MESA AIR GROUP INC - Quarter Report: 2018 December (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended December 31, 2018

Or

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM                      TO                     .

Commission File Number 001-38626

MESA AIR GROUP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (602) 685-4000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

As of January 31, 2019 the registrant had 24,306,411 shares of common stock, no par value per share, issued and outstanding.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Where You Can Find More Information

Investors and others should note that we may announce material business and financial information to our investors using our investor relations website (http://investor.mesa-air.com/), SEC filings, webcasts, press releases, and conference calls. We use these mediums, including our website, to communicate with our members and public about our company, our products, and other issues. It is possible that the information that we make available may be deemed to be material information. We therefore encourage investors and others interested in our company to review the information that we make available on our website.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "may," "should," "expects," "might," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "target," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "seek," "would" or "continue," or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions described in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Some of the key factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations include:

While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, whether as a result of any new information, future events, or otherwise, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law.

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Part I – Financial Information

Item 1. Financial Statements

MESA AIR GROUP, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands) (Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MESA AIR GROUP, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to these condensed consolidated financial statements.

3

MESA AIR GROUP, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity

(In thousands, except share amounts) (Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MESA AIR GROUP, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands) (Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MESA AIR GROUP, INC.

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

About Mesa Air Group, Inc.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Mesa Air Group, Inc. ("Mesa" or the "Company") is a holding company whose principal subsidiary, Mesa Airlines, Inc. ("Mesa Airlines"), operates as a regional air carrier providing scheduled passenger service to 121 cities in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and the Bahamas. As of December 31, 2018, Mesa operated a fleet of 145 aircraft with approximately 628 daily departures and 3,400 employees. Mesa operates all of its flights as either American Eagle or United Express flights pursuant to the terms of the capacity purchase agreements entered into with American Airlines, Inc. and United Airlines, Inc.

The financial arrangements between the Company and its major airline partners involve a revenue-guarantee arrangement (i.e. a "capacity purchase agreement") whereby the major airline pays a monthly guaranteed amount for each aircraft under contract, a fixed fee for each block hour and flight flown and reimbursement of certain direct operating expenses in exchange for providing regional flying. The major airline partners also pay certain expenses directly to suppliers, such as fuel, ground operations and landing fees. Under the terms of these capacity purchase agreements, the major airline controls route selection, pricing and seat inventories, thereby reducing the Company's exposure to fluctuations in passenger traffic, fare levels, and fuel prices.

On August 8, 2018, the Company filed its Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, which, among other things: (i) effected a 2.5-for-1 stock split of its common stock; and (ii) increased the authorized number of shares of its common and preferred stock to 125,000,000 and 5,000,000, respectively. All references to share and per share amounts in the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements have been retrospectively revised to reflect the stock split and increase in authorized shares.

On August 14, 2018, the Company completed an initial public offering ("IPO") of its common stock, in which it issued and sold 9,630,000 shares (the "Firm Shares") of common stock at a public offering price of $12.00 per share, resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $115.6 million. Additionally, in connection with the IPO, the Company granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 1,444,500 shares of common stock at the same price.  On September 11, 2018, the Company closed the sale of 1,344,500 shares ("Option Shares") of its common stock, in connection with the partial exercise of the overallotment option granted to the underwriters in its IPO. Of the 1,344,500 Option Shares sold, 723,985 were purchased directly from the Company and the remaining 620,515 shares were purchased directly from the selling shareholders. The Firm Shares and Option Shares were sold to the public for a price of $12.00 per share.

The sale of the Firm Shares and Option Shares raised gross proceeds of approximately $124.2 million. The Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Option Shares by the selling shareholders.  The Company received $111.7 million in net proceeds after deducting $8.7 million of underwriting discounts and commissions and $3.8 million in offering costs.

