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 financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Report. Management’s discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements, such as statements of our plans, objectives, expectations, and intentions. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. When used, the words “believe,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “target,” “estimate,” “expect” and the like, and/or future tense or conditional constructions (“will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” etc.), or similar expressions, identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including those under “Risk Factors” in Item 1A in this Report that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Our actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of several factors. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the filing date of this report.
Overview of Our Business
flyExclusive is a premier owner and operator of curated private aviation experiences dedicated to surpassing passenger expectations for quality, convenience, and safety. Our mission is to be the world’s most vertically integrated private aviation company through capital-efficient program growth, an industry-leading pricing model, optimal dispatch availability, in-house training, and a controlled premium customer experience on modernized aircraft. As of December 31, 2023, we had over 100 aircraft in our owned and leased fleet that includes light, midsize, super-midsize, and large jets. As one of the nation’s largest Citation operators, flyExclusive has curated a versatile fleet of Citation CJ3 / CJ3+, Citation Excel / XLS / XLS+, Citation Encore+, Citation Sovereign, and Citation X aircraft. Gulfstream jets round out our
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Company fleet of large aircraft. We have a long track record of success and growth across a full range of industry services. Our core competitive advantage is the purpose-built, in-house control of decisions and processes needed to operate a successful private aviation company through a range of market environments.
We have a diversified and evolving business model generating charter revenue through our jet club membership program, our guaranteed revenue program (“GRP”), our fractional program, and our maintenance, repair, and overhaul (“MRO”) program. Our chief operating decision maker, our chief executive officer, reviews our financial information presented on a consolidated basis, and accordingly, we operate under one reportable segment, which is charter aviation services.
Jet club revenue is generated from flight operations as well as membership fees. Jet club members are guaranteed access to our fleet of light, midsize and super-midsize aircraft. New members pay a deposit, up to a maximum of $500 thousand, depending on their level of membership. Membership levels determine the daily rate a member is charged for future flights. Membership and incidental fees are also applied against a member’s account. The initial and all subsequent deposits to replenish the member’s account are non-refundable.
GRP revenue is derived from contracts with wholesale customers whereby the customer commits to utilize a specified minimum number of hours per quarter in exchange for guaranteed access to aircraft. Each aircraft requires a deposit that is recorded on the balance sheet. Revenue is billed weekly and guaranteed based on contract rates for light, midsize, and super-midsize aircraft. Contract terms allow us to bill for ancillary services based on the circumstances of a flight. Rates are assessed each quarter to account for changes in fuel cost. Revenue from GRP was not derived during the second half of the year ended December 31, 2023 and we do not anticipate future revenue from GRP. See discussion of the termination of the GRP Agreement in the following section.
Fractional ownership members purchase a fractional ownership interest in an aircraft for a contractual term of up to five years, which grants the member access to our light, midsize and super mid-size fleets. Fractional members pay daily and hourly rates for each flight. The first stage of the fractional revenue stream is the pre-owner stage where the member signs a letter of intent and interim use agreement, which may be before the aircraft is available. At this time, the member pays two deposits: one deposit is towards the purchase of the fractional interest and the second deposit is to have the ability to use the fleet in the interim period prior to owning the fractional interest. Upon completion of enrollment in the program, fractional members who purchase new aircraft obtain ownership when the aircraft is delivered, expected to be approximately one year from when the aircraft is ordered from the manufacturer. Fractional members have the ability to advance ownership if they purchase an interest in one of our pre-owned fractional aircraft. Once the transfer of interest in the aircraft is complete, the member becomes a fractional owner in the aircraft. With the transfer of interest, flyExclusive is still able to utilize these aircraft to service other channels, providing us with a capital-light way to grow our fleet.
Our MRO program services include 24/7 maintenance, interior, and exterior refurbishment services to third parties in addition to maintaining our own fleet. MRO revenue is recognized over time based on the cost of parts and supplies inventory consumed and labor hours worked for each service provided. Any billing for MRO services that exceeds revenue earned to date is included in deferred revenue on the consolidated balance sheets.
Key Factors Affecting Results of Operations
We believe that the following factors have affected our financial condition and results of operations and are expected to continue to have a significant effect:
Economic Conditions
If demand for private aviation services were to decrease, it could result in slower jet club growth, members declining to renew their memberships and reduced interest in the fractional and partnership programs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our customers may consider private air travel through our products and services to be a luxury item, especially when compared to commercial air travel or not traveling by air at all. As a result, any general downturn in economic, business and financial conditions which has an adverse effect on our customers’ spending habits could cause them to travel less frequently and, to the extent they travel, to travel using commercial air carriers or other means considered to be more economical than our products and services. In addition, in cases where significant hours of private flight are needed, many of the companies and high-net-worth individuals to whom we provide products and services have the financial ability to purchase their own aircraft or operate their own corporate flight department should they elect to do so.
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Competition
Many of the markets in which we operate are competitive as a result of the expansion of existing private aircraft operators, expanding private aircraft ownership and alternatives such as luxury commercial airline service. We compete against a number of private aviation operators with different business models, and local and regional private charter operators. Factors that affect competition in our industry include price, reliability, safety, regulations, professional reputation, aircraft availability, equipment, the quality, consistency and ease of service, willingness and ability to serve specific airports or regions and investment requirements. Our competitors might capture a share of our present or potential customer base, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Pilot Availability and Attrition
In recent years, we have experienced significant volatility in our attrition, including volatility resulting from training delays, pilot wage and bonus increases with other industry participants and the growth of cargo, low-cost and ultra-low-cost airlines. In prior periods, these factors, at times, caused our pilot attrition rates to be higher than our ability to hire and retain replacement pilots. If our attrition rates are higher than our ability to hire and retain replacement pilots, our operations and financial results could be materially and adversely affected.
Wheels Up (“WUP”) Termination
On June 30, 2023, we served WUP a Notice of Termination of the parties’ Fleet Guaranteed Revenue Program Agreement, dated November 1, 2021 (the “GRP Agreement”). As a result of the termination, we do not believe that the GRP program will generate revenue following the date of the GRP Agreement’s termination, which will have a material impact on the financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2023. For some time prior to the termination of the GRP Agreement we were planning, for the strategic reasons of avoiding excessive reliance on a single customer and shifting towards focusing on wholesale and contractual retail customers, to scale down business with WUP, and we had already reflected scaled down revenue accordingly in our publicly disclosed projections, with GRP revenue expected to total only 1.5% of total forecasted revenue for fiscal year 2024. However, the termination of the GRP Agreement will have a material impact on the financial statements beyond 2023 until we are able to successfully effectuate this planned strategic shift and replace the revenue lost from the termination of the GRP Agreement. Additionally, as of June 27, 2023, WUP accounted for $15.7 million in receivables, which was a significant majority of total receivables at that time. When the agreement with WUP was terminated on June 30, 2023 the receivable balances were eliminated, as allowable under relevant accounting standards, by being applied against existing deposits held under the agreement. The Agreement provided for an orderly draw down period of the designated aircraft at a maximum of two aircraft per month. The Company submitted a bill for monies due under the GRP Agreement during the draw down period through July 31, 2024. Billed but unrecorded amounts through December 31, 2023 totaled $59.0 million.
See the section entitled “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to LGM - On June 30, 2023, we terminated our agreement with Wheels Up that accounted for a significant portion of our total revenues the past two years. Such termination could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition if we fail to materially replace the revenue derived from Wheels Up moving forward as expected” and Note 22 “Commitments and Contingencies” of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Report, for more information on the WUP termination.
Fleet Modernization
During the fourth quarter of 2023, we began the process of modernizing our fleet. Our plan is to sell a portion of our fleet that is older and replace those aircraft with newer models, which will grant our customers access to newer aircraft. We expect the fleet modernization to take place over the next two years and do not anticipate a material decline to revenue as we will replace sold models with the newer aircraft.
Business Impact of COVID-19
In March 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. During the first half of 2020, in order to minimize the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operating costs and cash flows we took a number of temporary actions, including offering voluntary furloughs to our employees, implementing a mandatory reduction in all work schedules and delaying certain planned initiatives and internal investments. Since that time, we have reduced or eliminated the majority of these temporary actions. However, as a result of the increased rate of COVID-19 spread during a portion of the fourth quarter of 2021 and into the first quarter of 2022, flight volumes were negatively impacted, primarily due to a combination of customer cancellations, access to third-party supply and
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reduced crew availability resulting from COVID-19 exposure. These negative impacts could increase again at any time. Moving forward, however, we believe that COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift in consumer prioritization of wellness and safety, with private aviation viewed increasingly by those in the addressable market as a health-conscious decision rather than a discretionary luxury. We believe this will translate into an increase in flight demand over time.
CARES Act
On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was signed into law. The CARES Act provided the airline industry with up to (i) $25.0 billion in grants with assurances the support is to be used exclusively for employee salaries, wages and benefits, and (ii) $25.0 billion in secured loans.
We applied to the Treasury for assistance under the Payroll Support Program and the Paycheck Protection Program as established by the CARES Act. We were awarded $23.6 million to support ongoing operations, all of which has been received.
