otherwise reduce GHG emissions associated with various aircraft design types. For more information, see our risk factor titled “We may be affected by global climate change or by legal, regulatory or market responses to such changes."
In October 2023, the European Commission reached an agreement on the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative. Included in this mandate is supplying a minimum share of SAF at all EU airports – starting at 2% by 2025, 6% by 2030 and 20% by 2035, up to 70% by 2050. Of these amounts, 1.2% in 2030, and 5% in 2035 must be power to liquid (“PtL”) or E-Fuels, increasing to 35% by 2050. This agreement is a step towards the implementation of the “Fit for 55” legislative package to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Additionally, France defined its SAF roadmap in 2019, which includes SAF consumption objectives of 2% by 2025, 5% by 2030 and 50% in 2050. JetBlue is working with its fuel providers throughout Europe to comply with and plan for SAF requirements.
California Climate Disclosure Laws
In October 2023, the state of California passed two climate disclosure laws that could impact our operations. These laws require specific disclosures on the amount of Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions created by an organization, as well as disclosures around climate-related risks and the associated response to those risks, for any entity doing business in California with annual revenue in excess of $1 billion. The potential impacts to our business are not known at this time, but additional costs can be expected in relation to these disclosures. Implementation dates have not yet been finalized, but it is expected that these disclosures will be required beginning in 2026. California also adopted a third law requiring disclosure of certain information related to greenhouse gas emissions reduction claims and the purchase or sale of voluntary carbon offsets, which may require us to incur additional costs.
EU Emissions Trading Scheme
JetBlue launched service to two EU airports in 2023, Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France and Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Following the EU’s adoption of the Emissions Trading System (“ETS”) in 2009, a policy to regulate GHG emissions with subsequent emissions allowances, exemptions have been extended to airlines with flights originating or landing outside of the European Economic Area (“EEA”) through 2026. In future years, however, the European Commission may decide to integrate all extra-EU flights into the EU ETS which may obligate JetBlue EU flights.
Actions Taken to Address Climate Change
JetBlue is committed to proactively responding to climate change by taking meaningful steps to decarbonize our business and mitigating climate risks that may materially impact the business. As one of our key company-wide strategic priorities, we
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are pursuing six key levers to decarbonize our business. We discuss these levers and other sustainability initiatives in “Item 1. Business – Environmental, Social Governance – Environmental.”
Other Impacts of Climate Change
The number of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, and rainstorms, is generally expected to increase over time as our climate warms. Occurrences of these extreme weather events may result inflight cancellations, delays, and diversions, impacting our operations and thus adversely affecting our financial results and conditions.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), requires management to adopt accounting policies as well as make estimates and judgments to develop amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. We maintain a thorough process to review the application of our accounting policies and to evaluate the appropriateness of the estimates that are required to prepare our financial statements. We believe our estimates and judgments are reasonable; however, actual results and the timing of recognition of such amounts could differ from those estimates. In addition, estimates routinely require adjustment based on changing circumstances and the receipt of new or better information.
Critical accounting policies and estimates are defined as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties that could potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. The policies and estimates discussed below have been reviewed with our independent registered public accounting firm and with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. For a discussion of these and other significant accounting policies, see Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8.
Passenger Revenue
Ticket sales and related ancillary fees are initially deferred in air traffic liability. Air traffic liability represents tickets sold but not yet flown, credits which can be used for future travel, and a portion of the liability related to our TrueBlue® loyalty program. The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation identified in a passenger ticket on a relative standalone basis. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when transportation is provided.
The majority of passenger tickets sold are non-refundable. Non-refundable fares may be canceled prior to the scheduled departure date for a credit for future travel. Refundable fares may be canceled at any time prior to the scheduled departure date. Failure to cancel a refundable fare prior to departure will result in the cancellation of the original ticket and an issuance of a credit for future travel. Passenger credits can be used for future travel up to a year from the date of booking. Passenger breakage revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits will be recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. Breakage revenue consists of tickets that remain unused past the departure date, have continued validity, and are expected to ultimately expire unused, as well as passenger credits that are not expected to be redeemed prior to expiration. JetBlue uses estimates based on historical experience of expired tickets and credits and considers other factors that could impact future expiration patterns of tickets and credits. Tickets which do not have continued validity past the departure date are recognized as revenue after the scheduled departure date has lapsed.
Loyalty Program
Customers may earn points under our customer loyalty program, TrueBlue®, based on the fare paid and fare product purchased for a flight. Customers can also earn points through business partners such as credit card companies, hotels, car rental companies, and our participating airline partners.
Points Earned From a Ticket Purchase. When a TrueBlue® member travels, we recognize a portion of the fare as revenue and defer in air traffic liabilities the portion that represents the value of the points net of spoilage, or breakage. We allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation on a relative standalone basis. We determine the standalone selling price of TrueBlue® points issued using the redemption value approach. To maximize the use of observable inputs, we utilize the actual ticket value of the tickets purchased with TrueBlue® points. The liability is relieved and passenger revenue is recognized when the points are redeemed and the free travel is provided.
Points Sold to TrueBlue® Partners. Our most significant contract to sell TrueBlue® points is with our co-branded credit card partner Barclays. Co-branded credit card partnerships have the following identified performance obligations: air transportation; use of the JetBlue brand name, and access to our frequent flyer customer lists; advertising; and other airline benefits. In determining the estimated standalone selling price, for co-branded credit card partnerships, JetBlue considers multiple inputs, methods, and assumptions, including: discounted cash flows; estimated redemption value, net of fulfillment discount; points expected to be awarded and redeemed; estimated annual spending by cardholders; estimated annual royalty for use of JetBlue's frequent flyer customer lists; and estimated utilization of other airline benefits. Payments are typically due monthly based on the volume of points sold during the period, and the terms of our marketing contracts are generally from one to ten years. The overall consideration received is allocated to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The air transportation element is deferred and recognized as passenger revenue when the points are redeemed. The other elements are recognized as other revenue when the performance obligations related to those services are satisfied, which is generally the same period as when consideration is received from the participating company.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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Amounts allocated to the air transportation element which are initially deferred include a portion that are expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within air traffic liability), and a portion that are not expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within air traffic liability - non-current). We periodically update this analysis and adjust the split between current and non-current liabilities as appropriate.
Points earned by TrueBlue® members never expire. TrueBlue® members can pool points between small groups of people, branded as Points Pooling™. Breakage is estimated using historical redemption patterns to determine a breakage rate. Breakage rates used to estimate breakage revenue are evaluated annually. Changes to breakage estimates impact revenue recognition prospectively.
Accounting for Long-Lived Assets
In accounting for long-lived assets, we make estimates about the expected useful lives, projected residual values, and the potential for impairment. In estimating useful lives and residual values of our aircraft, we have relied upon actual industry experience with the same or similar aircraft types and our anticipated utilization of the aircraft. Changing market prices of new and used aircraft, government regulations, and changes in our maintenance program or operations could result in changes to these estimates.
Our long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment when events and circumstances indicate the assets may be impaired. Indicators include operating or cash flow losses, significant decreases in market value, or changes in technology.
To determine if impairment exists for our aircraft used in operations, we group our aircraft by fleet-type (the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows) and then estimate their future cash flows based on projections of capacity, aircraft age, maintenance requirements, and other relevant conditions. An impairment occurs when the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the aggregate carrying value of the fleet. The impairment loss recognized is the amount by which the fleet's carrying value exceeds its estimated fair value.
Refer to Note 17 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8 for further details of our impairment charges.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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REGULATION G RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
We report our financial results in accordance with GAAP; however, we present certain non-GAAP financial measures in this Report. Non-GAAP financial measures are financial measures that are derived from the consolidated financial statements, but that are not presented in accordance with GAAP. We present these non-GAAP financial measures because we believe they provide useful supplemental information that enables a meaningful comparison of our results to others in the airline industry and our prior year results. Investors should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Further, our non-GAAP information may be different from the non-GAAP information provided by other companies. The information below provides an explanation of each non-GAAP financial measure presented in this Report and shows a reconciliation of each such non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
Operating Expenses, excluding Fuel and Related Taxes, Other Non-Airline Operating Expenses, and Special Items (“Operating Expenses ex-fuel”) and Operating Expense ex-fuel per Available Seat Mile ex-fuel (“CASM ex-fuel”)
Operating Expense per Available Seat Mile (“CASM”) is a common metric used in the airline industry. Our CASM for the relevant periods are summarized in the table below. We exclude aircraft fuel and related taxes, operating expenses related to other non-airline businesses, such as JetBlue Ventures and JetBlue Travel Products, and special items from total operating expenses to determine Operating Expenses ex-fuel, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, and we exclude the same items from CASM to determine CASM ex-fuel, which is also a non-GAAP financial measure. We believe the impact of these special items distorts our overall trends and that our metrics are more comparable with the presentation of our results excluding such impact.
Special items for 2023 include Spirit costs and union contract costs.
Special items for 2022 included Spirit costs, union contract costs and Embraer E190 fleet transition costs.
Special items for 2021 include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of federal grants received under various payroll support programs, contra-expenses recognized on the Employee Retention Credits provided by the CARES Act, and union contract costs.
We believe that Operating Expenses ex-fuel and CASM ex-fuel are useful for investors because they provide investors the ability to measure our financial performance excluding items that are beyond our control, such as fuel costs, which are subject to many economic and political factors, as well as items that are not related to the generation of an available seat mile, such as operating expense related to certain non-airline businesses and special items. We believe these non-GAAP measures are more indicative of our ability to manage airline costs and are more comparable to measures reported by other major airlines.
The table below provides a reconciliation of our total operating expenses (“GAAP measure”) to Operating Expenses ex-fuel, and our CASM to CASM ex-fuel for the periods presented.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE AND OPERATING EXPENSE PER ASM (CASM), EXCLUDING FUEL | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,845 | 14.37 | $ | 9,456 | 14.67 | $ | 6,117 | 11.30 | |||||||||||
| Less: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel and related taxes | 2,720 | 3.97 | 3,105 | 4.82 | 1,436 | 2.65 | ||||||||||||||
| Other non-airline expenses | 64 | 0.09 | 55 | 0.08 | 43 | 0.08 | ||||||||||||||
| Special items | 197 | 0.29 | 113 | 0.18 | (833) | (1.54) | ||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses, excluding fuel | $ | 6,864 | 10.02 | $ | 6,183 | 9.59 | $ | 5,471 | 10.11 | |||||||||||
| Percent change | 4.5 | % | (5.2) | % |
With respect to JetBlue’s CASM ex-fuel guidance, we are unable to provide a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure to GAAP CASM, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, because the quantification of certain excluded items reflected in the CASM ex-fuel guidance cannot be calculated or predicted at this time without unreasonable efforts. The reconciling information that is unavailable would include a forward-looking range of financial performance measures beyond our control, such as fuel costs, which are subject to many economic and political factors. For the same reasons, we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could have a potentially unpredictable and potentially significant impact on our future GAAP financial results.
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Operating Expense, Adjusted Operating Margin, Income (Loss) before Taxes, Adjusted Pre-tax Margin, Net Income (Loss) and Earnings (Loss) per Share, excluding Special Items and Net Gain (Loss) on Investments
Our GAAP results in the applicable periods were impacted by credits and charges that are deemed special items.
Special items for 2023 include Spirit costs and union contract costs.
Special items for 2022 included Spirit costs, union contract costs and Embraer E190 fleet transition costs.
Special items for 2021 include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of federal grants received under various payroll support programs, contra-expenses recognized on the Employee Retention Credits provided by the CARES Act, and union contract costs.
Certain net gains and losses on our investments were also excluded from our 2023, 2022 and 2021 non-GAAP results.
We believe the impact of these items distort our overall trends and that our metrics are more comparable with the presentation of our results excluding the impact of these items. The table below provides a reconciliation of our GAAP reported amounts to the non-GAAP amounts excluding the impact of these items for the periods presented.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE, OPERATING LOSS, ADJUSTED OPERATING MARGIN, PRE-TAX LOSS, ADJUSTED PRE-TAX MARGIN, NET LOSS, LOSS PER SHARE, EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS AND NET GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| (in millions except percentages) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 9,615 | $ | 9,158 | $ | 6,037 | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE | |||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,845 | $ | 9,456 | $ | 6,117 | |||||
| Less: Special items | 197 | 113 | (833) | ||||||||
| Total operating expenses excluding special items | $ | 9,648 | $ | 9,343 | $ | 6,950 | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING LOSS | |||||||||||
| Operating loss | $ | (230) | $ | (298) | $ | (80) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 197 | 113 | (833) | ||||||||
| Operating loss excluding special items | $ | (33) | $ | (185) | $ | (913) | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED OPERATING MARGIN | |||||||||||
| Operating margin | (2.4) | % | (3.3) | % | (1.3) | % | |||||
| Operating loss excluding special items | $ | (33) | $ | (185) | $ | (913) | |||||
| Total operating revenues | 9,615 | 9,158 | 6,037 | ||||||||
| Adjusted operating margin | (0.3) | % | (2.0) | % | (15.1) | % | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF PRE-TAX LOSS | |||||||||||
| Loss before income taxes | $ | (334) | $ | (437) | $ | (263) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 197 | 113 | (833) | ||||||||
| Less: Net gain (loss) on investments | 9 | (9) | 47 | ||||||||
| Loss before income taxes excluding special items and net gain (loss) on investments | $ | (146) | $ | (315) | $ | (1,143) | |||||
| RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED PRE-TAX MARGIN | |||||||||||
| Pre-tax margin | (3.5) | % | (4.8) | % | (4.4) | % | |||||
| Loss before income taxes excluding special items and net gain (loss) on investments | $ | (146) | $ | (315) | $ | (1,143) | |||||
| Total operating revenues | 9,615 | 9,158 | 6,037 | ||||||||
| Adjusted pre-tax margin | (1.5) | % | (3.4) | % | (18.9) | % |
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| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE, OPERATING LOSS, ADJUSTED OPERATING MARGIN, PRE-TAX LOSS, ADJUSTED PRE-TAX MARGIN, NET LOSS, LOSS PER SHARE, EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS AND NET GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS (CONTINUED) | |||||||||||
| (in millions except per share amounts) | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| RECONCILIATION OF NET LOSS | |||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (310) | $ | (362) | $ | (182) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 197 | 113 | (833) | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to special items | 31 | 19 | (249) | ||||||||
| Less: Net gain (loss) on investments | 9 | (9) | 47 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to net gain (loss) on investments | (2) | 1 | (13) | ||||||||
| Net loss excluding special items and net gain (loss) on investments | $ | (151) | $ | (260) | $ | (800) | |||||
| CALCULATION OF LOSS PER SHARE | |||||||||||
| Loss per common share | |||||||||||
| Basic | $ | (0.93) | $ | (1.12) | $ | (0.57) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 0.59 | 0.35 | (2.62) | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to special items | 0.09 | 0.06 | (0.78) | ||||||||
| Less: Net gain (loss) on investments | 0.03 | (0.03) | 0.14 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to net gain (loss) on investments | (0.01) | — | (0.04) | ||||||||
| Basic excluding special items and net gain (loss) on investments | $ | (0.45) | $ | (0.80) | $ | (2.51) | |||||
| Diluted | $ | (0.93) | $ | (1.12) | $ | (0.57) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 0.59 | 0.35 | (2.62) | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to special items | 0.09 | 0.06 | (0.78) | ||||||||
| Less: Net gain (loss) on investments | 0.03 | (0.03) | 0.14 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to net gain (loss) on investments | (0.01) | — | (0.04) | ||||||||
| Diluted excluding special items and net gain (loss) on investments | $ | (0.45) | $ | (0.80) | $ | (2.51) |
Adjusted Debt to Capitalization Ratio
Adjusted debt to capitalization ratio is a non-GAAP financial measure which we believe is relevant in assessing the Company's overall debt profile. Adjusted debt includes aircraft operating lease liabilities, in addition to total debt and finance lease obligations. Adjusted capitalization represents total equity plus adjusted debt. Investors should consider this non-GAAP financial measure in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
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| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE ADJUSTED DEBT TO CAPITALIZATION RATIO | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions) | December 31, | ||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Long-term debt and finance lease obligations | $ | 4,409 | $ | 3,093 | |||
| Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations | 307 | 554 | |||||
| Operating lease liabilities — aircraft | 148 | 206 | |||||
| Adjusted debt | $ | 4,864 | $ | 3,853 | |||
| Long-term debt and finance lease obligations | $ | 4,409 | $ | 3,093 | |||
| Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations | 307 | 554 | |||||
| Operating lease liabilities — aircraft | 148 | 206 | |||||
| Stockholders' equity | 3,337 | 3,563 | |||||
| Adjusted capitalization | $ | 8,201 | $ | 7,416 | |||
| Adjusted debt to capitalization ratio | 59 | % | 52 | % |
Glossary of Airline terminology
Airline terminology used in this section and elsewhere in this Report:
•Aircraft utilization - The average number of block hours operated per day per aircraft for the total fleet of aircraft.