As part of the IPO, stock appreciation rights ("SARs") previously issued under the Mesa Air Group, Inc. Amended and Restated Stock Appreciation Rights Plan (the "SAR Plan"), which settled only in cash, were cancelled and exchanged for an aggregate of 1,266,034 shares of restricted common stock under the Company's 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2018 Plan"), of which 966,022 were fully vested upon issuance and are included in the number of shares of common stock outstanding after the IPO. Of the 966,022 fully vested shares, 314,198 shares were retained by the Company to satisfy tax withholding obligations, resulting in a net issuance of 651,824 shares. Additionally, 983,113 shares of restricted common stock were issued to certain of its employees and directors under its 2018 Plan in exchange for the cancellation of 491,915 shares of existing unvested restricted phantom stock units and 491,198 shares of restricted stock under the 2011 and 2017 Plans, respectively.

American Capacity Purchase Agreement

As of December 31, 2018, the Company operated 64 CRJ-900 aircraft for American under a capacity purchase agreement (the "American Capacity Purchase Agreement"). Unless otherwise extended or amended, the capacity purchase agreement for the aircraft expires between 2021 and 2025. In exchange for providing flights and all other services under the agreement, the Company receives a fixed monthly minimum amount per aircraft, plus certain additional amounts based upon the number of flights and block hours (the number of hours during which the aircraft is in revenue service, measured from the time of gate departure before take-off until the time of gate arrival at the destination) flown during the month. In addition, the Company may also receive incentives or pay penalties based upon the Company's operational performance, including controllable on-time departure and controllable completion percentages. American also reimburses the Company for the actual amount incurred for certain items such as passenger liability and hull insurance, and aircraft property taxes. In addition, American also provides, at no cost to the Company, certain ground

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handling and customer service functions, as well as airport-related facilities and fuel. The Company also receives a monthly profit margin payment from American based on the number of aircraft operating. The capacity purchase agreement is subject to early termination for cause under specified circumstances and subject to the Company's right to cure under certain conditions. American had a 7.2% ownership interest in the Company, calculated on a fully-diluted basis as of December 31, 2018, and September 30, 2018. The related party amounts presented on the condensed consolidated balance sheets and statements of operations pertain to American.

United Capacity Purchase Agreement

As of December 31, 2018, the Company operated 20 CRJ-700 and 60 E-175 aircraft for United under a capacity purchase agreement (the "United Capacity Purchase Agreement"). Subject to certain early termination rights, the capacity purchase agreement for each of the 20 CRJ-700 aircraft expires between August and December 2019. Subject to early termination rights, the capacity purchase agreement for 30 of the E-175 aircraft (owned by United) expires between June 2019 and August 2020, subject to United's right to extend for four additional two-year terms (maximum of eight years). Subject to early termination rights, the capacity purchase agreement for 18 of the E-175 aircraft (owned by Mesa) expires between January 2028 and November 2028. During fiscal 2017, the Company and United expanded the capacity purchase agreement to include, subject to early termination rights, an additional 12 E-175 aircraft (purchased by United) with the aircraft entering service through January 2018 for five-year terms, subject to United's right to extend for four additional two-year terms (maximum of eight years). In exchange for performing the flight services under such agreement, the Company receives from United a fixed monthly minimum amount per aircraft, plus certain additional amounts based upon the number of flights and block hours flown during the month. Additionally, certain costs incurred by the Company in performing the flight services are "pass-through" costs, whereby United agrees to reimburse the Company for the actual amounts incurred for the following items: property tax per aircraft, passenger liability insurance, and additionally for the E-175 aircraft owned by United, heavy airframe and engine maintenance, landing gear, auxiliary power units ("APU") and component maintenance. The Company also receives a profit margin based upon certain reimbursable costs under the agreement, as well as its operational performance in addition to a fixed profit margin. The capacity purchase agreement is also subject to early termination for cause under specified circumstances and subject to the Company's right to cure under certain circumstances. United is also permitted, subject to certain conditions, to terminate the agreement early in its discretion by giving us notice of 90 days or more.

In February 2018, the Company mutually agreed with United to temporarily remove two aircraft from service under its United capacity purchase agreement until the Company was able to fully staff flight operations. During the temporary removal, the Company agreed to pay the lease costs associated with the two E-175 aircraft, which totaled $1.9 million. In June 2018, the Company was able to fully staff flight operations and these two E-175 aircraft were placed back into service under the United capacity purchase agreement.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned operating subsidiaries. Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative United States generally accepted accounting principles as found in the Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") and Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with, the Company's audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as of and for the year ended September 30, 2018 included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2018 on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements have been condensed or omitted in these condensed consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC and GAAP. These condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments that, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly the results of operations for the interim periods presented.

