AL
Aircastle LTD (AYR)·Q2 2026 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2026 delivered $227.510M total revenue and $57.233M net income, aided by $56M insurance settlements and tempered by $31.153M impairment tied to customer bankruptcies; lease rental revenue rose 17% YoY .
- Liquidity remained robust at ~$2.5B; debt issuance of $650M at 5.000% and investment‑grade upgrades by S&P (BBB) and Moody’s (Baa2) strengthen funding flexibility .
- Fleet mix continued transitioning to new technology narrow‑body aircraft (50% of NBV), with 100% of the fleet on lease and utilization at ~99.7% .
- No numeric guidance provided; catalysts were ratings upgrades, insurance recoveries, and continued portfolio youthening; estimate comparison unavailable on S&P Global for AYR.
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Lease rental revenue +17% YoY; management emphasized “favorable lease rates” and scaling on new tech aircraft: “Half of our fleet NBV is now composed of new technology narrow‑body aircraft” .
- Insurance settlements of $56M booked in other income boosted earnings: “we recognized an additional $56,000,000… from Russia related insurance settlements” .
- Credit profile improvement and efficient financing: $650M notes at 5.000% and ratings upgrades to BBB/Baa2 support capital access and growth .
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What Went Wrong
- Impairment expense spiked to $31.153M, primarily due to customers’ Chapter 11 filings, which lifted operating costs 26% YoY in Q2 .
- Maintenance revenue declined YoY (Q2 $9.708M vs $19.378M prior year), consistent with fewer transitions; management reiterates maintenance is not a profit center .
- Spirit exposure adds repositioning risk: five aircraft rejected; possible engine shop visits could delay redeployment; likely placements include non‑US markets .
Financial Results
Notes: Net Income Margin % marked with an asterisk are values retrieved from S&P Global.
Actual vs S&P Global Consensus (Q2 2026):
- Revenue: Actual $227.510M; Consensus unavailable (S&P Global did not return a consensus for AYR) .
- EPS: Consensus unavailable; AYR does not present EPS in filings; S&P Global records unavailable.
Segment breakdown: AYR reports as a single aircraft leasing operation (no segment table provided in filings).
Key KPIs
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “In the second quarter, we invested a half billion in aircraft acquisitions while earning $57 million in net income… Half of our fleet NBV is now composed of new technology narrow‑body aircraft” .
- CEO on ratings/financing: “The upgrades we've recently received from S&P and Moody's… bolstered the successful issuance of $650 million unsecured senior notes at 5.000%” .
- CFO: “The 26% increase… in operating cost… was primarily the result of impairments related to customers announcing their filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection… we also recognized $56,000,000… from insurance settlements related to Russia based aircraft” .
- CEO on consolidation: “We will continue to look at opportunities… benefits of scale… access to capital markets… manage more assets… expanding OEM interactions” .
Q&A Highlights
- Industry consolidation: Management sees benefits from scale (capital markets liquidity, asset management, OEM engagement) but will be selective; existing plan focuses on ROE improvement .
- Spirit Airlines process: Five aircraft rejected; some assets may need shop visits; many may redeploy outside the U.S.; discussions ongoing .
- Competitive dynamics: Despite higher competition and some peers’ lower funding costs, AYR emphasizes relationship sourcing and disciplined returns (e.g., United PLBs) .
- Engine strategy: Increased focus on engine leasing and optimizing value across airframe/engine components under current market conditions .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus data for AYR was unavailable for Q2 2026 (Revenue/EPS consensus not returned); as a result, we cannot assess beat/miss versus Street for this quarter using S&P consensus. Actuals: revenue $227.510M, net income $57.233M .
- Where estimates are unavailable, buyside should focus on underlying drivers (lease rate strength, insurance/other income, impairment cadence) and credit metrics (liquidity, unencumbered assets, unsecured mix) to calibrate expectations for funding costs and portfolio earnings.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Earnings quality mixed: strong lease rental revenue and insurance recoveries offset by elevated impairments tied to bankruptcies; watch impairment normalization and maintenance payer behavior .
- Credit catalysts: Investment‑grade upgrades (BBB/Baa2) and $650M notes at 5.000% lower funding risk and support accretive portfolio growth .
- Portfolio evolution: Continued youthening/new tech bias (50% NBV) plus 100% on‑lease with high utilization underpin recurring cash flows; redeployment risk manageable given broad demand .
- Macro/engine backdrop: OEM shortfalls and engine constraints sustain midlife values and lease rates; AYR’s engine management strategy is a differentiator .
- Spirit resolution: Expect staggered redeployments and potential timing frictions (shop visits); likely non‑U.S. placements—monitor transition costs and income timing .
- Capital allocation: Robust liquidity ($2.5B), 98% unsecured debt, 99% unencumbered fleet afford flexibility to pursue PLBs/sales; maintain discipline on returns .
- Near‑term trading: Bond spreads may tighten on ratings momentum and stable fundamentals; equity‑like exposure is limited (AYR filings reflect a private structure), so focus on credit instruments and counterparties.
Values marked with an asterisk are retrieved from S&P Global.