•Available seat miles - The number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown.
•Average fare - The average one-way fare paid per flight segment by a revenue passenger.
•Average fuel cost per gallon - Total aircraft fuel costs, including fuel taxes and effective portion of fuel hedging, divided by the total number of fuel gallons consumed.
•Average stage length - The average number of miles flown per flight.
•Load factor - The percentage of aircraft seating capacity actually utilized, calculated by dividing revenue passenger miles by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile - Operating expenses divided by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile, excluding fuel - Operating expenses, less aircraft fuel, other non-airline expenses, and special items, divided by available seat miles.
•Operating revenue per available seat mile - Operating revenues divided by available seat miles.
•Passenger revenue per available seat mile - Passenger revenue divided by available seat miles.
•Revenue passengers - The total number of paying passengers flown on all flight segments.
•Revenue passenger miles - The number of miles flown by revenue passengers.
•Yield per passenger mile - The average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile.
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FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001158463-23-000002.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
OVERVIEW
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
Although the spread of the Omicron variants temporarily decelerated the demand for travel in early 2022, customer confidence continued to grow over the course of the year, resulting in our return to profitability in the second half of 2022.
2022 Results
Our 2022 and 2021 results were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, comparisons of our 2022 results to 2021 are not necessarily indicative of future operating results. In certain cases, we have also included comparisons of our 2022 results to our 2019 results which are more reflective of pre-pandemic operations.
For the year ended December 31, 2022:
•System capacity increased by 19.1% year-over-year and increased by 1.0% compared to 2019.
•We generated $9.2 billion in operating revenue, an increase of $3.1 billion compared to 2021, primarily due to a 31.5% increase in revenue passengers. When compared to 2019, our operating revenue increased by 13.1%, primarily driven by a 12.5% increase in yield, offset by a decrease in revenue passengers of 7.4%.
•Operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM) increased by 27.3% to 14.20 cents year-over-year and increased by 12.0% compared to 2019.
•Operating expense increased by 54.6% year-over-year to $9.5 billion and increased by 29.6% compared to 2019.
•Operating expense per available seat mile (CASM) increased by 29.7% to 14.67 cents year-over-year and increased by 28.4% compared to 2019.
•Our 2022 and 2021 results included the effects of special items. Excluding fuel and related taxes, special items, as well as operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our 2022 operating expense(1) increased by 13.0% to $6.2 billion, as compared to 2021. When compared to 2019, our operating expenses excluding fuel and related taxes, special items, as well as operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses(1) increased by 14.8%.
•Excluding fuel and related taxes, special items, as well as operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our cost per available seat mile (CASM ex-fuel)(1) decreased by 5.2% to 9.59 cents year-over-year and increased by 13.6% compared to 2019.
•Our operating margin was (3.3)% in 2022, (1.3)% in 2021, and 9.9% in 2019. Excluding special items, our adjusted operating margins(1) were (2.0)%, (15.1)%, and 10.1% for the full years 2022, 2021, and 2019, respectively.
•We reported a net loss of $(362) million in 2022 compared to a net loss of $(182) million in 2021. In 2019, reported net income was $569 million.
•Our reported loss per share for 2022 and 2021 was $(1.12) and $(0.57), respectively. Excluding special items, our adjusted loss per share(1) was $(0.80) for 2022, and $(2.51) for 2021. For 2019, our reported earnings per diluted share was $1.91 and adjusted earnings per diluted share(1) was $1.90.
•During 2022, we took delivery of two Airbus A321neo aircraft and six Airbus A220 aircraft.
Outlook for 2023
We faced operational disruptions in the first half of 2022 due to the impact of the Omicron variant, as well as staffing constraints that drove incremental challenges. We took decisive action to right-size our growth plan for the remainder of the year, made additional investments into our operation, and implemented a new structural cost program to improve our operational efficiency and ensure we maintain a competitive cost structure. Despite these headwinds, we generated record annual revenue of $9.2 billion, ultimately resulting in our return to profitability in the second half of 2022. We believe that the strong operational and financial foundation we set in 2022 positions JetBlue for future success.
For full year 2023, we expect our capacity to increase between 5.5% and 8.5% compared to 2022 as we plan to execute growth across our high-value network, including annualized growth through the NEA. We expect revenue to grow high single digits to low double digits year-over-year. We are focused on driving revenue growth through the maturation of our NEA, the evolution of our TrueBlue® loyalty program, and continued momentum from JBTP. We also plan to keep our cost structure competitive. We expect cost per available seat mile, excluding fuel and related taxes, and operating expenses related to other non-airline businesses (CASM ex-fuel), for 2023 to increase by between approximately 1.5% to 4.5% year-over-year which
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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includes an approximate 3% point impact from a new ALPA agreement. We expect to deliver value to our customers and shareholders with strong revenue generation combined with our plan to keep costs low. Our expectations for full year 2023 earnings per share to be in the range of $0.70 to $1.00 implies a margin trajectory approaching pre-pandemic levels as we move through the year.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
As discussed in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements, in 2021, a new SEC rule became effective that is intended to modernize, simplify, and enhance certain disclosures throughout this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The new rule allows us to omit selected financial data for the preceding five years and discussions comparing 2021 and 2020 results, as such disclosures were included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Please note that although our 2022 and 2021 results were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on our operating results for 2022 and 2021 were different. As a result, comparisons of our 2022 results to 2021 may not necessarily be indicative of changes between operating results for future reporting periods.
2022 Compared to 2021
Overview
We reported a net (loss) of $(362) million, an operating (loss) of $(298) million and operating margin of (3.3)% for the year ended December 31, 2022. This compares to net (loss) of $(182) million, operating (loss) of $(80) million, and operating margin of (1.3)% for the year ended December 31, 2021. Our (loss) per share was $(1.12) for 2022 compared to $(0.57) for 2021.
Our 2022 and 2021 reported results included the effects of special items. Adjusting for these one-time items, our adjusted net (loss)(1) was $(260) million, adjusted operating (loss)(1) was $(185) million, and our adjusted operating margin(1) was (2.0)% for 2022. This compares to an adjusted net (loss)(1) of $(800) million, adjusted operating (loss)(1) of $(913) million, and an adjusted operating margin(1) of (15.1)% for 2021. Excluding one-time items, our adjusted (loss) per share(1) was $(0.80) for 2022 compared to $(2.52) for 2021.
Operating Revenues
| (revenues in millions; percent changes based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | ||||||||||
| Passenger revenue | $ | 8,586 | $ | 5,609 | 2,977 | 53.1 | |||||||
| Other revenue | 572 | 428 | 144 | 33.5 | |||||||||
| Operating revenues | $ | 9,158 | $ | 6,037 | 3,121 | 51.7 | |||||||
| Average fare | $ | 217.03 | $ | 186.39 | 30.64 | 16.4 | |||||||
| Yield per passenger mile (cents) | 16.34 | 13.63 | 2.71 | 19.9 | |||||||||
| Passenger revenue per ASM (cents) | 13.32 | 10.37 | 2.95 | 28.5 | |||||||||
| Operating revenue per ASM (cents) | 14.20 | 11.16 | 3.04 | 27.3 | |||||||||
| Average stage length (miles) | 1,213 | 1,283 | (70) | (5.5) | |||||||||
| Revenue passengers (thousands) | 39,562 | 30,094 | 9,468 | 31.5 | |||||||||
| Revenue passenger miles (millions) | 52,552 | 41,152 | 11,400 | 27.7 | |||||||||
| Available seat miles (ASMs) (millions) | 64,475 | 54,113 | 10,362 | 19.1 | |||||||||
| Load factor | 81.5 | % | 76.0 | % | 5.5 | pts |
Passenger revenue accounted for 93.8% of our total operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022. In addition to seat revenue, passenger revenue includes revenue from our ancillary product offerings such as Even More® Space. Revenue generated from international routes, including Puerto Rico, accounted for 34% of our total operating revenues in 2022. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when the transportation is provided. Passenger revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits are recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration or when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. We measure capacity in terms of available seat miles, which represents the number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown. Yield, or the average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile, is calculated by dividing Passenger revenue by Revenue passenger miles. We attempt to increase Passenger revenue primarily by increasing our yield per flight which produces higher revenue per available seat mile. Our objective is to optimize our fare mix to increase our overall average fare while continuing to provide our customers with competitive fares.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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In 2022, Passenger revenue increased by $2.98 billion, or 53.1% year-over-year. The increase was primarily driven by the demand for travel as we gradually recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with benefits from revenue initiatives such as enhancements to our Fare Options aimed at providing our customers more choices, more flexibility, and lower fares. We saw a 31.5% increase in Revenue passengers and a 16.4% increase in average fares compared to 2021.
Other revenue is primarily comprised of the marketing component of the sales of our TrueBlue® points. It also includes revenue from the sale of vacation packages, ground handling fees received from other airlines, and rental income. In 2022, other revenue increased by $144 million, or 33.5%, principally driven by a $106 million increase in marketing revenue associated with our TrueBlue® program due to higher customer spend and acquisitions.
Operating Expenses
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents; percentages based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | per ASM | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel and related taxes | $ | 3,105 | $ | 1,436 | 1,669 | 116.3 | 4.82 | 2.65 | 81.5 | |||||||||||||
| Salaries, wages and benefits | 2,747 | 2,358 | 389 | 16.5 | 4.26 | 4.36 | (2.3) | |||||||||||||||
| Landing fees and other rents | 544 | 628 | (84) | (13.3) | 0.84 | 1.16 | (27.2) | |||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 585 | 540 | 45 | 8.4 | 0.91 | 1.00 | (9.0) | |||||||||||||||
| Aircraft rent | 114 | 99 | 15 | 15.0 | 0.18 | 0.18 | (3.5) | |||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 289 | 183 | 106 | 57.7 | 0.45 | 0.34 | 32.3 | |||||||||||||||
| Maintenance, materials and repairs | 591 | 626 | (35) | (5.7) | 0.91 | 1.15 | (20.9) | |||||||||||||||
| Other operating expenses | 1,368 | 1,080 | 288 | 26.7 | 2.12 | 2.00 | 6.3 | |||||||||||||||
| Special Items | 113 | (833) | 946 | NM | 0.18 | (1.54) | NM | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,456 | $ | 6,117 | 3,339 | 54.6 | 14.67 | 11.30 | 29.7 |
Aircraft Fuel and Related Taxes
Aircraft fuel and related taxes represented 32.8% of our total operating expenses in 2022 compared to 23.5% in 2021. The average fuel price increased 79.1% in 2022 to $3.69 per gallon. Our fuel consumption increased by 21.0%, or 146 million gallons, due to capacity increases as demand for travel grew. We expect our fuel consumption to be higher in 2023 as we anticipate returning capacity to pre-pandemic levels.
We recognized fuel hedge losses of $7 million in 2022 on our consolidated statement of operations. There were no fuel hedge gains or losses recognized in 2021. These losses were recorded in Aircraft fuel and related taxes.
Salaries, Wages and Benefits
Salaries, wages, and benefits increased $389 million, or 16.5% in 2022, driven primarily by higher total hours worked by our crewmembers as we aligned our workforce with the increase in demand for air travel and the need for premium and incentive pay to support our operation during the first half of the year. Our crewmember headcount also increased year-over-year. During 2022, the average number of full-time equivalent crewmembers increased by 20.3%.
Landing Fees and Other Rents
Landing fees and other rents include landing fees, which are at premium rates in the heavily trafficked northeast corridor of the U.S. through which a large number of our flights operate. Other rents primarily consist of rent for airports in our BlueCities. Landing fees and other rents decreased $84 million, or 13.3%, in 2022. The year-over-year decrease is primarily driven by rate normalization resulting from airport traffic recovery closer to pre-COVID-19 levels. Departures increased by 25.8% compared to 2021. We expect landing fees and other rents to increase in 2023 due to operating and growing in high-cost terminals. We expect full year 2023 capacity to increase between by 5.5% and 8.5% compared to 2022.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization primarily include depreciation for our owned and finance leased aircraft, engines, and inflight entertainment systems. Depreciation and amortization increased $45 million, or 8.4%, primarily driven by an increase in the average number of aircraft operating in 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. We placed seven new aircraft into service during 2022.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Aircraft Rent
Aircraft rent increased $15 million, or 15.0%, in 2022. This increase was driven primarily by an increase of 21 leased engines in 2022 which we added to the fleet to support end of life optimization and continuity of the operation due to supply chain constraints.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing increased $106 million, or 57.7%, in 2022 driven by higher credit card fees and computer reservation system charges, which are directly related to demand increases as we recover from the pandemic. Revenue passengers increased by 31.5% in 2022 to 39.6 million compared to 30.1 million in 2021.
Maintenance, Materials and Repairs
Maintenance, materials, and repairs are generally expensed when incurred unless covered by a long-term flight hour services contract. The average age of our aircraft in 2022 was 12.4 years. As our fleet ages our maintenance costs will increase significantly, both on an absolute basis and as a percentage of our unit costs, as older aircraft require additional, more expensive repairs over time. We had an average of 11.8 additional total operating aircraft in 2022 compared to 2021.
In 2022, Maintenance, materials and repairs decreased by $35 million, or 5.7% compared to 2021. The decrease was driven by a decrease in the number of heavy engine maintenance events in 2022 as compared to 2021, which was partially offset by an increase in other maintenance activity driven by an increase in flying.