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The Company is an "emerging growth company," as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the "JOBS Act,") and may remain an emerging growth company until the last day of its fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the IPO, subject to specified conditions. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period afforded by the JOBS Act for the implementation of new or revised accounting standards. The Company has elected to "opt out" of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

Adoption of New Revenue Standard

On October 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) ("ASU 2014-09" or "Topic 606") using the modified retrospective method. See Note 3: "Recent Accounting Pronouncements" for more information. To conform to Topic 606, the Company modified its revenue recognition policy as described below.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when the service is provided under its capacity purchase agreements. Under these agreements, the major airline partners generally pay a fixed monthly minimum amount per aircraft, plus certain additional amounts based upon the number of flights and block hours flown. The contracts also include reimbursement of certain costs incurred by the Company in performing flight services. These costs, known as "pass-through costs," may include passenger and hull insurance as well as aircraft property taxes. Additionally, for the E-175 aircraft owned by United, the capacity purchase agreement provides that United will reimburse the Company for heavy airframe and engine maintenance, landing gear, APUs and component maintenance. The Company also receives compensation under its capacity purchase agreements for heavy maintenance expenses at a fixed hourly rate or per aircraft rate for all aircraft in scheduled service other than the E-175 aircraft owned by United.  The contracts also include a profit margin on certain reimbursable costs, as well as a profit margin, incentives and penalties based on certain operational benchmarks.  The Company is eligible to receive incentive compensation upon the achievement of certain performance criteria defined in the capacity purchase agreements. At the end of each period during the term of an agreement, the Company calculates the incentives achieved during that period and recognizes revenue attributable to the agreement during the period accordingly, subject to the variable constraint guidance under Topic 606. All revenue recognized under these contracts is presented as the gross amount billed to the major airline partners.

Under the capacity purchase agreements, the Company has committed to perform various activities that can be generally classified into in-flight services and maintenance services. When evaluating these services, the Company determined that the nature of its promise is to provide a single integrated service, flight services, because its contracts require integration and assumption of risk associated with both services to effectively deliver and provide the flights as scheduled over the contract term.  Therefore, the in-flight services and maintenance services are inputs to that combined integrated flight service. Both the services occur over the term of the agreement and the performance of maintenance services significantly effects the utility of the in-flight services. The Company's individual flights flown under the capacity purchase agreements are deemed to be distinct and the flight service promised in the capacity purchase agreements represents a series of services that should be accounted for as a single performance obligation.  This single performance obligation is satisfied over time as the flights are completed. Therefore, revenue is recognized when each flight is completed.

In allocating the transaction price, variable payments (i.e. billings based on flights and block hours flown, pass-through costs, etc.) that relate specifically to the Company's efforts in performing flight services are recognized in the period in which the individual flight is completed. The Company has concluded that allocating the variability directly to the individual flights results in an overall allocation meeting the objectives in ASC 606. This results in a pattern of revenue recognition that follows the variable amounts billed from the Company to their customers.

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A portion of the Company's compensation under its capacity purchase agreements with American and United is designed to reimburse the Company for certain aircraft ownership costs. The Company has concluded that a component of its revenue under these agreements is deemed to be lease revenue, as such agreements identify the "right of use" of a specific type and number of aircraft over a stated period-of-time. The lease revenue associated with the Company's capacity purchase agreements is accounted for as an operating lease and is reflected as contract revenue on the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations. The Company recognized $54.9 million and $54.6 million of lease revenue for the three months December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company has not separately stated aircraft rental income and aircraft rental expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations because the use of the aircraft is not a separate activity of the total service provided.  

The Company's capacity purchase agreements are renewable periodically and contain provisions pursuant to which the parties could terminate their respective agreements, subject to certain conditions as described in Note 1. The capacity purchase agreements also contain terms with respect to covered aircraft, services provided and compensation as described in Note 1.  The capacity purchase agreements are amended from time to time to change, add or delete terms of the agreements.