The CARES Act support payments were conditioned, including certain restrictions on executive and other employee compensation and severance through April 1, 2023, and certain ongoing reporting obligations through April 1, 2023. While we believe that we are fully compliant with all requirements of the CARES Act and the Payroll Support Program Agreements, including the requirement to use the awards only for payment of certain employment costs (i.e. wages, salaries and benefits), if we were found to be not in compliance with such requirements, the Treasury has sole discretion to impose any remedy it deems appropriate, including requiring full repayment of the awards with appropriate interest. The imposition of any such remedy could have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition.
The CARES Act also provides an Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”) program. The goal of the ERC program is to encourage employers to retain and continue paying employees during periods of pandemic-related reduction in business volume even if those employees are not actually working, and therefore, are not providing a service to the employer. Under the Act, eligible employers could take credits up to 70% of qualified wages with a limit of $7 thousand per employee per quarter for the first three quarters of calendar year 2021. In order to qualify for the ERC in 2021, organizations generally have to experience a more than 20% decrease in gross receipts in the quarter compared to the same quarter in calendar year 2019 or its operations are fully or partially suspended during a calendar quarter due to “orders from an appropriate governmental authority limiting commerce, travel, or group meetings (for commercial, social, religious, or other purposes)” due to COVID-19. The credit is taken against our share of Social Security Tax when our payroll provider files, or subsequently amends the applicable quarterly employer tax filings.
As of December 31, 2023, we had applied for $9.5 million and received $9.0 million of ERC. Our legal counsel has issued a legal opinion that we, more likely than not, qualified for the ERC. However, it remains uncertain whether we meet the qualifications required to receive the ERC. Therefore, the balance was included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets should we be required to potentially repay the ERC.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results of operations below, we report certain key financial measures that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP.
These non-GAAP financial measures are an addition, and not a substitute for or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to any performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures of financial results provide useful supplemental information to investors about us. However, there are a number of limitations related to the use of these non-GAAP financial measures and their nearest GAAP equivalents, including that they exclude significant expenses that are required by GAAP to be recorded in our financial measures. In addition, other companies may calculate non-GAAP financial measures differently or may use other measures to calculate their financial performance, and therefore, our non-GAAP financial measures might not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
Adjusted EBITDA
We calculate Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted for (i) interest income (expense), (ii) income tax expense, (iii) depreciation and amortization, (iv) Equity-based Compensation, (v) public company readiness expenses, (vi) gain on forgiveness of CARES Act Loan, (vii) change in fair value of derivative liability, (viii) change in fair value of warrant liabilities, and (ix) gain on extinguishment of debt (related to the derivative liability).
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We include Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental measure for assessing operating performance in conjunction with related GAAP amounts and for the following:
•Strategic internal planning, annual budgeting, allocating resources and making operating decisions.
•Historical period-to-period comparisons of our business, as it removes the effect of certain non-cash expenses and expenses and revenue unrelated to our core ongoing business.
The following table reconciles Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP measure (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Add (deduct):
Income tax expense — —
Equity-based Compensation 882 —
Public company readiness expenses(1) 9,853 1,660
Gain on forgiveness of CARES Act Loan (339) —
Change in fair value of derivative liability 14,589 (470)
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities 334 —
Gain on extinguishment of debt (14,843) —
(1)Includes costs primarily associated with compliance and consulting in advance of transitioning to a public company.
Key Operating Metrics
In addition to financial measures, we regularly review certain key operating metrics to evaluate our business, determine the allocation of resources and make decisions regarding business strategies. We believe that these metrics can be useful for understanding the underlying trends in our business.
The following table summarizes our key operating metrics:
December 31,
Ending aircraft on certificate 102 91
Year Ended December 31,
Members contributing to revenues* 948 684
Average aircraft on certificate 96 90
Aircraft contributing to revenues 104 91
Members per aircraft* 9.1 7.5
*Members contributing to revenues are defined as the number of contractual retail members - club, fractional, and partnership members - that contributed to revenues during the reporting period. GRP customers do not represent contractual retail, and thus are not considered “members”.
**LGM’s historical flight hours for the last two fiscal years, without flight hours derived from GRP are as follows: 47,663 hours for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 37,971 hours for the year ended December 31, 2022.
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***LGM’s historical hours per aircraft for the last two fiscal years, without flight hours derived from GRP are as follows: 497.4 hours per aircraft for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 421.4 hours per aircraft for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Members contributing to revenues
We define members contributing to revenues as the number of club, fractional, and partnership members that contributed to revenues during the reporting period. We believe that membership growth is strategically correlated to aircraft additions, and the evolution of our business from non-contractual wholesale customers prior to 2020 to contractually committed members, which provides greater revenue visibility. Due to the nature of our business, we have periods of time in which not every member utilizes our services.
Active Members
We define active members as members that have taken at least one flight during the reporting period.
Average aircraft on certificate
We define average aircraft on certificate as the average number of airworthy aircraft in our fleet as certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) deeming the aircraft operational. We believe that our growth has been fueled by a disciplined, strategic approach to adding aircraft, either via fractional or whole ownership or via lease from a third party. The time between the purchase or lease of an aircraft and the aircraft’s certification is critical because revenue cannot be earned on the aircraft until it is certified by the FAA. Thus, we use average aircraft on certificate as a key operating metric within a given reporting period.
Ending aircraft on certificate
We define ending aircraft on certificate as the number of airworthy aircraft in our fleet as certified by the FAA at the end of a given reporting period. We use ending aircraft on certificate to measure fleet growth in comparison to historical periods.
Aircraft contributing to revenues
We define aircraft contributing to revenues as the number of aircraft on certificate that completed a customer flight leg during the reporting period. Aircraft contributing to revenues during a given reporting period is lower than the number of aircraft on certificate due to unavailable aircraft resulting from maintenance and/or refurbishment.
Total flight hours
We define total flight hours as the actual flight time from the moment of aircraft lift-off at the departure airport until it touches ground at the end of a flight. We believe total flight hours are a useful metric to measure the usage of our programs and the scale of our fleet and revenue growth.
Total hours per aircraft
We define total hours per aircraft as the total flight hours divided by the average number of aircraft on our operating certificates during the reporting period. We use total hours per aircraft to assess operational efficiency as it pertains to aircraft utilization and mitigation of downtime, which can result from maintenance and/or crew availability.
Members per aircraft
We define members per aircraft as members contributing to revenues divided by aircraft contributing to revenues. We use members per aircraft to control the customer experience through the management of our customer to aircraft ratio. In the fourth quarter of 2023, 99.5% of our customers were fulfilled on our fleet without the potential high-cost of reliance of third parties to meet demand. An optimal customer to aircraft ratio allows us to gain a competitive advantage by having sufficient aircraft available to meet member demand and be flexible to backfill unused aircraft for wholesale use.
Components of Results of Our Operations
The key components of our results of operations include:
Revenue
We derive revenue from charter flights, which include our jet club, GRP, fractional programs, wholesale, retail, and from our MRO services.
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Customers prepay us in advance for member flights based on contractual rates depending on the type of flight. We then recognize revenue from these prepayments upon completion of a flight.
Jet club members pay an initial non-refundable flight deposit where the amount of the flight deposit impacts the contractual rates paid. We recognize this kind of revenue and membership fees monthly as the Company stands ready to provide flight services as requested by the customer, thereby satisfying our related performance obligation.
Revenue for flights and related services is recognized when such services are provided to the customers. Fluctuations in revenue during any given period in the flights and related services portion of our jet club program are directly correlated to customer demand.
We derive GRP revenue from contracts with wholesale customers whereby the customer commits to purchase a specified minimum number of hours per quarter in exchange for guaranteed access to specific aircraft. The customer pays daily and hourly rates depending upon aircraft type as well as other incidental fees. Although the customer is committed to a minimum number of flight hours per aircraft and a minimum number of aircraft, actual GRP revenue is highly variable as the customer controls the timing, frequency and total volume of usage, sometimes resulting in significant revenue above or below the contractual minimum. We recognize the monthly minimum as revenue ratably over time and any variable consideration generated from flight services above the minimum in the period of performance.
We recognize fractional revenue from the sales of fractional ownership interests in aircraft over the term of the agreement. In certain contracts the customer can require us to repurchase the interest after a fixed period of time but prior to the contractual termination date of the contract. This is accounted for as a right of return. The consideration from the fractional ownership interest, as adjusted for any customer right of return, is recognized over the term of the contract on a straight-line basis. Variable consideration generated from flight services is recognized in the period of performance.
MRO services are comprised of a single performance obligation for aircraft maintenance services such as modifications, repairs and inspections. MRO revenue is recognized over time based on the cost of parts and supplies consumed and labor hours worked for each service provided. Any billing for MRO services that exceeds revenue earned to date is included in deferred revenue on the consolidated balance sheets.
Costs and expenses
Cost of revenue
Cost of revenue primarily consists of direct expenses incurred to provide flight services and facilitate operations, including aircraft lease costs, fuel, payroll expenses including wages and employee benefits for employees directly providing and facilitating flight services, crew travel, insurance, maintenance, subscriptions, and third-party flight costs.
Selling, general and administrative
Selling, general and administrative expense primarily consists of non-flight related employee compensation wages and benefits in our finance, executive, human resources, legal and other administrative functions, employee training, third-party professional fees, corporate travel, advertising, and corporate related lease expenses.
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense primarily consists of depreciation of capitalized aircraft. Depreciation and amortization also includes amortization of capitalized software development costs.