Other Operating Expenses
Other operating expenses consist of the following categories: outside services, airport expenses (including expenses related to fueling, ground handling, skycap, security, and catering services), personnel expenses, professional and legal fees, onboard supplies, shop and office supplies, bad debts, communication costs, and taxes other than payroll and fuel taxes.
In 2022, other operating expenses increased by $288 million, or 26.7%, compared to 2021 due to higher levels of operations in response to the increased demand for air travel. Scheduled departures increased by 25.8% in 2022.
Special Items
In 2022, special items included the following:
•Impairment of $52 million relating to our Embraer E190 fleet transition;
•Expense of $32 million related to the ALPA ratification bonus and associated payroll taxes;
•Expense of $28 million related to our acquisition of Spirit Airlines; and
•Expense of $1 million relating to the implementation of the TWU contract.
Special items in 2021 included the following:
•Contra-expense of $830 million, which represents the amount of federal payroll support grants utilized during the period;
•Contra-expense of $11 million related to the recognition of Employee Retention Credits provided by the CARES Act; and
•One-time costs of $8 million related to the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement with our inflight crewmembers.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET ANALYSIS
Below is a discussion of the significant changes on our consolidated balance sheet between December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.
| (in millions) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Balance Sheet Data: | December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | $ Change | % Change | |||||||||
| ASSETS | |||||||||||||
| Investment securities | $ | 350 | $ | 824 | (474) | (57.5) | % | ||||||
| Receivables, net of allowance of $4 and $3, at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. | 317 | 207 | 110 | 53.2 | % | ||||||||
| Investment securities (non-current) | 172 | 39 | 133 | 341.9 | % | ||||||||
| LIABILITIES | |||||||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 532 | $ | 499 | 33 | 6.5 | % | ||||||
| Other accrued liabilities | 486 | 359 | 127 | 35.8 | % | ||||||||
| Total debt and finance lease obligations | 3,647 | 4,006 | (359) | (9.0) | % | ||||||||
| Other | 494 | 552 | (58) | (10.3) | % |
Investment securities
Short-term investment securities decreased by $474 million, or 57.5%, primarily driven by the maturities of our time deposits that were outstanding at December 31, 2021.
Receivables, net of allowance
Receivables, net of allowance, increased by $110 million, or 53.2%, as a result of improvements in customer demand which led to an increase in receivables from our credit card sales We also saw an increase in receivables from our co-brand and loyalty partnerships.
Investment securities (non-current)
Long-term investment securities increased by $133 million principally driven by the purchases of corporate bonds in 2022.
Accounts payable
Accounts payable increased by $33 million, or 6.5%, primarily due to increases in operating expenses and timing of payments. Customer demand has rebounded in 2022 to pre-pandemic levels. We operated almost 30,000 flights in December 2022 compared to over 26,000 flights in December 2021.
Other accrued liabilities
Other accrued liabilities increased by $127 million, or 35.8%, principally driven by the timing of passenger tax remittances to governmental authorities. Passenger taxes are collected from customers when tickets are sold and remitted to the authorities at a later date. The increase in passenger tax liability correlates to the increase in demand for travel as we recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the initial cash payments received from our new co-branded credit card agreements are deferred and recognized as revenue over the terms of the related contracts. Deferred amounts are classified as other accrued liabilities and other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet.
Total debt and finance lease obligations
Total debt and finance lease obligations decreased by $359 million, or 9%, due primarily to $369 million of debt repayments made during 2022.
Other liabilities
Other liabilities decreased by $58 million principally due to the initial cash payments received from our new co-branded credit card agreements in 2021. The initial cash payments received from our new co-branded credit card agreements are deferred and recognized as revenue over the terms of the related contracts. Deferred amounts are classified as other accrued liabilities and other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The airline business is capital intensive. Our ability to successfully execute our growth plans is largely dependent on the continued availability of capital on attractive terms. In addition, our ability to successfully operate our business depends on maintaining sufficient liquidity. We believe we have adequate resources from a combination of cash and cash equivalents and investment securities on-hand. During 2020, we executed a significant number of financing transactions to ensure that we had adequate levels of liquidity to navigate through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we recovered in 2021 and 2022, our focus shifted to strengthening our balance sheet, lowering our total cost of debt, and growing our unencumbered asset base. As of December 31, 2022, our unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $1.4 billion. Our adjusted debt to capitalization ratio(1) at December 31, 2022 was 52%, down from 53% at December 31, 2021.
We believe a healthy liquidity position is a crucial element of our ability to weather any part of the economic cycle while continuing to execute on our plans for profitable growth and increased returns. Our goal is to continue to be diligent with our liquidity, maintain financial flexibility, and be prudent with capital spending.
Analysis of Cash Flows
We had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $1.0 billion as of December 31, 2022. This compares to $2.0 billion and $1.9 billion as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We held both short and long-term investments in 2022, 2021, and 2020. Our short-term investments totaled $350 million as of December 31, 2022 compared to $824 million and $1.1 billion as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities totaled approximately $379 million in 2022. This compares to cash provided by operating activities of $1.6 billion in 2021 and cash used in operating activities of $683 million in 2020. 2021 includes federal grants received under various payroll support programs, and the initial cash receipts associated with our new co-branded credit card agreements, contributing to the $1.3 billion decrease in operating cash flows year-over-year. Cash provided by operating activities increased by $2.3 billion in 2021 compared to 2020 principally driven by the receipt of federal grants in 2021 and the unprecedented decline in demand for air travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities totaled approximately $908 million, $704 million, and $1.35 billion in 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively.
During 2022, capital expenditures related to our purchase of flight equipment included $430 million for the purchase of two new Airbus A321neo aircraft, six Airbus A220 aircraft, and a number of spare engines; $156 million for flight equipment deposits, $141 million for flight equipment work-in-progress; and $64 million for spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facilities improvements for $132 million. Investing activities in 2022 also included the net proceeds of $321 million from our investment securities. In 2022, investing activities also included $297 million in payments related to our acquisition of Spirit.
During 2021, capital expenditures related to our purchase of flight equipment included $637 million for the purchase of eight new Airbus A321neo aircraft, seven Airbus A220 aircraft, and a number of spare engines; $88 million for flight equipment deposits; $133 million for flight equipment work-in-progress; and $44 million for spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facilities improvements for $93 million. Investing activities in 2021 also included the net proceeds of $296 million from our investment securities.
During 2020, capital expenditures related to our purchase of flight equipment included $426 million for the purchase of seven new Airbus A321neo aircraft, our first A220 Aircraft, and the buyout of one Airbus A321 aircraft lease; $76 million for flight equipment deposits; $151 million for flight equipment work-in-progress; and $15 million for spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facilities improvements for $123 million. Investing activities in 2020 also included the net purchase of $767 million in investment securities.
We executed aircraft sale-leaseback transactions totaling $563 million in 2020, which provided an additional source of liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of these transactions, $209 million qualified as sales for accounting purposes and the related proceeds are classified within investing activities. The remaining $354 million which did not qualify as sales for accounting purposes are treated as cash from financing activities as noted below.
We currently anticipate capital expenditures of approximately $220 million for the first quarter of 2023, and approximately $1.3 billion for the full year 2023.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Financing Activities
We made progress in strengthening our balance sheet in 2022 by reducing our total debt balance from $4.0 billion at December 31, 2021 to $3.6 billion at December 31, 2022.
Financing activities during the year primarily consisted of debt repayments of $369 million on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments and extinguishments:
•$351 million on our term loan debt;
•$11 million towards early extinguishment of debt;
•$6 million on our sale leaseback obligations; and
•$1 million on our finance lease.
These principal payments were partially offset by:
•$52 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
Also included in financing activities during 2022 were $37 million in financing fees, of which $35 million was related to the $3.5 billion Senior Secured Bridge Facility to support the purchase of Spirit, and $6 million used for the acquisition of treasury stock, which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period.
We plan to continue to opportunistically pay down those obligations with the highest costs as we continue to manage through the recovery.
Financing activities during 2021 primarily consisted of debt repayments of $1.9 billion on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following repayments:
•$722 million on our term loan facility;
•$550 million on our revolving credit facility; and
•$115 million on our secured loan balance under the CARES Act Loan Program.
These principal payments were partially offset by:
•Net proceeds of $734 million from the issuance of our 0.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026;
•Net proceeds of $276 million and $14 million from the issuances of unsecured term loans and warrants, respectively, in connection with Payroll Support Program 2 under the Consolidated Appropriations Act and Payroll Support Program 3 under the American Rescue Plan Act; and
•$46 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
Also included in financing activities during 2021 were $8 million used for the acquisition of treasury stock which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period.
Financing activities during 2020 primarily consisted of net proceeds of $2.2 billion from drawdowns of our credit facilities and the execution of a number of financing transactions which included the following:
•$981 million from our 364-day delayed draw term loan facility;
•$717 million from a term loan facility; and
•$550 million from our revolving credit facility.
Also included in financing activities during 2020 were:
•Net proceeds of $913 million from the public placements of equipment notes;
•Net proceeds of $583 million from the offering of 42 million shares of our common stock;
•$354 million of aircraft sale-leaseback transactions which did not qualify as sales for accounting purposes;
•Net proceeds of $259 million and $19 million from the issuance of unsecured term loan and warrants, respectively, in connection with the Payroll Support Program under the CARES Act;
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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•Net proceeds of $105 million and $9 million from the issuance of secured term loan and warrants, respectively, in connection with the CARES Act Loan Program; and
•$35 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
These proceeds were partially offset by the payoff of our 364-day delayed draw term loan facility for $1.0 billion, scheduled maturities of $372 million relating to debt and finance lease obligations, $12 million of which were associated with scheduled rent payments on sale-leaseback aircraft that did not qualify as sales for accounting purposes, and the acquisitions of treasury shares of $167 million, of which $160 million related to our accelerated share repurchases, or ASRs. Our share repurchase program has been suspended since March 31, 2020.
In February 2022, we filed an automatic shelf registration statement with the SEC. Under this shelf registration statement, we may offer and sell from time to time common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depository shares, warrants, stock purchase contracts, stock purchase units, subscription rights, and pass-through certificates. We may utilize this shelf registration statement, or a replacement filed with the SEC, in the future to raise capital to fund the continued development of our products and services, the commercialization of our products and services, to repay indebtedness, or for other general corporate purposes. The warrants issued by JetBlue to Treasury under the Acts were made, and any issuances of our underlying common stock are expected to be made, in reliance on the exemption from the registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act for transactions not involving a public offering.
None of our lenders or lessors are affiliated with us.
Capital Resources
Dependent on market conditions, we anticipate using debt financing for our expected aircraft deliveries in 2023. To the extent we cannot secure financing on terms we deem attractive, we may be required to pay in cash, further modify our aircraft acquisition plans, or incur higher than anticipated financing costs. Although we believe debt and/or lease financing should be available to us if needed, we cannot give assurances we will be able to secure financing on terms attractive to us, if at all.
We have a revolving line of credit with Morgan Stanley for up to approximately $200 million. This line of credit is secured by a portion of our investment securities held by Morgan Stanley and the borrowing amount may vary accordingly. This line of credit bears interest at a floating rate based upon the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, plus a margin. We did not borrow under this facility in 2022 or 2021.
We have a revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement with Citibank N.A. as the administrative agent, for up to $600 million (the “Revolving Facility”). The term of the Revolving Facility runs through October 2024. Borrowings under the Revolving Facility bear interest at a variable rate equal to SOFR, plus a margin. The Revolving Facility is secured by spare parts, aircraft, simulators, and certain other assets as permitted thereunder. The Revolving Facility includes covenants that require us to maintain certain minimum balances in unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and unused commitments available under revolving credit facilities. In addition, the covenants restrict our ability to, among other things, dispose of certain collateral, or merge, consolidate, or sell assets. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we did not have a balance outstanding or any borrowings under the Revolving Facility.
Working Capital
We had a working capital deficit of $1.8 billion as of December 31, 2022 compared to a deficit of $172 million as of December 31, 2021. Our working capital decreased by $1.7 billion due to several factors, including a decrease in cash and cash equivalents due to debt repayments on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations and an increase in current maturities of long term debt related to sale leaseback transactions.
Working capital deficits can be customary in the airline industry since a large portion of air traffic liability is classified within current liability.
We expect to meet our obligations as they become due through available cash, investment securities, and internally generated funds, supplemented, as necessary, by financing activities and federal government assistance programs, which may be available to us. We expect to generate positive operating cash flow. However, we cannot predict what the effect on our business might be from the extremely competitive environment in which we operate, or from events beyond our control, such as volatile fuel prices, economic conditions, weather-related disruptions, airport infrastructure challenges, the spread of infectious diseases, the impact of other airline bankruptcies, restructurings or consolidations, U.S. military actions, or acts of terrorism. We believe there is sufficient liquidity available to us to meet our cash requirements for at least the next 12 months.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Debt and Finance Leases
As part of our efforts to effectively manage our balance sheet, we expect to continue to actively manage our debt balances. Our approach to debt management includes managing the mix of fixed and floating rate debt, annual maturities of debt, and the weighted average cost of debt. Additionally, our unencumbered assets allow some flexibility in managing our cost of debt and capital requirements.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
Our contractual obligations at December 31, 2022 include the following (in billions):
| Payments due in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | Thereafter | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt and finance lease obligations(1) | $ | 4.2 | $ | 0.7 | $ | 0.4 | $ | 0.3 | $ | 1.0 | $ | 0.2 | $ | 1.6 | |||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Flight equipment purchase obligations | 7.9 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other obligations(2) | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 15.5 | $ | 2.8 | $ | 3.0 | $ | 2.6 | $ | 2.9 | $ | 1.8 | $ | 2.4 |
(1)Includes actual interest and estimated interest for floating-rate debt based on December 31, 2022 rates.
(2)Amounts include non-cancelable commitments for the purchase of goods and services.
The interest rates are fixed for $3.6 billion of our debt and finance lease obligations, with the remaining $0.1 billion having floating interest rates. The floating interest rates adjust either quarterly or semi-annually based on LIBOR. The weighted average maturity of all of our debt was six years as of December 31, 2022.
As of December 31, 2022, we believe we were in compliance with the covenants of our debt and lease agreements and approximately 65% of our owned property and equipment and intangible assets at net book value were pledged or committed to be pledged as security under various loan agreements.
As of December 31, 2022, we had operating lease obligations for 62 aircraft with lease terms that expire between 2023 and 2032. Our aircraft lease agreements contain termination provisions which include standard maintenance and return conditions. Our policy is to record these lease return conditions when they are probable and the costs can be estimated. We also lease airport terminal space and other airport facilities in each of our markets, as well as office space and other equipment. We have approximately $105 million of restricted assets pledged under standby letters of credit related to certain of our leases which will expire at the end of the related leases. In November 2022, we partnered with JMP to finance, develop and operate JFK's Terminal 6 through a $65 million letter of credit in exchange for 5% ownership. This amount is included in restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the average age of our operating fleet was 12.4 years.
Our firm aircraft order book as of December 31, 2022 was as follows1:
| Year | Airbus A321neo | Airbus A220 | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 12 | 18 | 30 | |||
| 2024 | 13 | 30 | 43 | |||
| 2025 | 11 | 24 | 35 | |||
| 2026 | 12 | 14 | 26 | |||
| 2027 | 14 | — | 14 | |||
| Total | 62 | 86 | 148 |
(1) Our aircraft order book is subject to change based on modifications to the contractual agreements or changes in the delivery schedules.