The Company's revenues could be impacted by a number of factors, including amendment or termination of its capacity purchase agreements, contract modifications resulting from contract renegotiations, its ability to earn incentive payments contemplated under applicable agreements, and settlement of reimbursement disputes with the Company's major airline partners. In the event contracted rates are not finalized at a quarterly or annual financial statement date, the Company evaluates the enforceability of its contractual terms and when it has an enforceable right, it estimates the amount the Company expects to be entitled to that is subject to the ASC 606 constraint.  

The Company's capacity purchase agreements contain an option that allows its major airline partners to assume the contractual responsibility for procuring and providing the fuel necessary to operate the flights that it operates for them. Both of the Company's major airline partners have exercised this option. Accordingly, the Company does not record an expense or revenue for fuel and related fueling costs for flying under its capacity purchase agreements.  In addition, the Company's major airline partners also provide, at no cost to the Company, certain ground handling and customer service functions, as well as airport-related facilities and gates at their hubs and other cities. Services and facilities provided by the Company's major airline partners at no cost are presented net in its condensed consolidated financial statements; hence, no amounts are recorded for revenue or expense for these items.

Contract Liabilities

Contract liabilities consist of deferred credits for cost reimbursements from major airline partners related to aircraft modifications associated with capacity purchase agreements and pilot training.  The deferred credits are recognized over time depicting the pattern of transfer of control of services resulting in ratable recognition of revenue over the remaining term of the capacity purchase agreements.

Current and non-current deferred credits are recorded to other accrued expenses and non-current deferred credits in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company's total current and non-current deferred credit balances at December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2018 are $14.4 million and $15.4 million, respectively. The Company recognized $1.2 million and $1.0 million of the deferred credits to revenue in the condensed consolidated statement of operations during the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Contract Assets

The Company recognizes assets from the costs incurred to fulfill a contract including aircraft painting and reconfiguration and flight service personnel training costs. These costs are amortized based on the pattern of transfer of the services in relation to flight hours over the term of the contract. Contract assets are recorded as other assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company's contract assets balances at December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2018 are $4.1 million and $4.6 million, respectively. Contract cost amortization was $0.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

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Use of Estimates

The preparation of the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Maintenance Expense

The Company operates under a Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") approved continuous inspection and maintenance program. The Company uses the direct expense method of accounting for its maintenance of regional jet engine overhauls, airframe, landing gear, and normal recurring maintenance wherein the Company recognizes the expense when the maintenance work is completed, or over the repair period, if materially different. For leased aircraft, the Company is subject to lease return provisions that require a minimum portion of the "life" of an overhaul be remaining on the engine at the lease return date. The Company estimates the cost of maintenance lease return obligations and accrues such costs over the remaining lease term when the expense is probable and can be reasonably estimated.

Under the Company's aircraft operating lease agreements and FAA operating regulations, it is obligated to perform all required maintenance activities on its fleet, including component repairs, scheduled air frame checks and major engine restoration events. The Company estimates the timing of the next major maintenance event based on assumptions including estimated usage, FAA-mandated maintenance intervals and average removal times as recommended by the manufacturer. The timing and the cost of maintenance are based on estimates, which can be impacted by changes in utilization of its aircraft, changes in government regulations and suggested manufacturer maintenance intervals. Major maintenance events consist of overhauls to major components.

Engine overhaul expense totaled $4.1 million, and $19.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018, and 2017, respectively, of which $1.5 million and $2.3 million, respectively, was pass-through expense. Airframe C-check expense totaled $1.5 million and  $5.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018, and 2017, respectively, of which $0 million, and $3.0 million, respectively, was pass-through expense.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) ("Topic 606"). Topic 606 establishes a new recognition model that requires revenue to be recognized in a manner to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. On October 1, 2018, the Company adopted this ASU using the modified retrospective method.  Under the new standard, the Company concluded that, in addition to the aircraft lease, the individual flights are distinct services and the flight services promised in the capacity purchase agreements represent a series of services that should be accounted for as a single performance obligation.  Revenue is recognized over time as the flights are completed.  The adoption of this ASU did not have an impact on recorded amounts when applied to the opening balance sheet as of October 1, 2018.  The adoption did not impact the condensed consolidated financial statements presented other than the disclosures noted in Note 2.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10), Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities ("ASU 2016-01"), which provides guidance related to the classification and measurement of financial instruments. The guidance primarily impacts the accounting for equity investments other than those accounted for using the equity method of accounting, financial liabilities under the fair value option and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. The accounting for other financial instruments, such as loans, investments in debt securities and financial liabilities is largely unchanged. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company has adopted ASU 2016-01 effective October 1, 2018; the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which was subsequently amended and clarified and provides guidance requiring lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for substantially all leases, with the exception of short-term leases. Leases will be classified as either financing or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the statement of income. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this new guidance on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