Other income (expense)
Interest income
Interest income consists of interest earned on municipal bond funds and treasury bills.
Interest expense
Interest expense primarily consists of interest paid or payable and the amortization of debt discounts and deferred financing costs on our loans.
Gain on forgiveness of CARES Act loan
Consists of amounts related to loan forgiveness granted under the Payroll Protection Program.
Gain on sale of property and equipment
Consists of aircraft sales in excess (gain) or below (loss) their net book value.
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Gain on lease termination
Consists of gains (losses) that arise from the difference between the carrying amount of right-of-use assets and lease liability recorded on the consolidated balance sheets.
Change in fair value of derivative liability
Change in fair value of derivative liability reflects the non-cash change in the fair value of our embedded derivatives attributed to our convertible notes.
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities reflects the non-cash change in fair value of our warrant liabilities attributed to our warrants.
Gain on extinguishment of debt
Consists of gain on the conversion of our bridge notes at the closing of the Merger.
Other expense
Other expense consists of dividend income, realized gain/loss on sales of investment securities, and state tax payments.
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Results of Operations
Results of Our Operations for the Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022
The following table sets forth our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands, except percentages):
Year Ended December 31, Change in
Costs and expenses
Other income (expense)
Gain on forgiveness of CARES Act loan 339 — 339 N/M
Change in fair value of derivative liability (14,589) 470 (15,059) N/M
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities (334) — (334) N/M
Income tax expense — — — N/M
Revenue
Year Ended December 31, Change
Jet club and charter revenue increased by $42.9 million, or 22%, to $237.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. 105.2% of the increase in jet club and charter revenue was attributable to an increase in flight hours, partially offset by a decrease in effective hourly rates of 5.2% during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
GRP revenue decreased by $56.2 million, or 46%, to $66.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was due to the termination of the WUP agreement that
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occurred on June 30, 2023, resulting in no GRP revenue during the third and fourth quarters of 2023. Due to the termination of the GRP Agreement with WUP, our sole GRP customer, we do not expect new GRP generated revenue beyond the year ended December 31, 2023.
Fractional ownership revenue increased by $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 as the fractional ownership program was not introduced until the second quarter of 2022 and generated an immaterial amount of revenue during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Maintenance, repair, and overhaul revenue increased by $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 as the MRO program was launched in the third quarter of 2021, but the Company did not start performing substantial services for outside customers until the second half of 2022.
We expect our revenue to increase over time as a result of adding aircraft to our fleet and forecasted membership growth.
Costs and expense
Cost of revenue
Cost of revenue increased by $8.7 million, or 3%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to:
-An increase of $9.8 million for salaries & wage related expense;
-An increase of $5.9 million for aircraft lease expense;
-An increase of $4.7 million for aircraft repair & maintenance;
-An increase of $2.0 million for affiliate lift expense;
-An increase of $0.9 million in aircraft IT & WIFI;
-A decrease of $13.5 million for cost of fuel mainly due to a national decrease in fuel prices, which was slightly offset by an overall increase in our aircraft usage for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022;
-A decrease of $0.8 million for insurance expense; and
-A decrease of $0.2 million for ground expenses.
The remaining fluctuations were not individually significant.
Selling, general and administrative
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $21.6 million, or 40%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily attributable to:
-An increase of $14.2 million in professional fees, advertising, and marketing costs;
-An increase of $4.0 million in personnel-related expenses, as we expanded our headcount to serve our growing customer base;
-An increase of $2.7 million in bad debt expense;
-An increase of $1.2 million in software costs;
-An increase of $0.9 million in rent expense; and
-A decrease of $1.2 million in training costs.
The remaining fluctuations were not individually significant.
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization expenses increased by $3.9 million, or 17%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in depreciation expense resulting from newly purchased aircraft.
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Other income (expense)
Gain on forgiveness of CARES Act loan
Gain on forgiveness of CARES Act Loan reflects payroll protection program forgiveness. We did not access those programs in 2022 to support the operations of our business, whereas they resulted in $0.3 million in grant income during the year ended December 31, 2023 due to additional payments being received in 2023. We do not expect significant grant income in the future.
Interest income
Interest income increased by $3.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily as a result of an increase in interest income on treasury bills and no comparable activity during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Interest expense
Interest expense increased by $13.9 million, or 168%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This increase in interest expense was primarily attributable to the $85 million convertible notes funded in Q4 of 2022, an increase in the outstanding principal balance on notes payable, and an increase in the interest rate on our variable rate loans.
Gain on sale of property and equipment
Gain on sale of property and equipment decreased by $1.4 million, or 9%, as a result of the favorable environment for selling aircraft for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.
Change in fair value of derivative liability
Change in fair value of derivative liability changed by $15.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 due to the identification and measurement of an embedded derivative related to our convertible notes in 2023. There was no comparable activity in 2022.
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities changed by $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 due to warrants recorded during the fourth quarter of 2023 as a result of the Merger. There was no comparable activity in 2022.
Gain on extinguishment of debt
Gain on extinguishment of debt changed by $14.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 due to the identification of a gain upon the conversion of our Bridge Notes at closing of the Merger. There was no comparable activity in 2022.
Other expense
Other expense changed by $0.2 million, or 61%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily as a result of a $0.2 million decrease in dividend income and a $0.5 million increase in state taxes, partially offset by a $0.4 million increase on the write-off of an aircraft deposit credit balance and a $0.2 million increase on realized losses related to marketable securities.
The remaining fluctuations were not individually significant.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Our principal sources of liquidity have historically consisted of financing activities, including proceeds from equity of the owner, notes payable, and operating activities, primarily from the increase in deferred revenue associated with prepaid flights. As of December 31, 2023 we had $11.6 million of cash and cash equivalents, $71.2 million in short-term investments in securities and $2.1 million available borrowing capacity under the term loan. As of December 31, 2023, we had $0.5 million of available borrowing capacity under the revolving line of credit. In addition, as described below, in January 2024 we entered into a senior secured note to borrow up to $25.8 million and as described below, in March 2024, we issued non-convertible redeemable preferred stock providing the Company approximately $25.0 million of capital. Our
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cash equivalents primarily consist of liquid money market funds, and our investments primarily consist of fixed-income securities including corporate bonds, government bonds, municipal issues, and U.S. treasury bills.
We have consistently maintained a working capital deficit, in which our current liabilities exceed our current assets. We believe that the working capital deficit is common within the private aviation industry and is primarily, but not wholly, due to the nature of our deferred revenue, primarily related to prepaid flights, which are performance obligations generally for future flights. Our primary needs for liquidity are to fund working capital, debt service requirements, lease and purchase obligations, capital expenditures, and for general corporate purposes. Our cash needs vary from period to period, primarily based on the timing of aircraft purchases and the costs of aircraft engine overhauls, repairs, and maintenance.
We believe factors that could affect our liquidity include our rate of revenue growth, changes in demand for our services, competitive pricing pressures, other growth initiatives, our ability to keep increases in operating expenses in line with growth in revenues, and overall economic conditions. To the extent that our current liquidity is insufficient to fund future activities, we would need to raise additional funds. In the future, we may attempt to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities or through debt financing arrangements. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, the ownership of existing shareholders will be diluted. The incurrence of additional debt financing would result in debt service obligations, and any such debt could include operating and financing covenants that could restrict our operations. In the event that additional funds are required from outside sources, we might not be able to raise funds on terms acceptable to us or at all.
We believe that our existing cash on hand, cash generated from operations and available borrowings under our debt arrangement will enable us to secure refinancing as needed to meet our obligations as they become due within the next 12 months. If we are not able to refinance, our liquidity and business would be materially adversely impacted.
Cash Requirements
Our material cash requirements include the following contractual and other obligations:
Short Term Notes Payable
We have entered into multiple short-term loan agreements with various lenders for the purpose of financing the purchase of aircraft. The loan agreements have varying interest rates, maturity dates and-lender imposed restrictions.
Credit Facility
In August 2018, we entered into a term loan agreement with a maximum borrowing capacity of $12.3 million. We have since entered into amended term loan agreements, which have raised the maximum borrowing capacity to $15.3 million as of December 31, 2023.
The current iteration of the term loan agreement matures September 2024 and allows the option to elect an interest rate equal to the SOFR-Based Rate or the Prime-Based Rate.
Convertible Notes
In connection with the Equity Purchase Agreement, we issued an aggregate principal amount of $50.0 million of the Bridge Notes to an investor, which facility had the ability to increase to $85.0 million. In October 2022, we requested and received the additional $35.0 million from two other investors, bringing the total aggregate principal amount to $85.0 million.
The Bridge Notes accrue interest daily at annual rate of 10% prior to the occurrence of the termination of the Equity Purchase Agreement (the “De-SPAC Termination Event”) and 15% after the De-SPAC Termination Event. Before the De-SPAC Termination Event, interest is payable in kind, with accrued interest added to the outstanding principal balance and deemed to be paid. In the event of a De-SPAC Termination Event, the outstanding principal amount, plus payable in-kind interest, becomes payable in a monthly amount equal to the outstanding obligation divided by 24 months. The convertible notes were exchanged for equity on December 27, 2023 upon the closing of the De-SPAC combination.