Committed expenditures for our firm aircraft and spare engines include estimated amounts for contractual price escalations and pre-delivery deposits. We expect to meet our pre-delivery deposit requirements for our aircraft by paying cash or by using short-term borrowing facilities for deposits generally required six to 24 months prior to delivery. Any pre-delivery deposits paid by the issuance of notes are fully repaid at the time of delivery of the related aircraft.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Our Terminal at JFK, T5, is governed by a lease agreement we entered into with the PANYNJ in 2005. We are responsible for making various payments under the lease. This includes ground rents for the terminal site which began at the time of the lease execution in 2005 and facility rents commenced in October 2008 upon our occupancy of T5. The facility rents are based on the number of passengers enplaned out of the terminal, subject to annual minimums. The PANYNJ reimbursed us for construction costs of this project in accordance with the terms of the lease, except for approximately $76 million in leasehold improvements provided by us. In 2012, we amended this lease to include additional ground space for our international arrivals facility, T5i, which we opened in November 2014. Minimum ground and facility rents at JFK totaling $496 million are included in the commitments table above as operating lease obligations. In November 2022, we amended the lease to relinquish a portion of the former Terminal 6 property to allow for development of a new Terminal 6 by our development partners JMP.
Reaffirming our commitment to New York, in February 2022, we executed a new lease for our primarily corporate offices that will extend our stay in the present Long Island City location until 2039. The term of this lease will begin in 2023. The new lease increased our lease commitments by approximately $3 million in 2024, $6 million in 2025, $8 million in 2026, and an anticipated lease expenditure of $100 million thereafter. We have a one-time option to terminate the lease in 2034. At the end of the initial lease term, we have the option to renew the lease for either one renewal term of 10 years, or two renewal terms of five years each.
We enter into individual employment agreements with each of our non-unionized FAA-licensed crewmembers, inspectors, and air traffic controllers. Each employment agreement is for a term of five years and automatically renews for an additional five-year term unless the crewmember is terminated for cause or the crewmember elects not to renew it. Pursuant to these agreements, these crewmembers can only be terminated for cause. In the event of a downturn in our business requiring a reduction in flying and related work hours, we are obligated to pay these crewmembers a guaranteed level of income and to continue their benefits. As we are not currently obligated to pay this guaranteed income and benefits, no amounts related to these guarantees are included in the contractual obligations table above.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
We have determined that we hold a variable interest in, but are not the primary beneficiary of, certain pass-through trusts. The beneficiaries of these pass-through trusts are the purchasers of equipment notes issued by us to finance the acquisition of aircraft. Each trust maintains a liquidity facility whereby a third party agrees to make payments sufficient to pay up to 18 months of interest on the applicable certificates if a payment default occurs.
We have also made certain guarantees and indemnities to other unrelated parties that are not reflected on our consolidated balance sheets, which we believe will not have a significant impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. We have no other off-balance sheet arrangements. See Notes 3, 4, and 11 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8, for a more detailed discussion of our variable interests and other contingencies, including guarantees and indemnities.
(1) Refer to our “Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Concern over climate change, including the impact of global warming, has led to significant U.S. and international legislative and regulatory efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, including our aircraft and ground operations emissions. Below is a discussion of the regulations that are relevant to JetBlue and the efforts we have taken to address climate change.
Legislation, Regulation, and Accords on Climate Change
Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation
In October 2016, ICAO passed a resolution adopting the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (“CORSIA”), which is a global, market-based emissions offset program to encourage carbon-neutral growth beyond 2020. Annual international emissions reporting is required via CORSIA as of the 2019 reporting year, and offsetting compliance is scheduled to be implemented through multiple phases beginning in 2021. In 2020, given the impact of COVID-19 which dramatically reduced 2020 emissions, ICAO agreed that the baseline from which the industry achieves carbon neutral growth would be from 2019 only, rather than an average of 2019 and 2020 as originally intended. ICAO continues to develop details regarding implementation, but we expect compliance with CORSIA will increase our operating costs.
Sustainable Skies Act
In May 2021, the Sustainable Skies Act was introduced in the United States Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”). Under this proposal, SAF that achieve 50% or greater reduction in lifecycle GHG emissions would be eligible to receive a tax credit ranging from $1.50 per gallon to $2.00 per gallon.
We are supportive of this proposed legislation and consider this to be a meaningful development to stimulate the production of SAF, making it more affordable and widely available. We believe this to be an important step in helping the U.S. airline industry reach its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Actions Taken to Address Climate Change
JetBlue is committed to proactively responding to climate change by taking meaningful steps to decarbonize our business and mitigating climate risks that may materially impact the business. As one of our key company-wide strategic priorities, we are pursuing six key levers to decarbonize our business. We discuss these levers and other sustainability initiatives in “Item 1. Business – Environmental, Social Governance – Environmental” above.
Other Impacts of Climate Change
The number of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, and rainstorms, associated with climate change is expected to increase. Occurrences of these extreme weather events may result inflight cancellations, delays, and diversions, severely impacting our operations and thus adversely affecting our financial results and conditions.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP, requires management to adopt accounting policies as well as make estimates and judgments to develop amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. We maintain a thorough process to review the application of our accounting policies and to evaluate the appropriateness of the estimates that are required to prepare our financial statements. We believe our estimates and judgments are reasonable; however, actual results and the timing of recognition of such amounts could differ from those estimates. In addition, estimates routinely require adjustment based on changing circumstances and the receipt of new or better information.
Critical accounting policies and estimates are defined as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties that could potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. The policies and estimates discussed below have been reviewed with our independent registered public accounting firm and with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. For a discussion of these and other significant accounting policies, see Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8.
Passenger Revenue
Ticket sales and the fees collected for related ancillary services are initially deferred in air traffic liability. Air traffic liability represents tickets sold but not yet flown, credits which can be used for future travel, and a portion of the liability related to our TrueBlue® loyalty program. We allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation identified in a passenger ticket on a relative standalone basis. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when the transportation is provided. Taxes that we are required to collect from our customers, including foreign and U.S. federal transportation taxes, security taxes, and airport facility charges, are excluded from passenger revenue. Those taxes and fees are recorded as a liability upon collection and are relieved from the liability upon remittance to the applicable governmental agency.
The majority of the tickets we sell are non-refundable. Non-refundable fares may be canceled prior to the scheduled departure date for a credit for future travel. Refundable fares may be canceled at any time prior to the scheduled departure date. Failure to cancel a refundable fare prior to departure will result in the cancellation of the original ticket and an issuance of a credit for future travel. Passenger credits can generally be used for future travel up to a year from the date of issuance. In response to the impact of COVID-19 on air travel, we extended the expiration dates for travel credits issued from February 27, 2020 through June 30, 2020 to a 24-month period. In January 2022, in response to the surge in COVID-19 cases and flight cancellations in late 2021, we further extended the expiration dates for travel credits with an original expiration date between February 1, 2020 through September 29, 2022 to September 30, 2022. All credits extended due to COVID-19 have expired as of December 31, 2022.
Passenger breakage revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits will be recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. Breakage revenue consists of non-refundable tickets that remain unused past the departure date, have continued validity, and are expected to ultimately expire unused, as well as passenger credits that are not expected to be redeemed prior to expiration. JetBlue uses estimates based on historical experience of expired tickets and credits and considers other factors that could impact future expiration patterns of tickets and credits. Tickets which do not have continued validity past the departure date are recognized as revenue after the scheduled departure date has lapsed.
Passenger ticket costs primarily include credit card fees, commissions paid, and global distribution systems booking fees. Costs are allocated entirely to the purchased travel services and are capitalized until recognized when travel services are provided to the customer.
Loyalty Program
Customers may earn points under our customer loyalty program, TrueBlue®, based on the fare paid and fare product purchased for a flight. Customers can also earn points through business partners such as credit card companies, hotels, car rental companies, and our participating airline partners.
Points Earned From a Ticket Purchase. When a TrueBlue® member travels, we recognize a portion of the fare as revenue and defer in air traffic liabilities the portion that represents the value of the points net of spoilage, or breakage. We allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation on a relative standalone basis. We determine the standalone selling price of TrueBlue® points issued using the redemption value approach. To maximize the use of observable inputs, we utilize the actual ticket value of the tickets purchased with TrueBlue® points. The liability is relieved and passenger revenue is recognized when the points are redeemed and the free travel is provided.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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Points Sold to TrueBlue® Partners. Our most significant contract to sell TrueBlue® points is with our co-branded credit card partner. Co-branded credit card partnerships have the following identified performance obligations: air transportation; use of the JetBlue brand name, and access to our frequent flyer customer lists; advertising; and other airline benefits. In determining the estimated standalone selling price, JetBlue considers multiple inputs, methods, and assumptions, including: discounted cash flows; estimated redemption value, net of fulfillment discount; points expected to be awarded and redeemed; estimated annual spending by cardholders; estimated annual royalty for use of JetBlue's frequent flyer customer lists; and estimated utilization of other airline benefits. Payments are typically due monthly based on the volume of points sold during the period, and the terms of our marketing contracts are generally from one to ten years. The overall consideration received is allocated to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The air transportation element is deferred and recognized as passenger revenue when the points are redeemed. The other elements are recognized as other revenue when the performance obligations related to those services are satisfied, which is generally the same period as when consideration is received from the participating company.
Amounts allocated to the air transportation element which are initially deferred include a portion that are expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within Air traffic liability), and a portion that are not expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within Air traffic liability - non-current). We periodically update this analysis and adjust the split between current and non-current liabilities as appropriate.
Points earned by TrueBlue® members never expire. TrueBlue® members can pool points between small groups of people, branded as Points Pooling™. Breakage is estimated using historical redemption patterns to determine a breakage rate. Breakage rates used to estimate breakage revenue are evaluated annually. Changes to breakage estimates impact revenue recognition prospectively.
Accounting for Long-Lived Assets
In accounting for long-lived assets, we make estimates about the expected useful lives, projected residual values, and the potential for impairment. In estimating useful lives and residual values of our aircraft, we have relied upon actual industry experience with the same or similar aircraft types and our anticipated utilization of the aircraft. Changing market prices of new and used aircraft, government regulations, and changes in our maintenance program or operations could result in changes to these estimates.
Our long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment when events and circumstances indicate the assets may be impaired. Indicators include operating or cash flow losses, significant decreases in market value, or changes in technology.
To determine if impairment exists for our aircraft used in operations, we group our aircraft by fleet-type (the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows) and then estimate their future cash flows based on projections of capacity, aircraft age, maintenance requirements, and other relevant conditions. An impairment occurs when the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the aggregate carrying value of the fleet. The impairment loss recognized is the amount by which the fleet's carrying value exceeds its estimated fair value. We estimate aircraft fair value using third party valuations which consider the effects of the current market environment, age of the assets, maintenance condition of the airframe and engines and marketability. We recorded $52 million of impairment related to our Embraer E190 fleet transition for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Refer to Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 for further details of our impairment charges.
Lease Accounting
We operate airport facilities, office buildings, and aircraft under operating leases with minimum lease payments. We recognize the costs associated with these agreements as rent expense on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term. Within the provisions of certain leases, there are minimum escalations in payments over the base lease term. There are also periodic adjustments of lease rates, landing fees, and other charges applicable under such agreements, as well as renewal periods. The effects of the escalations and other adjustments have been reflected in rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. This includes renewal periods when it is deemed to be reasonably assured at the inception of the lease. The amortization period for leasehold improvements is the term used in calculating straight-line rent expense or their estimated economic life, whichever is shorter.
Derivative Instruments used for Aircraft Fuel
We utilize financial derivative instruments to manage the risk of changing aircraft fuel prices. We do not purchase or hold any derivative instrument for trading purposes. Fair values are determined using commodity prices provided to us by independent third parties. When possible, we designate these instruments as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes, as defined by the Derivatives and Hedging topic of the Codification which permits the deferral of the effective portions of gains or losses until contract settlement.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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The Derivatives and Hedging topic is a complex accounting standard. It requires us to develop and maintain a significant amount of documentation related to:
(1) our fuel hedging program and fuel management approach,
(2) statistical analysis supporting a highly correlated relationship between the underlying commodity in the derivative financial instrument and the risk being hedged, i.e. aircraft fuel, on both a historical and prospective basis, and
(3) cash flow designation for each hedging transaction executed, to be developed concurrently with the hedging transaction.
This documentation requires us to estimate forward aircraft fuel prices since there is no reliable forward market for aircraft fuel. These prices are developed through the observation of similar commodity futures prices, such as crude oil and/or heating oil, and adjusted based on variations to those like commodities. Historically, our hedges have settled within 24 months; therefore, the deferred gains and losses have been recognized into earnings over a relatively short period of time.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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REGULATION G RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
We sometimes use non-GAAP financial measures in this report. Non-GAAP financial measures are financial measures that are derived from the consolidated financial statements, but that are not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide a meaningful comparison of our results to others in the airline industry and our prior year results. Investors should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial performance measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Further, our non-GAAP information may be different from the non-GAAP information provided by other companies. The information below provides an explanation of each non-GAAP financial measure and shows a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures used in this filing to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.
Operating Expense per Available Seat Mile, excluding fuel and related taxes, other non-airline operating expenses, and special items (“CASM Ex-Fuel”)
Operating expenses per available seat mile, or CASM, is a common metric used in the airline industry. We exclude aircraft fuel and related taxes, operating expenses related to other non-airline businesses, such as our subsidiaries, JetBlue Technology Ventures and JetBlue Travel Products, and special items from operating expenses to determine CASM ex-fuel, which is a non-GAAP financial measure.
Special items for 2022 include impairment related to our Embraer E190 fleet transition, expenses related to the ALPA contract ratification bonus, expenses related to our acquisition of Spirit, and expenses related to the implementation of the TWU contract.
Special items for 2021 include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of federal grants received under various payroll support programs, contra-expenses recognized on the Employee Retention Credits provided by the CARES Act, and one-time costs related to the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement with our inflight crewmembers.
Special items for 2020 include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of payroll support grants received under the CARES Act, contra-expenses recognized on the Employee Retention Credits provided by the CARES Act, impairment related to our Embraer E190 fleet transition, losses generated from certain aircraft sale-leaseback transactions, and one-time costs associated with our voluntary crewmember separation programs.
Special items for 2019 include impairment related to our Embraer E190 fleet transition as well as one-time costs related to the ratification and implementation of our pilots' collective bargaining agreement.