Credit Facility (Revolving Line of Credit)
In March 2023, the Company entered into a revolving uncommitted line of credit loan (the “Master Note”). The Master Note provides a line of credit of up to $60.0 million. At the Company’s option, the annual interest rate on term loans drawn from the Master Note is equal to either the Prime-Based Rate, defined as the greater of 1.25% or the prime rate minus 1.88%, or the Daily Simple SOFR-Based Rate, defined as the greater of 1.25% or the Daily Simple SOFR plus 1.25%. On March 9, 2024, we entered into an amendment to extend the maturity date of the Master Note from March 9, 2024 to September 9, 2025.
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We drew an initial $44.3 million principal amount in March 2023, with the selected interest option of SOFR plus 1.25%. In April, September and October 2023, we drew additional $3.3 million, $8.7 million and $3.0 million principal amounts, respectively, under the Master Note with the selected interest option of SOFR plus 1.25%.
Senior Secured Notes
In December 2023, we issued $15.7 million in principal amount of senior secured notes due in December 2024 in a private offering. The notes were issued with a stated rate of 14% and interest is payable monthly in arrears. The senior secured notes will mature one year from closing date, in which the full principal amount will be due, along with any accrued unpaid interest. The Company will use the proceeds from the issuance to fund aircraft purchases.
Long-Term Loan Agreement
In connection with the acquisition of a new aircraft in November 2023, we entered into a long-term promissory note agreement with a principal amount of $7.6 million. The note bears a fixed interest rate of 9.45% and has a maturity date ten years from the note agreement date. The note was fully repaid in December 2023.
See Note 15, "Debt," to our financial statements included elsewhere in this filing for further information of our debt arrangements.
January 2024 Senior Secured Note
On January 26, 2024 (the “Effective Date”), FlyExclusive Jet Share, LLC (the “Borrower”), a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of the Company entered into a Senior Secured Note (the “Senior Secured Note”) with ETG FE LLC (the “Noteholder”), Kroll Agency Services, Limited, as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”) and Kroll Trustee Services, Limited, (the “Collateral Agent”).
The Senior Secured Note covers borrowings of an aggregate principal amount of up to approximately $25.8 million, up to $25.0 million of which is to finance the purchase or refinancing of aircraft relating to the Company’s fractional ownership program (the “Revolving Loan”). The Senior Secured Note matures on January 26, 2026 (the “Maturity Date”), at which time the aggregate outstanding principal amount and all accrued and unpaid interest (including accrued and unpaid fees and expenses) shall be due and payable.
Following the occurrence of any Prepayment Event (as defined in the Senior Secured Note), at the option of the then majority Noteholders, the Borrower shall prepay the outstanding principal amount, all accrued and unpaid interest, and all other amounts in cash necessary to pay the Senior Secured Note in full.
The Senior Secured Note carries an interest rate of 3.00% per annum for the outstanding principal amount on deposit in the cash escrow account and 13.00% per annum for the outstanding principal amount that is withdrawn and released to the Borrower. All accrued and unpaid interest is due and payable in arrears on the last day of each calendar month (a “Payment Date”), commencing with the last day of the first calendar month following the first borrowing date and continuing until payment in full. On each Payment Date, the Borrower shall make a payment of the outstanding principal amount equal to 1.00% of each advance amount withdrawn from the cash escrow account and released to the Borrower and that has been outstanding for more than thirty (30) days.
March 2024 Non-Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock
On March 4, 2024 (the “Effective Date” or the “Initial Issue Date”), flyExclusive, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) with EnTrust Emerald (Cayman) LP, a Cayman Islands limited partnership (the “Purchaser”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to the Purchaser 25,000 shares of Series A Non-Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), at a purchase price of $1,000 per share and a warrant (the “Warrant”) to purchase shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”). The transaction closed on the Effective Date and provides the Company approximately $25 million of capital.
Dividends will be due and payable annually in arrears on March 4 (the “Dividend Payment Date”) by either (A) cash payment or (B) to the extent not declared and paid in cash on the Dividend Payment Date, automatically compounded; provided that, the Company may not declare and pay in cash any dividends prior to the third Dividend Payment Date. On the third Dividend Payment Date, the Company must declare and pay at least 43% of the dividends in cash, and with respect to each subsequent Dividend Payment Date, the Company must pay 100% of the dividends in cash.
After the first-year anniversary of the Initial Issue Date, to the extent not prohibited by law, the Company may elect to redeem all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any portion thereof, for cash at a redemption price per
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share as detailed in the Series A Certificate of Designation. After the fifth-year anniversary of the Initial Issue Date, each holder of the Series A Preferred Stock may elect to require the Company to redeem all of its outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any portion thereof, for cash at a redemption price per share as detailed in the Series A Certificate of Designation. The Series A Certificate of Designation also describes events triggering mandatory redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock, including a Bankruptcy Event or a Change of Control Event, each as defined in the Series A Certificate of Designation.
Leases
We have entered into various lease arrangements for vehicles, hangars, office space and aircraft. In addition to leases of aircraft, we are obligated to pay into aircraft reserve programs.
The duration of our leases varies from two to 30 years, and the leases are generally non-cancellable operating leases. Our vehicle leases are typically month-to-month and are classified as short-term leases.
See Note 16, "Leases" to our financial statements included elsewhere in this filing for further detail of our lease arrangements.
Short-Term Expenditures
We currently anticipate that cash required for expenditures for the next 12 months is approximately $137.6 million, which includes accounts payable of $30.2 million, other current liabilities of $28.7 million, short-term notes payable of $33.3 million, short-term debt contractual principal payments due of $26.5 million, non-cancellable lease payments of $17.9 million and excise tax payable of $1.0 million. We plan to refinance contractual principal payments that comprise the short-term debt liability as they become due. As stated above, we have maintained a positive relationship with our debtholders and have not historically had any difficulty refinancing our debt obligations. Based on our historical experience and the fact that we have not suffered any decline in creditworthiness, we expect that our cash on hand and cash earnings will enable us to secure the necessary refinancing. The accounts payable, accrued expenses, and lease liabilities will be settled using a combination of cash generated by operations, sale of investments and incremental borrowing activity, if necessary.
Our future capital requirements and the adequacy of available funds will depend on many factors, including those set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Industry."
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Net cash (used in) provided by:
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents $ (11,553) $ 2,048
Net cash flows from operating activities
Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $8.7 million, resulting from our net loss of $54.7 million, $27.0 million of depreciation and amortization, a $0.8 million change in amortization of contract costs, a $18.3 million change in non-cash lease expense, a $20.9 million increase from net changes in operating assets and liabilities, a $14.6 million change in fair value of derivative liability, a $0.9 million change in stock-based compensation expense, a $0.2 million loss on investment securities, a $0.1 million change in fair value of a private placement warrant liability, a $0.2 million change in the fair value of the public warrant liability and $9.9 million from non-cash interest expense, partially offset by a $14.8 million gain on extinguishment of debt, a $13.9 million gain on the sale of property a $3.0 million change in non-cash interest income and a $0.3 million gain on forgiveness of the Cares Act loan. The $20.9 million increase provided from operating assets and liabilities is primarily due to a $33.3 million increase from deferred revenue, $13.1 million increase from other non-current liabilities, $17.0 million increase from accounts receivable and related party receivables, $7.7 million increase from accounts payable, $0.5 million increase from other receivables, a $0.7 million cash inflow from aircraft inventory, $2.4 million increase from current liabilities and a $0.3 million increase from
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prepaid expenses and other current assets, partially offset by a $37.5 million decrease from customer deposits, and a $16.4 million decrease from right-of-use assets.
Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $45.6 million resulting from our net loss of $4.2 million, $23.1 million of depreciation and amortization, a $0.7 million change in amortization of contract costs, a $13.0 million change in non-cash lease expense, a $26.2 million increase from net changes in operating assets and liabilities and $2.3 million from non-cash interest expense, partially offset by a $15.3 million gain on the sale of property. The $26.2 million increase provided from operating assets and liabilities is primary due to a $12.5 million increase from customer deposits, a $27.8 million increase from deferred revenue, $4.5 million increase from accounts payable, a $11.8 million increase from other current liabilities and a $3.7 million increase from other non-current liabilities, partially offset by a $9.1 million decrease from accounts receivable and related party receivables, a $12.8 million decrease from right-of-use assets, a $2.0 million decrease from prepaid expenses and other current assets, a $5.7 million decrease from other receivables, a $3.9 million decrease from aircraft inventory and a $0.6 million decrease from other assets.
Net cash flows from investing activities
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $62.0 million, primarily due to purchases of property and equipment of $83.6 million, purchases of engine overhauls of $20.8 million, purchases of investments of $104.0 million and capitalized development costs of $0.8 million. Partially offsetting the increase in net cash used in investing activities were proceeds from the sale of property and equipment of $42.0 million and proceeds from the sale of investments of $105.2 million.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $167.3 million primarily due to purchases of property and equipment of $146.0 million, purchases of investments of $70.5 million, and purchases of engine overhauls of $21.1 million. Partially offsetting the increase in net cash used in investing activities were proceeds from sales of property and equipment of $60.5 million and proceeds from sales of investments of $10.2 million.
Net cash flows from financing activities
Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $41.8 million, resulting primarily from proceeds from the Merger of $8.4 million, proceeds from debt of $131.8 million to fund purchases of property and equipment, investments, and engine overhauls and proceeds from notes receivable to non-controlling interest of $4.2 million. Partially offsetting the increase in net cash provided by financing activities were net cash distributions of $41.5 million, repayments of debt of $56.7 million, payments of deferred financing costs of $3.3 million and payments of debt issuance costs of $1.1 million.
Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $123.7 million primarily resulting from proceeds from debt of $88.2 million, proceeds from issuance of convertible notes of $85.0 million, and net cash contributions of $2.4 million, partially offset by repayments of debt of $52.0 million.
Contractual Obligations, Commitments and Contingencies
Our principal commitments consist of contractual cash obligations under our borrowings with banks, and operating leases for certain controlled aircraft, corporate headquarters, and operational facilities, including aircraft hangars. Our obligations under our borrowing arrangements are described in Note 15, “Debt,” and for further information on our leases, see Note 16, “Leases,” of the accompanying consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein.
From time to time, we are involved in various litigation matters arising in the ordinary course of business. We believe that we have meritorious arguments in our current litigation matters and that any outcome, either individually or in the aggregate, will not be material to our financial position or results of operations.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of our operations is based on our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. Certain amounts included in or affecting the consolidated financial statements presented herein and related disclosure must be estimated, requiring management to make assumptions with respect to values or conditions which cannot be known with certainty at the time the consolidated financial statements are prepared. Management believes that the accounting policies set forth below comprise the most important “critical accounting policies” for the company. A “critical accounting policy” is one which is both important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and that involves difficult, subjective, or complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Management evaluates such policies on an ongoing basis, based upon historical results and
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experience, consultation with experts and other methods that management considers reasonable in the particular circumstances under which the judgments and estimates are made, as well as management’s forecasts as to the manner in which such circumstances may change in the future. We have reviewed our critical accounting estimates with the audit committee of our Board of Directors.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized when the promised services are performed and in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those services using the following steps:
1.identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer.
2.identification of performance obligations in the contract.
3.determination of the transaction price.
4.allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and,
5.recognition of revenue when or as the performance obligations are satisfied.
Determining the transaction price may require significant judgement and is determined based on the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for transferring services to the customer, excluding amounts collected on behalf of third parties such as sales taxes.
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we earned revenue primarily from the programs below:
Jet Club Membership
Jet Club members are guaranteed access to our fleet of light, midsize and super-midsize aircraft in exchange for a monthly fee. New members pay a deposit, up to a maximum of $500 thousand, depending on their level of membership. Membership levels are available to members, which determines the daily rates a member is charged for future flights. Incidental fees are also applied against a member’s account. The initial and any subsequent deposits are non-refundable and must be used for the monthly membership fee or for future flight services. These customer deposits are included in deferred revenue on the condensed consolidated balance sheets until used by the customer. The membership services performance obligation is satisfied over time on a monthly basis. Revenue for flights and related services is recognized when such services are provided to the customer at a point in time.
Guaranteed Revenue Program
We launched a guaranteed revenue program with a single customer on November 1, 2021. Under this program, we served as an on-demand charter air carrier and guaranteed the services of a specified fleet of aircraft as directed by the customer. We required a deposit of $1,250 per reserved aircraft. These deposits were included within other non-current liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The customer was charged hourly rates for flight services depending on aircraft type in addition to incidental fees. The customer was committed to a minimum number of flight hours per aircraft and a minimum number of aircraft. Revenue was recognized using the right-to-invoice practical expedient. The guaranteed minimum was enforceable and billable on a quarterly basis. The term of the agreement was for a minimum of 28 months, which included a drawdown period of 10 months if the agreement was terminated, which we did on June 30, 2023. See Note 22, "Commitments and Contingencies," for more information on the termination and subsequent litigation.
Fractional Ownership
The fractional revenue stream involves a customer purchasing a fractional ownership interest in an aircraft for a contractual term of up to five years. Customers have the right to flight and membership services from a fleet of aircraft, including the aircraft they have fractionally purchased. Customers are charged for flight services as incurred based on agreed upon daily and hourly rates in addition to the upfront fractional ownership purchase price. At the end of the contractual term, we have the unilateral right to repurchase the fractional interest. In certain contracts the customer can require us to repurchase their ownership interest after a fixed period of time but prior to the contractual termination date of the contract. The repurchase price, whether at the contractual termination date or at the specified earlier date, is calculated as follows: 1) the fair market value of the aircraft at the time of repurchase, 2) multiplied by the fractional ownership percentage, 3) less a remarketing fee. At the time of repurchase, all fractional ownership interests revert to us, and all rights to flight and membership services are relinquished. We assessed whether these repurchase agreements results in a lease contract under the scope of ASC 842 but determined that they are revenue contracts under the scope of ASC 606 since the repurchase price is lower than the original selling price, and the customer does not have a significant economic incentive to
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exercise the put option. Further, the fractional ownership sales are accounted for as containing a right of return and the resulting liability is included within other non-current liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The consideration from the fractional ownership interest, as adjusted for any related customer right of return, is included in deferred revenue on the condensed consolidated balance sheets and recognized over the term of the contract on a straight-line basis as the membership services are provided. Variable consideration generated from flight services is recognized in the period of performance.
Maintenance Repair and Overhaul
We separately provide maintenance and repair services for aircraft owners and operators at certain facilities. MRO ground services are comprised of a single performance obligation for aircraft maintenance services such as modifications, repairs and inspections. MRO revenue is recognized over time based on the cost of parts and supplies inventory consumed and labor hours worked for each service provided. Any billing for MRO services that exceeds revenue earned to date is included in deferred revenue on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Fair Value Measurements
Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under U.S. GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:
Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2— Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices), such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques.
The Company’s cash equivalents and investments in securities are carried at fair value in Level 1 or Level 2, determined according to the fair value hierarchy described above. The carrying values of the Company’s accounts receivable, other receivables, parts and supplies inventory, accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these instruments.
The Company’s convertible note, as discussed in Note 15, "Debt," contains an embedded derivative feature that was required to be bifurcated and remeasured to fair value at each reporting period based on significant inputs not observable in the market, and is classified as a Level 3 measurement according to the fair value hierarchy described above. The carrying amounts of the Company’s convertible notes approximate their fair values as the interest rates of the convertible notes are based on prevailing market rates.
See Note 4, "Fair Value Measurements," for further discussion on the Company’s assets and liabilities carried at fair value.
Convertible Note and Embedded Derivative Feature
We elected to account for our convertible note at its carrying value, which we believe approximates fair value as the interest rate of the convertible note is based on prevailing market rates. Our convertible note contains a conversion feature that was identified as an embedded derivative feature that was required to be bifurcated and remeasured to fair value at each reporting period, with changes in the fair value of the embedded derivative liability recognized as a component of other income (expense).
The fair value of the embedded conversion derivative feature was estimated using the Monte Carlo Simulation (“MCS”), where the value of the embedded derivative was estimated using Level 3 inputs. The MCS analysis contains inherent assumptions related to expected stock price, volatility, estimated de-SPAC date, risk-free interest rate, estimated market yield and the probability of a successful transaction. Due to the use of significant unobservable inputs, the overall fair value measurement of the embedded derivative is classified as Level 3. If any of the assumptions used in the MCS changes significantly, the embedded derivative may differ materially from that recorded in the current period.
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Derivative share issuance obligation
We account for the obligation to issue shares as an equity-classified derivative in accordance with the scope exception guidance in ASC 815-10-15-74(a). The derivative was created as a result of a direct offering cost, and as such, the offset of the equity-classified derivative is recorded to APIC on our consolidated balance sheet.
The fair value of the derivative share issuance obligation was estimated using the Finnerty Put-Option Model (the "Put Option Model"). The Put Option Model analysis contains inherent assumptions related to the estimated volatility, expected term, dividend yield and an assumption for a Discount for Lack of Marketability ("DLOM"). Due to the nature of these inputs, the fair value of the equity-classified derivative share issuance obligation is considered to be a Level 3 derivative. If any of the assumptions used to calculate the fair value changes significantly, the fair value of the derivative share issuance obligation may differ materially from that recorded in the current period.
Public and Private Warrants
In connection with the Merger, the Company assumed EGA public and private placement Warrants. Each of the public and private placement Warrants is exercisable at an exercise price of $11.50 for one share of flyExclusive Class A Common Stock, subject to adjustments. The Warrants may be exercised for a whole number of shares of our common stock. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the Warrants. The Warrants will expire on December 27, 2028, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants except that the Private Placement Warrants are exercisable on a cashless basis and are non-redeemable so long as they are held by the EGA Sponsor or their permitted transferees. If the private Warrants are held by someone other than the original purchasers or their permitted transferees, we have the ability to redeem the private Warrants, which will be exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the public Warrants.
The Warrants are classified as derivative liabilities because they do not meet the criteria in ASC 815-40 to be considered indexed to our own stock as the derivatives can be settled for an amount that is not equal to the difference between the fair value of a fixed number of our shares and a fixed monetary amount. The Warrants are measured at fair value both on the date of the issuance and on subsequent accounting period ending dates, with all changes in fair value after the issuance date recorded in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income (loss) as a gain or loss.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets include aircraft, property and equipment, finite-lived intangible assets, and operating lease right-of-use assets. We review the carrying value of long-lived assets for impairment when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value might not be recoverable based on the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. The circumstances that would indicate potential impairment may include, but are not limited to, a significant change in the manner in which an asset is being used or losses associated with the use of an asset. We review long-lived assets for impairment at the individual asset or the asset group level for which the lowest level of independent cash flows can be identified and measured. If the carrying amount of a long-lived asset or asset group is determined not to be recoverable, an impairment loss is recognized and a write-down to fair value is recorded.