We believe that CASM ex-fuel is useful for investors because it provides investors the ability to measure financial performance excluding items beyond our control, such as fuel costs, which are subject to many economic and political factors, or not related to the generation of an available seat mile, such as operating expense related to other non-airline businesses. We believe this non-GAAP measure is more indicative of our ability to manage airline costs and is more comparable to measures reported by other major airlines.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE PER ASM, EXCLUDING FUEL | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,456 | 14.67 | $ | 6,117 | 11.30 | $ | 4,671 | 14.29 | $ | 7,294 | 11.43 | |||||||||||||||
| Less: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel and related taxes | 3,105 | 4.82 | 1,436 | 2.65 | 631 | 1.93 | 1,847 | 2.89 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other non-airline expenses | 55 | 0.08 | 43 | 0.08 | 35 | 0.10 | 46 | 0.08 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Special items | 113 | 0.18 | (833) | (1.54) | (283) | (0.86) | 14 | 0.02 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses, excluding fuel | $ | 6,183 | 9.59 | $ | 5,471 | 10.11 | $ | 4,288 | 13.12 | $ | 5,387 | 8.44 |
Reconciliation of Operating Expense, Income (Loss) before Taxes, Net Income (Loss) and Earnings (Loss) per Share, excluding special items and gain on equity investments
Our GAAP results in the applicable periods were impacted by credits and charges that are deemed special items.
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Special items for 2022 include impairment related to our Embraer E190 fleet transition, expenses related to the ALPA contract ratification bonus, expenses related to our acquisition of Spirit, and expenses related to the implementation of the TWU contract.
In 2021, special items include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of federal grants received under various payroll support programs, contra-expenses recognized on the Employee Retention Credits (ERCs) provided by the CARES Act, and one-time costs related to the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement with our inflight crewmembers.
Special items in 2020 include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of payroll support grants received under the CARES Act, contra-expenses recognized on ERCs, impairment related to our Embraer E190 fleet transition, losses generated from certain aircraft sale-leaseback transactions, and one-time costs associated with our voluntary crewmember separation programs.
Certain gains and losses on our equity investments were also excluded from our 2022 and 2021 non-GAAP results.
We believe the impact of these items distort our overall trends and that our metrics are more comparable with the presentation of our results excluding the impact of these items. The table below provides a reconciliation of our GAAP reported amounts to the non-GAAP amounts excluding the impacts of these items.
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| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE, INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE TAXES, NET INCOME (LOSS) AND EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS AND GAIN ON EQUITY INVESTMENTS | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| (in millions except per share amounts) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 9,158 | $ | 6,037 | $ | 2,957 | |||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 9,456 | $ | 6,117 | $ | 4,671 | |||||
| Less: Special items | 113 | (833) | (283) | ||||||||
| Total operating expenses excluding special items | $ | 9,343 | $ | 6,950 | $ | 4,954 | |||||
| Operating loss | $ | (298) | $ | (80) | $ | (1,714) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 113 | (833) | (283) | ||||||||
| Operating loss excluding special items | $ | (185) | $ | (913) | $ | (1,997) | |||||
| Operating margin excluding special items | (2.0) | % | (15.1) | % | (67.5) | % | |||||
| Loss before income taxes | $ | (437) | $ | (263) | $ | (1,893) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 113 | (833) | (283) | ||||||||
| Less: (Loss) gain on equity investments | (9) | 47 | — | ||||||||
| Loss before income taxes excluding special items and (loss) gain on equity investments | $ | (315) | $ | (1,143) | $ | (2,176) | |||||
| Pre-tax margin excluding special items and (loss) gain on equity investments | (3.4) | % | (18.9) | % | (73.6) | % | |||||
| Net loss | $ | (362) | $ | (182) | $ | (1,354) | |||||
| Add back: Special items | 113 | (833) | (283) | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to special items | 19 | (249) | (69) | ||||||||
| Less: (Loss) gain on equity investments | (9) | 47 | — | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to (loss) gain on equity investments | 1 | (13) | — | ||||||||
| Net loss excluding special items and (loss) gain on equity investments | $ | (260) | $ | (800) | $ | (1,568) | |||||
| Earnings loss per common share: | |||||||||||
| Basic | $ | (1.12) | $ | (0.57) | $ | (4.88) | |||||
| Add back: Special items, net of tax | 0.29 | (1.84) | (0.77) | ||||||||
| Less: (Loss) gain on equity investments, net of tax | (0.03) | 0.10 | — | ||||||||
| Basic excluding special items and (loss) gain on equity investments | $ | (0.80) | $ | (2.51) | $ | (5.65) | |||||
| Diluted | $ | (1.12) | $ | (0.57) | $ | (4.88) | |||||
| Add back: Special items, net of tax | 0.29 | (1.84) | (0.77) | ||||||||
| Less: (Loss) gain on equity investments, net of tax | (0.03) | 0.1 | — | ||||||||
| Diluted excluding special items and (loss) gain on equity investments | $ | (0.80) | $ | (2.51) | $ | (5.65) |
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Adjusted Debt to Capitalization Ratio
Adjusted debt to capitalization ratio is a non-GAAP financial measure which we believe is relevant in assessing the Company's overall debt profile. Adjusted debt includes aircraft operating lease liabilities, in addition to total debt and finance lease obligations. Adjusted capitalization represents total equity plus adjusted debt. Investors should consider this non-GAAP financial measure in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE ADJUSTED DEBT TO CAPITALIZATION RATIO | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions) | December 31, | ||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Long-term debt and finance lease obligations | $ | 3,093 | $ | 3,651 | |||
| Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations | 554 | 355 | |||||
| Operating lease liabilities — aircraft | 206 | 256 | |||||
| Adjusted debt | $ | 3,853 | $ | 4,262 | |||
| Long-term debt and finance lease obligations | $ | 3,093 | $ | 3,651 | |||
| Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations | 554 | 355 | |||||
| Operating lease liabilities — aircraft | 206 | 256 | |||||
| Stockholders' equity | 3,563 | 3,849 | |||||
| Adjusted capitalization | $ | 7,416 | $ | 8,111 | |||
| Adjusted debt to capitalization ratio | 52 | % | 53 | % |
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Free Cash Flow
The table below reconciles cash provided by operations determined in accordance with GAAP to Free Cash Flow, a non-GAAP financial measure. We believe that Free Cash Flow is a relevant metric in measuring our financial strength and is useful in assessing our ability to fund future capital commitments and other obligations. Investors should consider this non-GAAP financial measure in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF FREE CASH FLOW | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions) | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | $ | 379 | $ | 1,642 | $ | (683) | $ | 1,449 | |||||||
| Less: Capital expenditures | (767) | (907) | (715) | (932) | |||||||||||
| Less: Pre-delivery deposits for flight equipment | (156) | (88) | (76) | (224) | |||||||||||
| Free Cash Flow | $ | (544) | $ | 647 | $ | (1,474) | $ | 293 |
Glossary of Airline terminology
Airline terminology used in this section and elsewhere in this Report:
•Aircraft utilization - The average number of block hours operated per day per aircraft for the total fleet of aircraft.
•Available seat miles - The number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown.
•Average fare - The average one-way fare paid per flight segment by a revenue passenger.
•Average fuel cost per gallon - Total aircraft fuel costs, including fuel taxes and effective portion of fuel hedging, divided by the total number of fuel gallons consumed.
•Average stage length - The average number of miles flown per flight.
•Load factor - The percentage of aircraft seating capacity actually utilized, calculated by dividing revenue passenger miles by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile - Operating expenses divided by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile, excluding fuel - Operating expenses, less aircraft fuel, other non-airline expenses, and special items, divided by available seat miles.
•Operating revenue per available seat mile - Operating revenues divided by available seat miles.
•Passenger revenue per available seat mile - Passenger revenue divided by available seat miles.
•Revenue passengers - The total number of paying passengers flown on all flight segments.
•Revenue passenger miles - The number of miles flown by revenue passengers.
•Yield per passenger mile - The average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile.
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FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001158463-22-000017.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
OVERVIEW
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a material adverse impact on our operating revenues and financial position. We began seeing signs of recovery in February 2021 which continued to progress throughout the year. Although the spread of the Delta and Omicron variants temporarily decelerated the demand for travel in 2021, we believe customer confidence will continue to grow, resulting in sustained demand improvement going forward. We expect the recovery of domestic demand to outpace the recovery of international demand in most regions.
2021 Results
Our 2021 and 2020 results were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, comparisons of our 2021 results to 2020 are not necessarily indicative of future operating results. In certain cases, we have also included comparisons of our 2021 results to our 2019 results which are more reflective of pre-pandemic operations.
For the year end December 31, 2021:
•System capacity increased by 65.5% year-over-year and decreased by 15.2% compared to 2019.
•We generated $6.0 billion in operating revenue, an increase of $3.1 billion compared to 2020, primarily due to a 110.8% increase in revenue passengers. When compared to 2019, our operating revenue decreased by 25.4%, primarily driven by a decrease in revenue passenger of 29.6%.
•Operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM) increased by 23.4% to 11.16 cents year-over-year and decreased by 12.0% compared to 2019.
•Operating expense increased by 31.0% year-over-year to $6.1 billion. This compares to a decrease of 16.1% versus 2019.
•Operating expense per available seat mile (CASM) decreased by 20.9% to 11.30 cents year-over-year and decreased by 1.1% compared to 2019.
•Our 2021 and 2020 results included the effects of special items. Excluding fuel and related taxes, special items, as well as operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our 2021 operating expense(1) increased by 27.6% to $5.5 billion, as compared to 2020. When compared to 2019, our operating expenses excluding fuel and related taxes, special items, as well as operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses(1) increased by 1.6%.
•Excluding fuel and related taxes, special items, as well as operating expenses related to our non-airline businesses, our cost per available seat mile (CASM ex-fuel)(1) decreased by 22.9% to 10.11 cents year-over-year and increased by 19.8% compared to 2019.
•Our operating margin was (1.3)% in 2021, (58.0)% in 2020, and 9.9% in 2019. Excluding special items, our adjusted operating margin(1) were (15.1)%, (67.5)%, and 10.1% for full year 2021, 2020, and 2019 respectively.
•Reported a net loss of $(0.2) billion in 2021 compared to a net loss of $(1.4) billion in 2020. Reported 2019 net income was $569 million.
•Our reported (loss) per share for 2021 and 2020 was $(0.57) and $(4.88), respectively. Excluding special items, our adjusted (loss) per share(1) was $(2.51) for 2021, and $(5.65) for 2020. For 2019, our reported earnings per diluted share was $1.91. Adjusted earnings per diluted share(1) was $1.90 for 2019.
•During 2021, we took delivery of eight Airbus A321neo aircraft and seven Airbus A220 aircraft.
Outlook for 2022
We expect demand trends to remain non-linear through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the spread of the Delta and Omicron variants temporarily set back a full recovery of travel demand in 2021, we are seeing underlying momentum in demand and expect sequential improvements in customer demand throughout the first quarter of 2022 and beyond. We believe we would have generated higher revenue in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2019, if not for the impact from the Omicron variant in late 2021. For full year 2022, we expect our capacity to increase between 11% to 15% compared to 2019 as we plan to execute growth across our high-value network enabled by the Northeast Alliance. Over three-quarters of our planned capacity growth in 2022 is expected to be deployed in the historically capacity constrained Northeast geography.
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
As discussed in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements, in 2021, a new SEC rule became effective that is intended to modernize, simplify, and enhance certain disclosures throughout this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The new rule allows us to omit selected financial data for the preceding five years and discussions comparing 2020 and 2019 results, as such disclosures were included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Please note that although our 2021 and 2020 results were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on our operating results for 2021 and 2020 was different. As a result, comparisons of our 2021 results to 2020 may not necessarily be indicative of changes between operating results for future reporting periods.
2021 Compared to 2020
Overview
We reported a net (loss) of $(182) million, an operating (loss) of $(80) million and operating margin of (1.3)% for the year ended December 31, 2021. This compares to net (loss) of $(1.4) billion, operating (loss) of $(1.7) billion, and operating margin of (58.0)% for the year ended December 31, 2020. Our (loss) per share was $(0.57) for 2021 compared to $(4.88) for 2020.
Our 2021 and 2020 reported results included the effects of special items. Adjusting for these one-time items, our adjusted net (loss)(1) was $(797) million, adjusted operating (loss)(1) was $(913) million, and our adjusted operating margin(1) was (15.1)% for 2021. This compares to an adjusted net (loss)(1) of $(1.6) billion, adjusted operating (loss)(1) of $(2.0) billion, and an adjusted operating margin(1) of (67.5)% for 2020. Excluding one-time items, our adjusted (loss) per share(1) was $(2.51) for 2021 compared to $(5.65) for 2020.
Operating Revenues
| (revenues in millions; percent changes based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | ||||||||||
| Passenger revenue | $ | 5,609 | $ | 2,733 | 2,876 | 105.3 | |||||||
| Other revenue | 428 | 224 | 204 | 91.4 | |||||||||
| Operating revenues | $ | 6,037 | $ | 2,957 | 3,080 | 104.2 | |||||||
| Average fare | $ | 186.39 | $ | 191.42 | (5.03) | (2.6) | |||||||
| Yield per passenger mile (cents) | 13.63 | 14.69 | (1.06) | (7.2) | |||||||||
| Passenger revenue per ASM (cents) | 10.37 | 8.36 | 2.01 | 24.0 | |||||||||
| Operating revenue per ASM (cents) | 11.16 | 9.04 | 2.12 | 23.4 | |||||||||
| Average stage length (miles) | 1,283 | 1,222 | 61 | 5.0 | |||||||||
| Revenue passengers (thousands) | 30,094 | 14,274 | 15,820 | 110.8 | |||||||||
| Revenue passenger miles (millions) | 41,152 | 18,598 | 22,554 | 121.3 | |||||||||
| Available seat miles (ASMs) (millions) | 54,113 | 32,689 | 21,424 | 65.5 | |||||||||
| Load factor | 76.0 | % | 56.9 | % | 19.1 | pts |
Passenger revenue accounted for 92.9% of our total operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021. In addition to seat revenue, passenger revenue includes revenue from our ancillary product offerings such as Even More® Space. Revenue generated from international routes, including Puerto Rico, accounted for 35.6% of our total operating revenues in 2021. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when the transportation is provided. Passenger revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits are recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration or when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. We measure capacity in terms of available seat miles, which represents the number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown. Yield, or the average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile, is calculated by dividing Passenger revenue by Revenue passenger miles. We attempt to increase Passenger revenue primarily by increasing our yield per flight which produces higher revenue per available seat mile. Our objective is to optimize our fare mix to increase our overall average fare while continuing to provide our customers with competitive fares.
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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In 2021, the increase in Passenger revenue was primarily driven by the increase in demand for travel as we were gradually recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. We saw a 110.8% increase in revenue passengers compared to 2020. Fees revenue, which was our largest source of ancillary revenue in 2021, increased by $326 million, or 125.0% year-over-year. This was mainly the result of our customers returning to air travel coupled with benefits from revenue initiatives such as enhancements to our Fare Options aimed at providing our customers more choices, more flexibility, and lower fares.
Other revenue is primarily comprised of the marketing component of the sales of our TrueBlue® points. It also includes revenue from the sale of vacation packages, ground handling fees received from other airlines, and rental income. In 2021, Other revenue increased by $204 million, or 91.4%, principally driven by a $138 million increase in marketing revenue associated with our TrueBlue® program due to higher customer spend along with improved metrics from our new co-branded credit card agreements.