Leases
ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), as amended, was adopted on January 1, 2019 utilizing a modified retrospective approach. We adopted the package of practical expedients available at transition that retained the lease classification and initial direct costs for any leases that existed prior to adoption of the standard. Contracts entered into prior to adoption were not reassessed for leases or embedded leases. Upon adoption, we did not use hindsight in determining lease term and impairment. For lease and non-lease components, we have elected to account for both as a single lease component. We have elected the practical expedient not to recognize leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on our consolidated balance sheets and lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the short-term lease. Variable lease payments are recognized as lease expense as they are incurred.
We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception on an individual contract basis. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use assets, operating lease liabilities, current, and operating lease liabilities, non-current on the consolidated balance sheets. Operating lease right-of-use assets represent the right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term. As most of our leases do not provide an explicit
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borrowing rate, management uses our incremental borrowing rate based on information available at the commencement date, or at the date of transition for leases transitioned to Topic 842 in determining the present value of the lease payments.
The operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities include any lease payments made, including any variable amounts that are based on an index or rate, and exclude lease incentives. Variability that is not due to an index or rate, such as payments made based on hourly rates, are excluded from the lease liability. Leases sometimes include options to extend or terminate the lease. Renewal option periods are included within the lease term and the associated payments are recognized in the measurement of the operating right-of-use asset and operating lease liability when they are at our discretion and considered reasonably certain of being exercised. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Recently Issued/Adopted Accounting Standards
Refer to the section titled “Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted” in Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," of the notes to consolidated financial statements included.
JOBS Act Accounting Election
In April 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, reduce certain reporting requirements for an “emerging growth company.” We have elected to use this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that we (i) are no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, our audited financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
We have chosen to rely on the other exemptions and reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, as an “emerging growth company” we are not required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of SOX, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the consolidated financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis) and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation-related items, such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. We may remain an “emerging growth company” until the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering. However, if certain events occur prior to the end of such five-year period, including if we become a “large accelerated filer,” our annual gross revenue equals or exceeds $1.07 billion or we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we will cease to be an “emerging growth company” prior to the end of such five-year period.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
In the ordinary course of operating our business, we are exposed to market risks. Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact our financial position or results of operations due to adverse changes in financial market prices and rates. Our principal market risks are related to interest rates and aircraft fuel costs.
Interest Rates
We are subject to market risk associated with changing interest rates on certain of our borrowings, which are variable rate debt. Interest rates applicable to our variable rate debt could potentially rise and increase the amount of interest expense incurred. Through December 31, 2023, we had not purchased any derivative instruments to protect against the effects of changes in interest rates.
As of December 31, 2023, we had $88.8 million of variable rate debt, excluding VIE debt, including current maturities. The variable rate debt balance as of December 31, 2023 excluded VIE related borrowings. A hypothetical 100-basis points increase in market interest rates for the period would have resulted in approximately $0.6 million of additional interest expense in our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2023.
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We also hold a portfolio of fixed income available for sale securities that are interest rate sensitive. These investments are subject to decreases in value as a result of increases in interest rates. As a result, for the years ended December 31, 2023, we had aggregate unrealized losses of $0.1 million, which is included in other comprehensive income. Should we not be able to assert our intent and ability to hold the securities until recovery, we will have to recognize losses on these investments in earnings.
Aircraft Fuel
We are subject to market risk associated with changes in the price and availability of aircraft fuel. Aircraft fuel expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 represented approximately 27% of our total cost of revenue. A hypothetical 10.0% increase in the average price per gallon of aircraft fuel would have increased fuel expense by approximately $7.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Through December 31, 2023, we had not purchased any derivative instruments to protect against the effects of changes in fuel, although we are somewhat protected from increases because our variable agreements allow for rate adjustments for changes in fuel prices. See Item 1A, "Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry — Significant increases in fuel costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations” for additional information.
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Index to Financial Statements of flyExclusive, Inc Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 149) 58
Consolidated Balance Sheets 59
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) 61
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 64
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 66
1. Organization and Operations 66
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 67
4. Fair Value Measurements 80
5. Variable Interest Entities 81
7. Other Receivables 83
8. Parts and Supplies Inventory 84
9. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets 84
10. Investments in Securities 84
11. Property and Equipment, Net 85
12. Intangible Assets 85
13. Other Current Liabilities 86
14. Other Non-Current Liabilities 87
17. Warrant Liabilities 93
18. Employee Benefits 94
19. Stock-based Compensation 95
21. Related Party Transactions 97
22. Commitments and Contingencies 99
23. Stockholders’ Equity / Members' Deficit and Noncontrolling Interests 100
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 149)
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of flyExclusive, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of flyExclusive, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity (deficit)/members’ equity (deficit) and temporary equity and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements (collectively, the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Elliott Davis, PLLC
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2022.
Charlotte, North Carolina
April 30, 2024
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Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share amounts) December 31,2023 December 31,2022
ASSETS
Current assets
Due from related parties, current portion 1,911 2,996
Notes receivable, current portion 301 261
Prepaid engine overhauls, current portion 14,522 5,127
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 6,752 5,865
Notes receivable, non-current portion, net 21,177 4,856
Due from related parties, non-current — 2,629
Prepaid engine overhauls, non-current portion 41,531 48,310
Other non-current assets 670 484
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Consolidated Balance Sheets (continued)
(in thousands, except share amounts) December 31,2023 December 31,2022
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) / MEMBERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities
Excise tax payable 1,032 —
Long-term notes payable, current portion 26,471 23,581
Due to related parties — 72
Operating lease liabilities, current portion 17,907 9,782
Short-term notes payable - related party 18,939 —
Operating lease liabilities, non-current portion 68,100 40,731
Deferred revenue, non-current portion 10,026 2,579
Derivative liability — 971
Warrant liabilities 2,508 —
Commitments and contingencies (Note 22)
Temporary equity
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (35,525) —
Stockholders' / members' equity
LGM Enterprises, LLC members' deficit — (4,641)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (69) (476)
Additional paid-in capital 126,978 —
Accumulated deficit (80,456) —
Total flyExclusive stockholders’ equity 46,461 (5,117)
(1)Equity interests issued and outstanding for periods prior to the date of the Merger have not been retroactively restated to give effect to the reverse recapitalization. Prior to the closing of the Merger (as defined in Note 3, "Merger"), the legal structure of LGM was a limited liability company with ownership interests consisting of members' units. Application of an exchange ratio of members' units for shares of common stock for periods prior to the Merger would not be representative of the capital structure of the Company after the Merger. See Note 3, "Merger," for further discussion.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Year Ended December 31,
Costs and expenses
Other income (expense)
Gain on forgiveness of CARES Act loan 339 —
Gain on sale of property and equipment 13,905 15,333
Gain on lease termination 29 143
Change in fair value of derivative liability (14,589) 470
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities (334) —
Gain on extinguishment of debt 14,843 —
Total other income (expense), net (3,512) 8,155
Income tax expense — —
Less: Net income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests 1,080 —
Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (8,983) (10,200)
Net income (loss) attributable to flyExclusive, Inc.* $ (46,835) $ 6,048
Other comprehensive income (loss)
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale debt securities 407 (476)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
*Basic and diluted earnings per share has not been presented for any period in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss). As a result of the Merger (as defined in Note 3, "Merger"), the Company's capital structure was significantly altered. The Company determined that presenting earnings per share for periods prior to the Merger and for the five-day period from the Closing Date to December 31, 2023 would not result in values meaningful to the users of the consolidated financial statements. See Earnings per Share in Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" for further discussion.
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Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) / Members' Equity (Deficit) and Temporary Equity
Temporary Equity Permanent Equity
Shares Amount Shares Amount
Other — — — — — 7 — — — 7 — 7
Activity prior to the Merger:
Unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities — — — — — — — 156 — 156 — 156
Effects of the Merger (see Note 3):
Stock-based compensation — — — — — — 882 — — 882 — 882
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Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) / Members' Equity (Deficit) and Temporary Equity (continued)
Temporary Equity Permanent Equity
Shares Amount Shares Amount
Activity subsequent to the Merger:
Unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities — — — — — — — 251 — 251 — 251
*The Merger occurred on December 27, 2023. As a result, net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was attributed to the pre-Merger period from January 1, 2023 through December 27, 2023 and to the post-Merger period from December 28, 2023 through December 31, 2023. During the pre-Merger period, net loss was attributable to LGM Enterprises, LLC and its noncontrolling interests. During the post-Merger period, net income was attributable to flyExclusive, Inc. and its noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interest. Refer to the table below for the attribution of net income (loss) to controlling interests (LGM Enterprises, LLC for the pre-Merger period and flyExclusive, Inc. for the post-Merger period), noncontrolling interests, and redeemable noncontrolling interest during the pre-Merger and post-Merger periods.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Year Ended December 31,
Cash flows from operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Amortization of contract costs 827 653
Non-cash interest income (2,983) —
Gain on sale of property and equipment (13,905) (15,333)
Gain on lease termination (29) (143)
Change in fair value of derivative liability 14,589 (470)
Provision for credit losses 2,557 30
Realized losses on investment securities 238 400
Change in fair value of private placement warrant liability 130 —
Change in fair value of public warrant liability 204 —
Gain on extinguishment of debt (14,843) —
Stock-based compensation 882 —
Gain on forgiveness of CARES Act loan (339) —
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects from acquisitions:
Accounts receivable - related parties 3,714 (2,867)
Parts and supplies inventory 730 (3,892)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 344 (1,981)
Accounts payable - related parties (72) 45
Net cash flows from operating activities 8,665 45,639
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capitalized development costs (802) (520)
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment 41,964 60,542
Net cash flows from investing activities (62,031) (167,266)
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Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (continued)
Year Ended December 31,
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from Merger, net of transaction costs 8,350 —
Proceeds from issuance of Bridge Notes — 85,000
Payment of deferred financing costs (3,261) (71)
Payment of debt issuance costs (1,096) (133)
Proceeds from notes receivable noncontrolling interest 4,181 261
Cash distributions to members* (33,662) (9,037)
Cash contributions - noncontrolling interests 9,541 14,549
Cash distributions - noncontrolling interests (21,379) (13,217)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (11,553) 2,048
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 23,179 21,131
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 11,626 $ 23,179
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Non-cash directors and officers insurance $ 2,518 $ —
Exchange of EGA public warrants for flyExclusive Class A common stock $ 82 $ —
Redeemable noncontrolling interest resulting from the Merger $ 42,431 $ —
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interest $ 5,826 $ —
Excise tax payable $ 1,032 $ —
Non-cash transfer of aircraft and related debt* $ 6,589 $ —
Equity-classified obligation - Amended Underwriting Agreement $ 3,324 $ —
Prepaid expenses assumed in connection with the Merger $ 70 $ —
Accounts payable assumed in connection with the Merger $ 1,092 $ —
Other current liabilities assumed in connection with the Merger $ 1,642 $ —
Change in purchases of property and equipment in accounts payable $ 930 $ 994
Unrealized change in fair value of available-for-sale securities $ 407 $ 498
Initial fair value of derivative liability $ — $ 1,441
Debt issuance costs included in accounts payable $ — $ 260
Right of use asset impact for new leases $ 48,807 $ 16,801
Non-cash exchanges of aircraft ownership interests $ 7,319 $ —
Non-cash aircraft sale-leaseback transactions $ 23,100 $ —
*Cash distributions to members for the year ended December 31, 2023 excludes the non-cash distribution to members of an aircraft, net of the aircraft's related debt, of $6,589. As such, total cash and non-cash distributions to members totaled $40,429, which consist of the non-cash distributions of $6,589 plus the cash distributions of $33,662.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
1. Organization and Operations
Nature of the Business
flyExclusive, Inc. is a holding company that has no material assets other than its ownership in LGM Enterprises, LLC ("LGM"), and flyExclusive, Inc. operates and controls all of the businesses and operations of LGM and LGM's subsidiaries. flyExclusive Inc. and its predecessor for accounting purposes, LGM, are collectively referred to herein as (“flyExclusive” or the “Company”). LGM is a premier owner, operator of jet aircraft and aircraft sales, with a focus on private jet charter. The Company's businesses provide separate offerings such as wholesale and retail ad hoc flights, a jet club program, partnership program, fractional program, and other services as well.
The Company provides private jet charter services primarily in North America. On February 28, 2020, the Company acquired Sky Night, LLC (“Sky Night”), in order to develop its international presence. As part of its plan to become a full-service private aviation company, in 2021, the Company launched its maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations (“MRO”), offering maintenance, interior and exterior refurbishment to third parties in addition to maintaining its own fleet.
On December 27, 2023 (the "Closing Date"), EG Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation ("EGA"), and LGM, a North Carolina limited liability company (“LGM”), consummated a business combination (the "Merger", see Note 3, "Merger") pursuant to the equity purchase agreement dated October 17, 2022 and subsequent amendment to the equity purchase agreement dated April 21, 2023, collectively, (the "Equity Purchase Agreement" or "EPA"). In connection with the closing of the Merger, EGA changed its name to flyExclusive, Inc. The common stock of flyExclusive ("flyExclusive Common Stock" or the "Company's Common Stock") and the public warrants of flyExclusive (the “Public Warrants”) commenced trading on The NYSE American LLC under the symbol "FLYX" and "FLYX WS", respectively, on December 28, 2023.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and with the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of flyExclusive, its wholly-owned subsidiaries, all majority owned subsidiaries where the ownership is more than 50% and the accounts of variable interest entities (“VIE”) for which flyExclusive or one of its subsidiaries is the primary beneficiary, regardless of the ownership percentage.
All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Where the Company’s ownership interest is less than 100%, the non-redeemable noncontrolling ownership interests held by third parties in the financial position and operating results of the Company’s subsidiaries and/or consolidated VIEs are reported as noncontrolling interest in the consolidated balance sheets within stockholders' / members' equity. Noncontrolling ownership interests that can be redeemed for cash whereby redemption is not within the sole control of the Company are classified as temporary equity in the consolidated balance sheets in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 480-10-S99-3(A)(2).
Liquidity and Going Concern
Within the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred net losses and has operated with a working capital deficit. To date, the Company has financed its operations primarily through a combination of operating cash flows, the sale of equity securities and convertible debt, proceeds from the Reverse Recapitalization, and borrowings under loan facilities. At December 31, 2023, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $80,456 and a working capital deficit, as defined by a shortfall of current assets as compared with current liabilities of $104,743 and $6,934 as at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company’s net losses were $54,738 and $4,152 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Net cash flows provided by operating activities were $8,665 and $45,639 during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. A significant component of the Company’s operating losses and working capital deficit resulted from increased general and administrative costs associated with becoming a public company. The Company expects to incur operating losses in the near term as the Company advances its fleet modernization and associated cost savings initiatives.
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As of December 31, 2023, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $11,626. On January 26, 2024, subsequent to the reporting date, a subsidiary of the Company entered into a Senior Secured Note (the “Note”) to support its fractional aircraft ownership program. The Note allows for borrowings of an aggregate principal amount of up to approximately $25,773, with up to $25,000 earmarked specifically to finance the acquisition or refinancing of aircraft under this program. Additionally, on March 4, 2024, subsequent to the reporting date, the company raised an additional $25,000 in the form of Series A Preferred Stock. On March 9, 2024, subsequent to the reporting date, the Company entered into an amendment to the LOC Master Note to extend the maturity date to September 9, 2025. See Note 24, "Subsequent Events," for further information.
The Company believes its cash and cash equivalents on hand, operating cash flows, and proceeds from possible financings, if any, will be sufficient to fund operations, including capital expenditure requirements, for at least 12 months from the issuance date of these financial statements. However, the Company might need additional capital to fund growth plans or as circumstances change, which it could obtain through equity issuances, refinancing existing debt or new borrowings. Adequate capital may not be available to the Company when needed or on acceptable terms. If the Company is unable to raise capital, it could be forced to delay, reduce, suspend or cease its working capital requirements, capital expenditures and business development efforts, which would have a negative impact on its business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Reclassification
Certain amounts presented in the Company’s previously issued financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. In the consolidated balance sheets, the Company has made a reclassification within the current assets and the operating assets remain unchanged from the previously issued balance sheet as of December 31, 2022.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates are based on several factors including the facts and circumstances available at the time the estimates are made, historical experience, risk of loss, general economic conditions and trends and the assessment of the probable future outcome. Subjective and significant estimates include, but are not limited to, determinations of the useful lives and expected future cash flows of long-lived assets, including intangibles, estimates of allowances for uncollectible accounts, determination of impairment and fair value estimates associated with asset acquisitions. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically and the effects of changes, if any, are reflected in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) in the period that they are determined.
Segment Information
The Company determined its operating segment after considering the Company’s organizational structure and the information regularly reviewed and evaluated by the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company has determined that its CODM is its Chief Executive Officer. The CODM reviews the financial information on a consolidated basis for purposes of evaluating financial performance and allocating resources. On the basis of these factors, the Company determined that it operates and manages its business as one operating segment, charter aviation services. All ancillary and other revenue sources such as fractional ownership and MRO services are primarily to support the provision of the Company’s charter services to customers. Substantially all the Company’s long-lived assets are held in the United States, and revenue from charter aviation charter services is substantially earned from flights throughout the United States.
Public Warrants and Private Warrants
Upon the closing of the Merger, the Company assumed (i) the Public Warrants initially included in the EGA units issued in EGA's initial public offering, and (ii) the warrants of EGA held by EG Sponsor LLC (the “EGA Sponsor”) that were issued to the EGA Sponsor at the closing of EGA's initial public offering (the "Private Placement Warrants," and together with the Public Warrants, the "Warrants").