Operating Expenses
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents; percentages based on unrounded numbers) | Year-over-Year Change | per ASM | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel and related taxes | $ | 1,436 | $ | 631 | 805 | 127.7 | 2.65 | 1.93 | 37.6 | |||||||||||||
| Salaries, wages and benefits | 2,358 | 2,032 | 326 | 16.1 | 4.36 | 6.21 | (29.9) | |||||||||||||||
| Landing fees and other rents | 628 | 358 | 270 | 75.2 | 1.16 | 1.10 | 5.9 | |||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 540 | 535 | 5 | 0.9 | 1.00 | 1.64 | (39.1) | |||||||||||||||
| Aircraft rent | 99 | 85 | 14 | 17.2 | 0.18 | 0.26 | (29.2) | |||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 183 | 110 | 73 | 66.0 | 0.34 | 0.34 | 0.3 | |||||||||||||||
| Maintenance, materials and repairs | 626 | 441 | 185 | 42.0 | 1.15 | 1.34 | (14.2) | |||||||||||||||
| Other operating expenses | 1,080 | 762 | 318 | 41.8 | 2.00 | 2.33 | (14.4) | |||||||||||||||
| Special items | (833) | (283) | (550) | 194.8 | (1.54) | (0.86) | 78.1 | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 6,117 | $ | 4,671 | 1,446 | 31.0 | 11.30 | 14.29 | (20.9) |
Aircraft Fuel and Related Taxes
Aircraft fuel and related taxes represented 23.5% of our total operating expenses in 2021 compared to 13.5% in 2020. The average fuel price increased 34.6% in 2021 to $2.06 per gallon. Our fuel consumption increased by 68.9%, or 284 million gallons, due to capacity increases as demand for travel grew. We expect our fuel consumption to be higher in 2022 as we anticipate returning capacity to pre-pandemic levels.
We recognized fuel hedge losses of $7 million, in 2020. These losses were recorded in Aircraft fuel and related taxes. We are unable to predict the potential loss from hedge accounting, which is determined on a derivative-by-derivative basis, due to the volatility in the forward markets for these commodities. No fuel hedge gains or losses were recognized in 2021. There were no outstanding fuel hedges as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Salaries, Wages and Benefits
Salaries, wages and benefits increased $326 million, or 16.1% in 2021, driven primarily by higher total hours worked by our crewmembers as we align our workforce with the increase in demand for air travel. Salaries, wages and benefits in 2020 were lower than usual as a result of various cost saving initiatives taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in March 2020, we instituted a company-wide hiring freeze, implemented salary reductions for our officers, offered voluntary time off programs to our crewmembers, and reduced work hours for all other management workgroups. In June 2020, we announced voluntary separation programs to our crewmembers, with most departures having occurred in the third quarter of 2020. We had approximately 22,200 crewmembers as of December 31, 2021 as compared to approximately 20,000 crewmembers at December 31, 2020. During 2021, the average number of full-time equivalent crewmembers increased by 8.0% and the average tenure of our crewmembers was 7.9 years.
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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Landing Fees and Other Rents
Landing fees and other rents include landing fees, which are at premium rates in the heavily trafficked northeast corridor of the U.S. through which a large number of our flights operate. Other rents primarily consist of rent for airports in our BlueCities. Landing fees and other rents increased $270 million, or 75.2%, in 2021 driven by increases in departures as well as increases in rates partially tied to airport shortfalls attributed by a depressed level of travel demand. Departures increased by 56.8% compared to 2020. We expect the increase in landing fees and other rents to continue into 2022 as we anticipate a return of capacity to pre-pandemic levels partially offset by mitigations in airport rates tied to the recovery in travel demand. We expect full year 2022 capacity to increase between 11% and 15% compared to 2019.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization primarily include depreciation for our owned and finance leased aircraft, engines, and inflight entertainment systems. Depreciation and amortization increased $5 million, or 0.9%, primarily driven by a 4.1% increase in the average number of aircraft operating in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. We placed 16 aircraft, including our first Airbus A220 aircraft into service in 2021.
The increase in depreciation expense attributed to our new aircraft described above was partially offset by lower depreciation due to the impairment of our Embraer E190 fleet and related spare parts which reduced the carrying value of the E190 fleet in 2020. In addition, we also executed a number of aircraft sale-leaseback transactions towards the second half of 2020, the majority of which qualified as sales for accounting purposes. As a result of these sales, we no longer record depreciation expense on the assets. The costs associated with leasing these assets back from the purchaser are included in Aircraft Rent on our consolidated statements of operations.
Aircraft Rent
Aircraft rent increased $14 million, or 17.2%, in 2021. As discussed above, we executed a number of aircraft sale-leaseback transactions towards the second half of 2020, the majority of which qualified as sales for accounting purposes. The assets associated with these transactions, which qualified as sales, are recorded within operating lease assets for which rent expenses are recognized throughout the life of the related lease terms.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing increased $73 million, or 66.0%, in 2021 driven by higher credit card fees and computer reservation system charges, which are directly related to demand increases as we begin to recover from the pandemic. Revenue passengers more than doubled in 2021 to 30.1 million from 14.3 million in 2020.
Maintenance, Materials and Repairs
Maintenance, materials and repairs are generally expensed when incurred unless covered by a long-term flight hour services contract. The average age of our aircraft in 2021 was 11.6 years which is relatively young compared to our competitors. However, as our fleet ages our maintenance costs will increase significantly, both on an absolute basis and as a percentage of our unit costs, as older aircraft require additional, more expensive repairs over time. We had an average of 10.8 additional total operating aircraft in 2021 compared to 2020.
In 2021, Maintenance, materials and repairs increased by $185 million, or 42.0% compared to 2020. The increase was primarily driven by a higher number of maintenance events as we brought our parked aircraft back into service. We significantly reduced our flying in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and parked a portion of our fleet throughout the year. We expect the increase in expenses relating to maintenance, materials, and repairs to continue into 2022 as we return our capacity to pre-pandemic levels.
Other Operating Expenses
Other operating expenses consist of the following categories: outside services (including expenses related to fueling, ground handling, skycap, security, and janitorial services), insurance, personnel expenses, professional fees, onboard supplies, shop and office supplies, bad debts, communication costs, and taxes other than payroll and fuel taxes.
In 2021, other operating expenses increased by $318 million, or 41.8%, compared to 2020 due to higher levels of operations in response to the increased demand for air travel. Scheduled departures increased by 56.8% in 2021.
Special Items
In 2021, special items included the following:
•Contra-expense of $830 million, which represents the amount of federal payroll support grants utilized during the period;
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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•Contra-expense of $11 million related to the recognition of Employee Retention Credits provided by the CARES Act; and
•One-time costs of $8 million related to the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement with our inflight crewmembers.
Special items in 2020 included the following:
•Contra-expense of $685 million, which represents the amount of CARES Act payroll support grants utilized during the period;
•Contra-expense of $36 million related to the recognition of Employee Retention Credits provided by the CARES Act;
•Impairment charges of $273 million on our Embraer E190 fleet;
•Losses of $106 million related to certain aircraft sale-leaseback transactions; and
•One-time costs of $59 million, consisting of severance and health benefits, in connection with our voluntary separation programs.
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET ANALYSIS
Below is a discussion of the significant changes on our consolidated balance sheet between December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
| (in millions) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Balance Sheet Data: | December 31, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | $ Change | % Change | |||||||||
| ASSETS | |||||||||||||
| Investment securities | $ | 824 | $ | 1,135 | (311) | (27.4) | % | ||||||
| Receivables, net of allowance of $3 and $2, at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. | 207 | 98 | 109 | 111.7 | % | ||||||||
| Investment securities (non-current) | 39 | 2 | 37 | 1840.9 | % | ||||||||
| LIABILITIES | |||||||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 499 | $ | 365 | 134 | 36.9 | % | ||||||
| Air traffic liability | 1,618 | 1,122 | 496 | 44.2 | % | ||||||||
| Accrued salaries, wages and benefits | 480 | 409 | 71 | 17.5 | % | ||||||||
| Other accrued liabilities | 359 | 215 | 144 | 66.5 | % | ||||||||
| Total debt and finance lease obligations | 4,006 | 4,863 | (857) | (17.6) | % | ||||||||
| Other | 552 | 78 | 474 | 603.7 | % |
Investment securities
Short-term investment securities decreased by $311 million, or 27.4%, primarily driven by the maturities of our time deposits that were outstanding at December 31, 2020.
Receivables, net of allowance
Receivables, net of allowance, increased by $109 million, or 111.7%, as a result of improvements in customer demand which led to an increase in receivables from our credit card processors.
Investment securities (non-current)
Long-term investment securities increased by $37 million principally driven by the purchases of corporate bonds in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Accounts payable
Accounts payable increased by $134 million, or 36.9%, primarily due to increases in operating expenses and timing of payments. Customer demand began to recover from the COVD-19 pandemic in February 2021 and thus our level of operations was significantly greater at the end of 2021 compared to 2020. We operated over 26,000 flights in December 2021 as compared to approximately 15,000 flights in December 2020.
Air traffic liability
Air traffic liability increased by $496 million, or 44.2%, driven by improvements in demand as customers begin to gain confidence to travel and resumed booking travel further in advance. Cash collected from customers for future travel is recorded on our balance sheet until the point in time that the customer travels.
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits increased by $71 million, or 17.5%, as a result of the increase in the number of crewmembers. We significantly increased our staffing levels in 2021 to align with greater demand as customers began returning to travel. We had over 22,000 crewmembers at December 31, 2021 compared to approximately 20,000 crewmembers at December 31, 2020.
Other accrued liabilities
Other accrued liabilities increased by $144 million, or 66.5%, principally driven by due the timing of passenger tax remittances to governmental authorities. Passenger taxes are collected from customers when tickets are sold and remitted to the authorities at a later date. The increase in passenger tax liability correlates to the increase in demand for travel as we began to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the initial cash payments received from our new co-branded credit card
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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agreements are deferred and recognized as revenue over the terms of the related contracts. Deferred amounts are classified as other accrued liabilities and other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet.
Total debt and finance lease obligations
Total debt and finance lease obligations decreased by $857 million, or 17.6%, primarily due to $1.9 billion of debt repayments made during the year partially offset by the issuance of our 0.50% Convertible Senior Notes and unsecured term loans received under various federal payroll support programs. We will continue to look for opportunities to reduce our overall debt level as our business continues to recover.
Other liabilities
Other liabilities increased by $474 million principally due to the initial cash payments received from our new co-branded credit card agreements in 2021. The initial cash payments received from our new co-branded credit card agreements are deferred and recognized as revenue over the terms of the related contracts. Deferred amounts are classified as other accrued liabilities and other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet.
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The airline business is capital intensive. Our ability to successfully execute our growth plans is largely dependent on the continued availability of capital on attractive terms. In addition, our ability to successfully operate our business depends on maintaining sufficient liquidity. We believe we have adequate resources from a combination of cash and cash equivalents and investment securities on-hand. During 2020, we executed a significant number of financing transactions to ensure that we have adequate levels of liquidity to navigate through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we began to recover in 2021, our focus shifted to strengthening our balance sheet, lowering our total cost of debt, and growing our unencumbered asset base. As of December 31, 2021, our unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $2.8 billion. Our adjusted debt to capitalization ratio(1) at December 31, 2021 was 53%, down from 57% at December 31, 2020.
We believe a healthy liquidity position is a crucial element of our ability to weather any part of the economic cycle while continuing to execute on our plans for profitable growth and increased returns. Our goal is to continue to be diligent with our liquidity, maintain financial flexibility, and be prudent with capital spending.
Analysis of Cash Flows
We had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $2.0 billion as of December 31, 2021. This compares to $1.9 billion and $959 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We held both short and long-term investments in 2021, 2020 and 2019. Our short-term investments totaled $824 million as of December 31, 2021 compared to $1.1 billion and $369 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities totaled approximately $1.6 billion in 2021. This compares to cash used in operating activities of $683 million in 2020 and cash provided by operating activities of $1.5 billion in 2019. Lower losses, principally driven by higher operating revenues coupled with federal grants received under various payroll support programs, and the initial cash payments associated with our new co-branded credit card agreements all contributed to the $2.3 billion increase in operating cash flows in 2021. Cash provided by operating activities decreased by $2.1 billion in 2020 compared to 2019 principally driven by the unprecedented decline in demand for air travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities totaled approximately $704 million, $1.3 billion, and $1.1 billion in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.
During 2021, capital expenditures related to our purchase of flight equipment included $637 million for the purchase of eight new Airbus A321neo aircraft, seven Airbus A220 aircraft, and a number of spare engines; $88 million for flight equipment deposits, $133 million for flight equipment work-in-progress; and $44 million for spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facilities improvements for $93 million. Investing activities in 2021 also included the net proceeds of $296 million from our investment securities.
During 2020, capital expenditures related to our purchase of flight equipment included $426 million for the purchase of seven new Airbus A321neo aircraft, our first A220 Aircraft, and the buyout of one Airbus A321 aircraft lease; $76 million for flight equipment deposits; $151 million for flight equipment work-in-progress; and $15 million for spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facilities improvements for $123 million. Investing activities in 2020 also included the net purchase of $767 million in investment securities.
We executed $563 million of aircraft sale-leaseback transactions in 2020, which provided an additional source of liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of these transactions, $209 million qualified as sales for accounting purposes and the related proceeds are classified within investing activities. The remaining $354 million which did not qualify as sales for accounting purposes are treated as cash from financing activities as noted below.
During 2019, capital expenditures related to our purchase of flight equipment included $478 million for the purchase of six new Airbus A321 aircraft and the buyout of one Airbus A320 aircraft lease; $224 million for flight equipment deposits; $249 million for flight equipment work-in-progress; and $48 million for spare part purchases. Other property and equipment capital expenditures included ground equipment purchases and facilities improvements for $158 million. Investing activities in 2019 also included the net purchase of $40 million in investment securities.
We currently anticipate capital expenditures of approximately $175 million for the first quarter of 2022, and approximately $1.0 billion for the full year 2022. We plan to restrict non-aircraft capital expenditures to those that are most critical to our path to recovery.
Financing Activities
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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We made significant progress in strengthening our balance sheet in 2021 by reducing our total debt balance from $4.9 billion at December 31, 2020 to $4.0 billion at December 31, 2021.
Financing activities during the year primarily consisted of debt repayments of $1.9 billion on our outstanding debt and finance lease obligations, which included the following payoffs:
•$722 million on our term loan facility;
•$550 million on our revolving credit facility; and
•$115 million on our secured loan balance under the CARES Act Loan Program.
These principal payments were partially offset by:
•Net proceeds of $734 million from the issuance of our 0.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026;
•Net proceeds of $276 million and $14 million from the issuances of unsecured term loans and warrants, respectively, in connection with the Payroll Support Program 2 under the Consolidated Appropriations Act and Payroll Support Program 3 under the American Rescue Plan Act; and
•$46 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
Also included in financing activities during 2021 were $8 million used for the acquisition of treasury stock which represents the return of shares to satisfy tax payments associated with crewmember stock compensation that vested during the period.
We plan to continue to opportunistically pay down those obligations with the highest costs as we continue to manage through the recovery.
Financing activities during 2020 primarily consisted of net proceeds of $2.2 billion from drawdowns of our credit facilities and the execution of a number of financing transactions which included the following:
•$981 million from our 364-day delayed draw term loan facility with Morgan Stanley Senior Funding Inc. as administrative agent;
•$717 million from our term loan facility with Barclays Bank PLC as administrative agent; and
•$550 million from our revolving credit facility with Citibank N.A. as administrative agent.