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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
The Company determines the accounting classification of Warrants as either liability or equity by first assessing whether the Warrants meet liability classification in accordance with ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”). Under ASC 480, a financial instrument that embodies an unconditional obligation, or a financial instrument other than an outstanding share that embodies a conditional obligation, that the issuer must or may settle by issuing a variable number of its equity shares must be classified as a liability (or an asset in some circumstances) if, at inception, the monetary value of the obligation is based solely or predominantly on any one of the following: (a) a fixed monetary amount known at inception; (b) variations in something other than the fair value of the issuer’s equity shares; or (c) variations inversely related to changes in the fair value of the issuer’s equity shares. The Company determined that the Warrants should not be classified as liabilities under ASC 480.
If financial instruments, such as the Warrants, are not required to be classified as liabilities under ASC 480, the Company assesses whether such instruments are indexed to the Company's own stock under ASC 815-40. In order for an instrument to be considered indexed to an entity's own stock, its settlement amount must always equal the difference between the following: (a) the fair value of a fixed number of the Company's equity shares, and (b) a fixed monetary amount or a fixed amount of a debt instrument issued by the Company. As there are scenarios where the settlement amount would not equal the difference between the fair value of a fixed number of shares and a fixed monetary amount (or a fixed amount of a debt instrument), the Company determined that the Warrants were not indexed to the Company's own stock and therefore that they must be classified as liabilities. The Company also determined that the Warrants met all criteria to meet the definition of a derivative under ASC 815-10-15-83.
The Company recorded the Warrants as liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value, with subsequent changes in the fair value recognized in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) at each reporting date.
Fair Value Measurement
Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under U.S. GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:
Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2— Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices), such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques.
The Company’s cash equivalents and investments in securities are carried at fair value in Level 1 or Level 2, determined according to the fair value hierarchy described above (see Note 4 Fair Value Measurements). The carrying values of the Company’s accounts receivable, other receivables, parts and supplies inventory, accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these instruments.
The Company’s Bridge Notes (as defined in Note 15, "Debt") contained an embedded derivative feature that was required to be bifurcated and remeasured to fair value at each reporting period based on significant inputs not observable in the market, and was classified as a Level 3 measurement according to the fair value hierarchy described above. The carrying amount of the Company’s Bridge Notes approximated its fair value as the interest rates of the Bridge Notes are based on prevailing market rates. The Bridge Notes were converted into shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock on the Closing Date causing the derivative liability on the consolidated balance sheets to be removed as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023.
The closing price of the Public Warrants is used as the fair value of the Public Warrants and Private Warrants as of each relevant reporting date. The fair value of the Public Warrants is classified as a Level 1 fair value measurement due to the use of an observable market quote in an active market. The fair value of the Private Warrants is classified as a Level 2 fair value measurement due to the use of an observable market quote for the Public Warrants, which are considered to be a similar asset in an active market.
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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
Concentration of Credit Risk
The Company’s financial instruments that are exposed to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and investments. The Company places its cash and cash equivalents with multiple high credit quality U.S. financial institutions. At various times throughout the period, the Company's cash deposits with any one financial institution may exceed the amount insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”). Generally, these deposits may be redeemed upon demand and, therefore, bear minimal risk. The Company has not experienced any losses of such amounts and management believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on its cash and cash equivalents.
Customer Concentration
The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and generally requires no collateral.
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, one customer accounted for $67,985 and $125,360, respectively, of net sales, which represents 22% and 39% of total revenue, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023, one customer accounted for $341 of accounts receivable. This represented approximately 12% of accounts receivable as of December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2022, one customer accounted for $8,682 of accounts receivable. This represented approximately 91% of accounts receivable as of December 31, 2022.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, one vendor accounted for $60,909 of cost of revenue, which represents 23% of total cost of revenue. During the year ended December 31, 2022, one vendor accounted for $39,656 of cost of revenue, which represents 16% of total cost of revenue.
There were no vendors accounting for greater than 10% of total accounts payable as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash consists of bank deposits. Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, cash equivalents consisted of government money market funds. Cash equivalents are stated at fair value.
Receivables, Net of Allowance for Credit Losses
Accounts receivables are recorded at the invoiced or earned amount billed to the customers and are reported as net of an allowance for credit losses. Prior to adopting Accounting Standards Codification Topic 326, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (“ASC Topic 326”), as set forth in “Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements” below, the Company applied an incurred loss estimate to calculate the allowance for doubtful accounts. Under ASC Topic 326, the Company maintains an allowance for credit losses and considers the level of past-due accounts based on the contractual terms of the receivables, historical write offs and existing economic conditions, as well as its relationships with, and the economic status of individual accounts to calculate the allowance for credit losses. The estimated credit losses charged to the allowance is recorded as "Selling, general and administrative" in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss). Accounts receivables are written off when deemed uncollectible based on individual credit evaluations and specific circumstances. The Company had an allowance for credit losses of $80 and $82 as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
Notes receivables are recorded at amortized cost, and are reported as net of an allowance for credit losses. Under ASC Topic 326, the Company maintains an allowance for credit losses based on the difference between the fair value of the collateral associated with the note, less costs to sell the asset, and the amortized cost basis of the note. The Company recognized an allowance for credit losses of $2,558 and zero as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
Parts and Supplies Inventory
Inventories are used in operations and are generally held for internal use. Inventories are comprised of spare aircraft parts, materials and supplies, which are valued at the lower of cost, determined on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis, or net realizable value. Cost of inventories are determined using the specific identification method. The Company determines, based on the evidence that exists, whether or not it is appropriate to maintain a reserve for excess and obsolete inventory. The reserve is based on historical experience related to the disposal of inventory due to damage, physical deterioration, obsolescence or other causes. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the reserve was not material. Storage costs and indirect administrative overhead costs related to inventories are expensed as incurred.
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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
Investments in securities
Investments in securities consist of fixed-income securities including corporate bonds, government bonds, municipal issues and U.S. treasury bills that are classified as available-for-sale (“AFS”) pursuant to ASC Topic 320, Investments—Debt and Equity Securities (“ASC Topic 320”). The Company classifies investments available to fund current operations as current assets on its consolidated balance sheets. The Company determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of purchase and re-evaluates the designations annually. The Company may sell certain marketable securities prior to their stated maturities for strategic reasons including, but not limited to, anticipation of credit deterioration and duration management.
ASC Topic 326 eliminated the concept of other-than-temporary impairment for securities. For securities AFS in an unrealized loss position, the Company determines whether they intend to sell or if it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security before recovery of the amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the new standard requires the security’s amortized cost basis to be written down to fair value through income with an allowance being established under ASC Topic 326. For securities AFS with unrealized losses not meeting these criteria, the Company evaluates whether any decline in fair value is due to credit loss factors. In making this assessment, the Company considers the extent of the unrealized loss, any changes to the rating of the security by rating agencies and adverse conditions specifically related to the issuer of the security, among other factors. If this assessment indicates that a credit loss exists, impairment related to credit-related factors must be recognized as an allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) on the consolidated balance sheets with a corresponding adjustment to earnings. Impairment related to non-credit factors is recognized in other comprehensive income (loss). The Company evaluates AFS securities for impairment on a periodic basis.
As of December 31, 2023 and at adoption of ASC Topic 326 on January 1, 2023, there was no ACL related to debt securities AFS. Accrued interest receivable on debt securities was excluded from the estimate of credit losses.
Realized losses on investment securities were $238 and $400 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. There were 13 and 24 debt securities in an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The fair value of these debt securities in an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, was $4,263 and $7,236, respectively. Additionally, as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the total fair value of debt securities in an unrealized loss position greater than one year was $2,759 and $1,765, which the total unrealized losses of these investments were $395 and $98, respectively. The Company determined that the decline in the market value of these securities was primarily attributable to current economic conditions.
Prepaid Engine Overhaul
The Company has entered into Engine Overhaul Programs for certain aircraft to cover major maintenance costs at specified intervals primarily relating to engine hours. Such engine overhauls are not considered to be routine maintenance, rather capital expenditures that extend the useful life of the underlying engine. The Company has elected the Built-in Overhaul method of accounting, which requires segregation of the aggregate aircraft costs into separate components to be depreciated over the useful life of the aircraft and those that require overhaul at periodic intervals. When an aircraft is initially purchased, any amounts that are considered prepaid engine overhaul, if any, as well as a portion of the aircraft cost relating to the engine, are recorded as prepaid engine overhaul and are depreciated over a shorter expected useful life (shorter of remaining life of the engines at the time of acquisition or 7 years assumed full life of the overhauled components) than the aircraft. Additionally, any payments made under a long-term service arrangement that are applicable primarily to major maintenance activities are recorded as prepaids until such services are provided. Upon completion of the major maintenance activities, such overhaul costs are then depreciated over the expected time to the next major maintenance activities. The Company expenses routine maintenance costs as incurred.
Property and Equipment, Net
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:
Estimated Useful Life
Transportation equipment 5-20 years
Office furniture and equipment 3-10 years
Leasehold improvements Shorter of remaining lease term or useful life
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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
Leases
In accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases (“Topic 842”), the Company determines whether an arrangement is or contains a lease at inception. A contract is or contains a lease if the contract conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The Company classifies leases at the lease commencement date, when control of the underlying asset is transferred from the lessor to the lessee, as operating or finance leases and records a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and a lease liability on the consolidated balance sheets for all leases with a lease term of greater than one year. The Company has elected to not recognize leases with a lease term of one year or less on the balance sheet for all underlying asset classes and will recognize lease payments for such short-term leases as an expense on a straight-line basis.