Also included in financing activities during 2020 were:
•Net proceeds of $913 million from the public placements of equipment notes;
•Net proceeds of $583 million from the offering of 42 million shares of our common sock
•$354 million of aircraft sale-leaseback transactions which did not qualify as sales for accounting purposes;
•Net proceeds of $259 million and $19 million from the issuance of unsecured term loan and warrants, respectively, in connection with the Payroll Support Program under the CARES Act;
•Net proceeds of $105 million and $9 million from the issuance of secured term loan and warrants, respectively, in connection with the Loan Program under the CARES Act; and
•$35 million in proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to our crewmember stock purchase plan.
These proceeds were partially offset by the payoff of our 364-day delayed draw term loan facility for $1.0 billion, scheduled maturities of $372 million relating to debt and finance lease obligations, $12 million of which were associated with scheduled rent payments on sale-leaseback aircraft that did not qualify as sales for accounting purposes, and the acquisitions of treasury shares of $167 million, of which $160 million related to our accelerated share repurchases, or ASRs. Our share repurchase program has been suspended since March 31, 2020.
Financing activities during 2019 consisted of the net issuance of $981 million of debt, $764 million of which related to the offering of our Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates, Series 2019-1 ("2019-1 EETC") in November, partially offset by the scheduled repayment of $323 million in debt and finance lease obligations. Additionally, we acquired $542 million in treasury shares of which $535 million related to ASRs during 2019. During this period, we received $51 million in proceeds from the issuance of stock related to employee share-based compensation.
In March 2019, we filed an automatic shelf registration statement with the SEC. Under this shelf registration statement, we may offer and sell from time to time common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depositary shares, warrants, stock
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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purchase contracts, stock purchase units, subscription rights, and pass-through certificates. We may utilize this shelf registration statement, or a replacement filed with the SEC, in the future to raise capital to fund the continued development of our products and services, the commercialization of our products and services, to repay indebtedness, or for other general corporate purposes. The warrants issued by JetBlue to Treasury under the Acts were made, and any issuances of our underlying common stock are expected to be made, in reliance on the exemption from the registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), for transactions not involving a public offering.
None of our lenders or lessors are affiliated with us.
Capital Resources
Dependent on market conditions, we anticipate using a mix of cash and debt financing for our expected aircraft deliveries in 2022. To the extent we cannot secure financing on terms we deem attractive, we may be required to pay in cash, further modify our aircraft acquisition plans, or incur higher than anticipated financing costs. Although we believe debt and/or lease financing should be available to us if needed, we cannot give assurances we will be able to secure financing on terms attractive to us, if at all.
We have a revolving line of credit with Morgan Stanley for up to approximately $200 million. This line of credit is secured by a portion of our investment securities held by Morgan Stanley and the borrowing amount may vary accordingly. This line of credit bears interest at a floating rate based upon the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, plus a margin. We did not borrow under this facility in 2021 or 2020 and the line was undrawn as of December 31, 2021.
We have a revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement with Citibank N.A. as the administrative agent, for up to $550 million (the "Revolving Facility"). The term of the Revolving Facility runs through August 2023. Borrowings under the Revolving Facility bear interest at a variable rate equal to LIBOR, plus a margin. The Revolving Facility is secured by aircraft, simulators, and certain other assets as permitted thereunder. The Revolving Facility includes covenants that require us to maintain certain minimum balances in unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and unused commitments available under revolving credit facilities. In addition, the covenants restrict our ability to, among other things, dispose of certain collateral, or merge, consolidate, or sell assets.
In response to the unprecedented decline in demand for air travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we borrowed the full amount of $550 million under the Revolving Facility on April 22, 2020.
We repaid the full balance of the Revolving Facility in the first quarter of 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we did not have a balance outstanding or any borrowings under the Revolving Facility.
Working Capital
We had a working capital deficit of $170 million as of December 31, 2021 compared to a surplus of $671 million as of December 31, 2020. Our working capital decreased by $501 million due to several factors, including an overall increase in our air traffic liability resulting from the increase in customer bookings as demand for air travel began to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Working capital deficits can be customary in the airline industry since a large portion of air traffic liability is classified within current liability.
We expect to meet our obligations as they become due through available cash, investment securities, and internally generated funds, supplemented, as necessary, by financing activities and federal government assistance programs, which may be available to us. We expect to generate positive working capital through our operations. However, we cannot predict what the effect on our business might be from future developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy and consumer behavior, the extremely competitive environment in which we operate, or from events beyond our control, such as volatile fuel prices, economic conditions, weather-related disruptions, airport infrastructure challenges, the spread of infectious diseases, the impact of other airline bankruptcies, restructurings or consolidations, U.S. military actions, or acts of terrorism. We believe there is sufficient liquidity available to us to meet our cash requirements for at least the next 12 months.
Debt and Finance Leases
As part of our efforts to effectively manage our balance sheet, we expect to continue to actively manage our debt balances. Our approach to debt management includes managing the mix of fixed and floating rate debt, annual maturities of debt, and the weighted average cost of debt. Additionally, our unencumbered assets allow some flexibility in managing our cost of debt and capital requirements.
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
Our contractual obligations at December 31, 2021 include the following (in billions):
| Payments due in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Thereafter | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt and finance lease obligations(1) | $ | 4.6 | $ | 0.5 | $ | 0.7 | $ | 0.4 | $ | 0.2 | $ | 0.9 | $ | 1.9 | |||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Flight equipment purchase obligations | 7.5 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other obligations(2) | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 15.5 | $ | 1.9 | $ | 2.9 | $ | 2.7 | $ | 2.0 | $ | 2.3 | $ | 3.7 |
(1)Includes actual interest and estimated interest for floating-rate debt based on December 31, 2021 rates.
(2)Amounts include non-cancelable commitments for the purchase of goods and services.
The interest rates are fixed for $3.9 billion of our debt and finance lease obligations, with the remaining $0.1 billion having floating interest rates. The floating interest rates adjust either quarterly or semi-annually based on LIBOR. The weighted average maturity of all of our debt was eight years as of December 31, 2021.
As of December 31, 2021, we believe we were in compliance with the covenants of our debt and lease agreements and approximately 64% of our owned property and equipment were pledged as security under various loan agreements.
As of December 31, 2021, we had operating lease obligations for 62 aircraft with lease terms that expire between 2023 and 2028. Our aircraft lease agreements contain termination provisions which include standard maintenance and return conditions. Our policy is to record these lease return conditions when they are probable and the costs can be estimated. We also lease airport terminal space and other airport facilities in each of our markets, as well as office space and other equipment. We have approximately $32 million of restricted assets pledged under standby letters of credit related to certain of our leases which will expire at the end of the related leases. As of December 31, 2021, the average age of our operating fleet was 11.6 years.
Our firm aircraft order book as of December 31, 2021 was as follows:
| Year | Airbus A321neo | Airbus A220 | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 | 9 | 12 | |||
| 2023 | 11 | 18 | 29 | |||
| 2024 | 13 | 22 | 35 | |||
| 2025 | 11 | 12 | 23 | |||
| 2026 | 12 | 1 | 13 | |||
| 2027 | 14 | — | 14 | |||
| Total | 64 | 62 | 126 |
In February 2022, we exercised our option to purchase 30 additional Airbus A220-300 aircraft under our existing agreement with Airbus Canada Limited Partnership. The 30 additional A220-300 aircraft are expected to be delivered from 2022 to 2026. Options for 20 additional A220-300 aircraft remain available to us. The 30 additional aircraft are not included in the aircraft delivery schedule above. With the addition of these 30 Airbus A220 aircraft, our flight equipment purchase obligations are expected to be $1.0 billion in 2022, $1.7 billion in 2023, $2.0 billion in 2024, $1.6 billion 2025, $1.3 billion in 2026 and 1.0 billion thereafter.
Committed expenditures for our firm aircraft and spare engines include estimated amounts for contractual price escalations and pre-delivery deposits. We expect to meet our pre-delivery deposit requirements for our aircraft by paying cash or by using short-term borrowing facilities for deposits generally required six to 24 months prior to delivery. Any pre-delivery deposits paid by the issuance of notes are fully repaid at the time of delivery of the related aircraft.
Our Terminal at JFK, T5, is governed by a lease agreement we entered into with the PANYNJ in 2005. We are responsible for making various payments under the lease. This includes ground rents for the terminal site which began at the time of the lease execution in 2005 and facility rents commenced in October 2008 upon our occupancy of T5. The facility rents are based on the number of passengers enplaned out of the terminal, subject to annual minimums. The PANYNJ reimbursed us
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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for construction costs of this project in accordance with the terms of the lease, except for approximately $76 million in leasehold improvements provided by us. In 2013, we amended this lease to include additional ground space for our international arrivals facility, T5i, which we opened in November 2014. Minimum ground and facility rents at JFK totaling $496 million are included in the commitments table above as operating lease obligations.
Reaffirming our commitment to New York, in February 2022, we executed a new lease for our primarily corporate offices that will extend our stay in the present Long Island City location until 2039.We expect the new lease will increase our lease commitments by approximately $3 million in 2024, $6 million in 2025, $7 million in 2026, and $97 million thereafter.
We enter into individual employment agreements with each of our non-unionized FAA-licensed crewmembers, inspectors, and air traffic controllers. Each employment agreement is for a term of five years and automatically renews for an additional five-year term unless the crewmember is terminated for cause or the crewmember elects not to renew it. Pursuant to these agreements, these crewmembers can only be terminated for cause. In the event of a downturn in our business requiring a reduction in flying and related work hours, we are obligated to pay these crewmembers a guaranteed level of income and to continue their benefits. As we are not currently obligated to pay this guaranteed income and benefits, no amounts related to these guarantees are included in the contractual obligations table above.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
We have determined that we hold a variable interest in, but are not the primary beneficiary of, certain pass-through trusts. The beneficiaries of these pass-through trusts are the purchasers of equipment notes issued by us to finance the acquisition of aircraft. Each trust maintains a liquidity facility whereby a third party agrees to make payments sufficient to pay up to 18 months of interest on the applicable certificates if a payment default occurs.
We have also made certain guarantees and indemnities to other unrelated parties that are not reflected on our consolidated balance sheets, which we believe will not have a significant impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. We have no other off-balance sheet arrangements. See Notes 3, 4, and 11 to our consolidated financial statements for a more detailed discussion of our variable interests and other contingencies, including guarantees and indemnities.
(1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure.
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Concern over climate change, including the impact of global warming, has led to significant U.S. and international legislative and regulatory efforts to limit greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions, including our aircraft and ground operations emissions. Below is a discussion of the regulations that are relevant to JetBlue and the efforts we have taken to address climate change.
Legislation, Regulation, and Accords on Climate Change
Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation
In October 2016, ICAO passed a resolution adopting the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation ("CORSIA"), which is a global, market-based emissions offset program to encourage carbon-neutral growth beyond 2020. Annual international emissions reporting is required via CORSIA as of the 2019 reporting year, and offsetting compliance is scheduled to be implemented through multiple phases beginning in 2021. In 2020, given the impacts of COVID-19 which dramatically reduced 2020 emissions, ICAO agreed that the baseline from which the industry achieves carbon neutral growth would be from 2019 only, rather than an average of 2019 and 2020 as originally intended. ICAO continues to develop details regarding implementation, but we expect compliance with CORSIA will increase our operating costs.
Sustainable Skies Act
In May 2021, the Sustainable Skies Act was introduced in the United States Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel ("SAF"). Under this proposal, SAF that achieve 50% or greater reduction in lifecycle GHG emissions would be eligible to receive a tax credit ranging from $1.50 per gallon to $2.00 per gallon.
We are supportive of this proposed legislation and consider this to be a meaningful development to stimulate the production of SAF, making it more affordable and widely available. We believe this to be an important step in helping the U.S. airline industry reach its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Actions Taken to Address Climate Change
JetBlue is committed to proactively responding to climate change by taking meaningful steps to decarbonize our business and mitigating climate risks that may materially impact the business. As one of our key company-wide strategic priorities, we are pursuing six key levers to decarbonize our business. We discuss these levers and other sustainability initiatives in “Item 1. Business—Environmental, Social Governance – Environmental” above.
Other Impacts of Climate Change
The number of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, and rainstorms, associated with climate change is expected to increase. Occurrences of these extreme weather events may result in flight cancellations, delays, and diversions, severely impacting our operations and thus adversely affecting our financial results and conditions.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP, requires management to adopt accounting policies as well as make estimates and judgments to develop amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. We maintain a thorough process to review the application of our accounting policies and to evaluate the appropriateness of the estimates that are required to prepare our financial statements. We believe our estimates and judgments are reasonable; however, actual results and the timing of recognition of such amounts could differ from those estimates. In addition, estimates routinely require adjustment based on changing circumstances and the receipt of new or better information.
Critical accounting policies and estimates are defined as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties that could potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. The policies and estimates discussed below have been reviewed with our independent registered public accounting firm and with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. For a discussion of these and other significant accounting policies, see Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements.
Passenger Revenue
Ticket sales and the fees collected for related ancillary services are initially deferred in air traffic liability. Air traffic liability represents tickets sold but not yet flown, credits which can be used for future travel, and a portion of the liability related to our TrueBlue® loyalty program. We allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation identified in a passenger ticket on a relative standalone basis. Passenger revenue, including certain ancillary fees directly related to passenger tickets, is recognized when the transportation is provided. Taxes that we are required to collect from our customers, including foreign and U.S. federal transportation taxes, security taxes, and airport facility charges, are excluded from passenger revenue. Those taxes and fees are recorded as a liability upon collection and are relieved from the liability upon remittance to the applicable governmental agency.
The majority of the tickets we sell are non-refundable. Non-refundable fares may be canceled prior to the scheduled departure date for a credit for future travel. Refundable fares may be canceled at any time prior to the scheduled departure date. Failure to cancel a refundable fare prior to departure will result in the cancellation of the original ticket and an issuance of a credit for future travel. Passenger credits can generally be used for future travel up to a year from the date of issuance. In response to the impact of COVID-19 on air travel, we extended the expiration dates for travel credits issued from February 27, 2020 through June 30, 2020 to a 24-month period. In January 2022, in response to the surge in COVID-19 cases and flight cancellations in late 2021, we further extended the expiration dates for travel credits with an original expiration date between February 1, 2020 through September 29, 2022 to September 30, 2022. All passenger credits were classified as current air traffic liability as of December 31, 2021.
Passenger breakage revenue from unused tickets and passenger credits will be recognized in proportion to flown revenue based on estimates of expected expiration when the likelihood of the customer exercising his or her remaining rights becomes remote. Breakage revenue consists of non-refundable tickets that remain unused past the departure date, have continued validity, and are expected to ultimately expire unused, as well as passenger credits that are not expected to be redeemed prior to expiration. JetBlue uses estimates based on historical experience of expired tickets and credits and considers other factors that could impact future expiration patterns of tickets and credits. Tickets which do not have continued validity past the departure date are recognized as revenue after the scheduled departure date has lapsed.
Passenger ticket costs primarily include credit card fees, commissions paid, and global distribution systems booking fees. Costs are allocated entirely to the purchased travel services and are capitalized until recognized when travel services are provided to the customer.
Loyalty Program
Customers may earn points under our customer loyalty program, TrueBlue®, based on the fare paid and fare product purchased for a flight. Customers can also earn points through business partners such as credit card companies, hotels, car rental companies, and our participating airline partners.
Points Earned From a Ticket Purchase. When a TrueBlue® member travels, we recognize a portion of the fare as revenue and defer in air traffic liabilities the portion that represents the value of the points net of spoilage, or breakage. We allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation on a relative standalone basis. We determine the standalone selling price of TrueBlue® points issued using the redemption value approach. To maximize the use of observable inputs, we utilize the actual ticket value of the tickets purchased with TrueBlue® points. The liability is relieved and passenger revenue is recognized when the points are redeemed and the free travel is provided.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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Points Sold to TrueBlue® Partners. Our most significant contract to sell TrueBlue® points is with our co-branded credit card partner. Co-branded credit card partnerships have the following identified performance obligations: air transportation; use of the JetBlue brand name, and access to our frequent flyer customer lists; advertising; and other airline benefits. In determining the estimated standalone selling price, JetBlue considers multiple inputs, methods, and assumptions, including: discounted cash flows; estimated redemption value, net of fulfillment discount; points expected to be awarded and redeemed; estimated annual spending by cardholders; estimated annual royalty for use of JetBlue's frequent flyer customer lists; and estimated utilization of other airline benefits. Payments are typically due monthly based on the volume of points sold during the period, and the terms of our marketing contracts are generally from one to ten years. The overall consideration received is allocated to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The air transportation element is deferred and recognized as passenger revenue when the points are redeemed. The other elements are recognized as other revenue when the performance obligations related to those services are satisfied, which is generally the same period as when consideration is received from the participating company.
Amounts allocated to the air transportation element which are initially deferred include a portion that are expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within Air traffic liability), and a portion that are not expected to be redeemed during the following twelve months (included within Air traffic liability - non-current). We periodically update this analysis and adjust the split between current and non-current liabilities as appropriate.
Points earned by TrueBlue® members never expire. TrueBlue® members can pool points between small groups of people, branded as Points Pooling™. Breakage is estimated using historical redemption patterns to determine a breakage rate. Breakage rates used to estimate breakage revenue are evaluated annually. Changes to breakage estimates impact revenue recognition prospectively.
Accounting for Long-Lived Assets
In accounting for long-lived assets, we make estimates about the expected useful lives, projected residual values, and the potential for impairment. In estimating useful lives and residual values of our aircraft, we have relied upon actual industry experience with the same or similar aircraft types and our anticipated utilization of the aircraft. Changing market prices of new and used aircraft, government regulations, and changes in our maintenance program or operations could result in changes to these estimates.
Our long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment when events and circumstances indicate the assets may be impaired. Indicators include operating or cash flow losses, significant decreases in market value, or changes in technology.
To determine if impairment exists for our aircraft used in operations, we group our aircraft by fleet-type (the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows) and then estimate their future cash flows based on projections of capacity, aircraft age, maintenance requirements, and other relevant conditions. An impairment occurs when the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the aggregate carrying value of the fleet. The impairment loss recognized is the amount by which the fleet's carrying value exceeds its estimated fair value. We estimate aircraft fair value using third party valuations which consider the effects of the current market environment, age of the assets, and marketability.
Given the substantial reduction in our active aircraft and diminished projections of future cash flows experienced in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we evaluated and recorded impairment charges of flight equipment and other property and equipment related to our Embraer E190 fleet for the year ended December 31, 2020. No impairment charges were recorded for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Refer to Note 17 to our consolidated financial statements for further details of our impairment charges.
Lease Accounting
We operate airport facilities, office buildings, and aircraft under operating leases with minimum lease payments. We recognize the costs associated with these agreements as rent expense on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term. Within the provisions of certain leases, there are minimum escalations in payments over the base lease term. There are also periodic adjustments of lease rates, landing fees, and other charges applicable under such agreements, as well as renewal periods. The effects of the escalations and other adjustments have been reflected in rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. This includes renewal periods when it is deemed to be reasonably assured at the inception of the lease. The amortization period for leasehold improvements is the term used in calculating straight-line rent expense or their estimated economic life, whichever is shorter.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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Derivative Instruments used for Aircraft Fuel
We utilize financial derivative instruments to manage the risk of changing aircraft fuel prices. We do not purchase or hold any derivative instrument for trading purposes. Fair values are determined using commodity prices provided to us by independent third parties. When possible, we designate these instruments as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes, as defined by the Derivatives and Hedging topic of the Codification which permits the deferral of the effective portions of gains or losses until contract settlement.
The Derivatives and Hedging topic is a complex accounting standard. It requires us to develop and maintain a significant amount of documentation related to:
(1) our fuel hedging program and fuel management approach,
(2) statistical analysis supporting a highly correlated relationship between the underlying commodity in the derivative financial instrument and the risk being hedged, i.e. aircraft fuel, on both a historical and prospective basis, and
(3) cash flow designation for each hedging transaction executed, to be developed concurrently with the hedging transaction.
This documentation requires us to estimate forward aircraft fuel prices since there is no reliable forward market for aircraft fuel. These prices are developed through the observation of similar commodity futures prices, such as crude oil and/or heating oil, and adjusted based on variations to those like commodities. Historically, our hedges have settled within 24 months; therefore, the deferred gains and losses have been recognized into earnings over a relatively short period of time.
| (1) Refer to our ''Regulation G Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" at the end of this section for more information on this non-GAAP measure. |
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REGULATION G RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
We sometimes use non-GAAP financial measures in this report. Non-GAAP financial measures are financial measures that are derived from the consolidated financial statements, but that are not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide a meaningful comparison of our results to others in the airline industry and our prior year results. Investors should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial performance measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Further, our non-GAAP information may be different from the non-GAAP information provided by other companies. The information below provides an explanation of each non-GAAP financial measure and shows a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures used in this filing to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.
Operating Expense per Available Seat Mile, excluding fuel and related taxes, other non-airline operating expenses, and special items ("CASM Ex-Fuel")
Operating expenses per available seat mile, or CASM, is a common metric used in the airline industry. We exclude aircraft fuel and related taxes, operating expenses related to other non-airline businesses, such as our subsidiaries, JetBlue Technology Ventures and JetBlue Travel Products, and special items from operating expenses to determine CASM ex-fuel, which is a non-GAAP financial measure.
In 2021, special items include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of federal grants received under various payroll support programs, contra-expenses recognized on the Employee Retention Credits provided by the CARES Act, and one-time costs related to the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement with our inflight crewmembers.
Special items in 2020 include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of payroll support grants received under the CARES Act, contra-expenses recognized on the Employee Retention Credits provided by the CARES Act, impairment charges on our Embraer E190 fleet, losses generated from certain aircraft sale-leaseback transactions, and one-time costs associated with our voluntary crewmember separation programs.
Special items for 2019 include an impairment charge and one-time costs related to the Embraer E190 fleet transition as well as one-time costs related to the ratification and implementation of our pilots' collective bargaining agreement.
We believe that CASM ex-fuel is useful for investors because it provides investors the ability to measure financial performance excluding items beyond our control, such as fuel costs, which are subject to many economic and political factors, or not related to the generation of an available seat mile, such as operating expense related to other non-airline businesses. We believe this non-GAAP measure is more indicative of our ability to manage airline costs and is more comparable to measures reported by other major airlines.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE PER ASM, EXCLUDING FUEL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions; per ASM data in cents) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | $ | per ASM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 6,117 | 11.30 | $ | 4,671 | 14.29 | $ | 7,294 | 11.43 | $ | 7,392 | 12.34 | $ | 6,039 | 10.78 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Less: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aircraft fuel and related taxes | 1,436 | 2.65 | 631 | 1.93 | 1,847 | 2.89 | 1,899 | 3.17 | 1,363 | 2.43 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other non-airline expenses | 43 | 0.08 | 35 | 0.10 | 46 | 0.08 | 44 | 0.07 | 35 | 0.06 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Special items | (833) | (1.54) | (283) | (0.86) | 14 | 0.02 | 435 | 0.73 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses, excluding fuel | $ | 5,471 | 10.11 | $ | 4,288 | 13.12 | $ | 5,387 | 8.44 | $ | 5,014 | 8.37 | $ | 4,641 | 8.29 |
Reconciliation of Operating Expense, Income (Loss) before Taxes, Net Income (Loss) and Earnings (Loss) per Share, excluding special items and gain on equity investments
Our GAAP results in the applicable periods were impacted by credits and charges that are deemed special items.
In 2021, special items include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of federal grants received under various payroll support programs, contra-expenses recognized on the Employee Retention Credits (ERCs) provided by the CARES Act, and one-time costs related to the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement with our inflight crewmembers.
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Special items in 2020 include contra-expenses recognized on the utilization of payroll support grants received under the CARES Act, contra-expenses recognized on ERCs, impairment charges on our Embraer E190 fleet, losses generated from certain aircraft sale-leaseback transactions, and one-time costs associated with our voluntary crewmember separation programs.
Special items in 2019 include one-time costs related to the Embraer E190 fleet transition as well as one-time costs related to the ratification and implementation of our pilots' collective bargaining agreement.
Certain net gains on our equity investments were also excluded from our 2021 and 2019 GAAP results.
We believe the impact of these items distort our overall trends and that our metrics are more comparable with the presentation of our results excluding the impact of these items. The table below provides a reconciliation of our GAAP reported amounts to the non-GAAP amounts excluding the impacts of these items.
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| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSE, INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE TAXES, NET INCOME (LOSS) AND EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS AND GAIN ON EQUITY INVESTMENTS | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| (in millions except per share amounts) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Total operating revenues | $ | 6,037 | $ | 2,957 | $ | 8,094 | |||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 6,117 | $ | 4,671 | $ | 7,294 | |||||
| Less: Special items | (833) | (283) | 14 | ||||||||
| Total operating expenses excluding special items | $ | 6,950 | $ | 4,954 | $ | 7,280 | |||||
| Operating income (loss) | $ | (80) | $ | (1,714) | $ | 800 | |||||
| Add back: Special items | (833) | (283) | 14 | ||||||||
| Operating income (loss) excluding special items | $ | (913) | $ | (1,997) | $ | 814 | |||||
| Operating margin excluding special items | (15.1) | % | (67.5) | % | 10.1 | % | |||||
| Income (loss) before income taxes | $ | (263) | $ | (1,893) | $ | 768 | |||||
| Add back: Special items | (833) | (283) | 14 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on equity investments | 44 | — | 15 | ||||||||
| Income (loss) before income taxes excluding special items and gain on equity investments | $ | (1,140) | $ | (2,176) | $ | 767 | |||||
| Pre-tax margin excluding special items and gain on equity investments | (18.9) | % | (73.6) | % | 9.5 | % | |||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | (182) | $ | (1,354) | $ | 569 | |||||
| Add back: Special items | (833) | (283) | 14 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax benefit (expense) related to special items | (249) | (69) | 4 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on equity investments | 44 | — | 15 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax (expense) related to gain on equity investments | (13) | — | (4) | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) excluding special items and gain on equity investments | $ | (797) | $ | (1,568) | $ | 568 | |||||
| Earnings (loss) per common share: | |||||||||||
| Basic | $ | (0.57) | $ | (4.88) | $ | 1.92 | |||||
| Add back: Special items, net of tax | (1.84) | (0.77) | 0.04 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on equity investments, net of tax | 0.10 | — | 0.04 | ||||||||
| Basic excluding special items and gain on equity investments | $ | (2.51) | $ | (5.65) | $ | 1.92 | |||||
| Diluted | $ | (0.57) | $ | (4.88) | $ | 1.91 | |||||
| Add back: Special items, net of tax | (1.84) | (0.77) | 0.03 | ||||||||
| Less: Gain on equity investments, net of tax | 0.10 | — | 0.04 | ||||||||
| Diluted excluding special items and gain on equity investments | $ | (2.51) | $ | (5.65) | $ | 1.90 |
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Adjusted Debt to Capitalization Ratio
Adjusted debt to capitalization ratio is a non-GAAP financial measure which we believe is relevant in assessing the Company's overall debt profile. Adjusted debt includes aircraft operating lease liabilities, in addition to total debt and finance lease obligations. Adjusted capitalization represents total equity plus adjusted debt. Investors should consider this non-GAAP financial measure in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE ADJUSTED DEBT TO CAPITALIZATION RATIO | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions) | December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Long-term debt and finance lease obligations | $ | 3,651 | $ | 4,413 | |||
| Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations | 355 | 450 | |||||
| Operating lease liabilities — aircraft | 256 | 273 | |||||
| Adjusted debt | $ | 4,262 | $ | 5,136 | |||
| Long-term debt and finance lease obligations | $ | 3,651 | $ | 4,413 | |||
| Current maturities of long-term debt and finance lease obligations | 355 | 450 | |||||
| Operating lease liabilities — aircraft | 256 | 273 | |||||
| Stockholders' equity | 3,849 | 3,951 | |||||
| Adjusted capitalization | $ | 8,111 | $ | 9,087 | |||
| Adjusted debt to capitalization ratio | 53 | % | 57 | % |
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Free Cash Flow
The table below reconciles cash provided by operations determined in accordance with GAAP to Free Cash Flow, a non-GAAP financial measure. We believe that Free Cash Flow is a relevant metric in measuring our financial strength and is useful in assessing our ability to fund future capital commitments and other obligations. Investors should consider this non-GAAP financial measure in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
| NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE RECONCILIATION OF FREE CASH FLOW | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions) | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | $ | 1,642 | $ | (683) | $ | 1,449 | $ | 1,200 | $ | 1,379 | |||||||||
| Less: Capital expenditures | (907) | (715) | (932) | (908) | (1,074) | ||||||||||||||
| Less: Pre-delivery deposits for flight equipment | (88) | (76) | (224) | (206) | (128) | ||||||||||||||
| Free Cash Flow | $ | 647 | $ | (1,474) | $ | 293 | $ | 86 | $ | 177 |
Glossary of Airline terminology
Airline terminology used in this section and elsewhere in this Report:
•Aircraft utilization - The average number of block hours operated per day per aircraft for the total fleet of aircraft.
•Available seat miles - The number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown.
•Average fare - The average one-way fare paid per flight segment by a revenue passenger.
•Average fuel cost per gallon - Total aircraft fuel costs, including fuel taxes and effective portion of fuel hedging, divided by the total number of fuel gallons consumed.
•Average stage length - The average number of miles flown per flight.
•Load factor - The percentage of aircraft seating capacity actually utilized, calculated by dividing revenue passenger miles by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile - Operating expenses divided by available seat miles.
•Operating expense per available seat mile, excluding fuel - Operating expenses, less aircraft fuel, other non-airline expenses, and special items, divided by available seat miles.
•Operating revenue per available seat mile - Operating revenues divided by available seat miles.
•Passenger revenue per available seat mile - Passenger revenue divided by available seat miles.
•Revenue passengers - The total number of paying passengers flown on all flight segments.
•Revenue passenger miles - The number of miles flown by revenue passengers.
•Yield per passenger mile - The average amount one passenger pays to fly one mile.