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In March of 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718):  Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU 2016-09"). With this standard, all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are required to be recognized as income tax benefit or expense in the income statement. The tax effects of exercised or vested awards should be treated as discrete items in the reporting period in which they occur. An entity also should recognize excess tax benefits regardless of whether the benefit reduces taxes payable in the current period. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 in the first quarter of the year ended September 30, 2018. This change in accounting principle has been applied on a modified retrospective transition method by means of a cumulative effect adjustment to equity as of the beginning of fiscal year 2018 as a cumulative-effect adjustment increasing deferred tax assets by $0.4 million, increasing income tax expense by $0.3 million, and increasing retained earnings by $0.7 million. Adoption of ASU 2016-09 did not have any other material effect on the Company's results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force), which clarifies how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted.  The Company adopted the standard effective October 1, 2018; the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the financial statements.  

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force), that requires restricted cash and cash equivalents to be included with cash and cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the standard effective October 1, 2018 and modified the presentation to include changes in restricted cash in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

At December 31, 2018, the Company had capacity purchase agreements with American and United. All of the Company's condensed consolidated revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 and accounts receivable at the end of each of these periods was derived from these agreements. The terms of both the American and United capacity purchase agreements are not aligned with the lease obligations on the aircraft performing services under such agreements.

Amounts billed by the Company under capacity purchase agreements are subject to the Company's interpretation of the applicable capacity purchase agreement and are subject to audit by the Company's major airline partners. Periodically, the Company's major airline partners dispute amounts billed and pay amounts less than the amount billed. Ultimate collection of the remaining amounts not only depends upon the Company prevailing under the applicable audit, but also upon the financial well-being of the major airline partner. As such, the Company periodically reviews amounts past due and records a reserve for amounts estimated to be uncollectible. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $1.3 million at December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2018. If the Company's ability to collect these receivables and the financial viability of its partners is materially different than estimated, the Company's estimate of the allowance could be materially impacted.

American accounted for approximately 53% of the Company's total revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. United accounted for approximately 47% of the Company's revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. A termination of either the American or the United capacity purchase agreement would have a material adverse effect on the Company's business prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

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Information about the intangible assets of the Company at December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2018, were as follows (in thousands):

Total amortization expense recognized was approximately $0.5 million and $0.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company expects to record amortization expense of $1.4 million for the remainder of 2019, and $1.5 million, $1.2 million, $1.0 million, $0.9 million for fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 respectively.

Certain significant amounts included in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2018, consisted of the following (in thousands):

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Depreciation expense totaled approximately $18.0 million and $15.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The Company recorded amortization of the unfavorable lease liability for approximately $1.5 million and $1.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, as a reduction to lease expense.

The carrying values reported in the condensed consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable approximate fair value because of the immediate or short-term maturity of these financial instruments.  Marketable securities are reported at fair value based on market quoted prices in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The Company's debt agreements are not traded on an active market. The Company has determined the estimated fair value of its debt to be Level 3, as certain inputs used to determine the fair value of these agreements are unobservable and, therefore, could be sensitive to changes in inputs. The Company utilizes the discounted cash flow method to estimate the fair value of Level 3 debt.

The carrying value and estimated fair value of the Company's long-term debt, including current maturities, were as follows (in millions):

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Long-term debt as of December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2018, consisted of the following (in thousands):

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Principal maturities of long-term debt as of December 31, 2018, and for each of the next five years are as follows (in thousands):

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The net book value of collateralized aircraft and equipment as of December 31, 2018 was $1,140.7 million.

In December 2015, an Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificate ("EETC") pass-through trust was created to issue pass-through certificates to obtain financing for new E-175 aircraft. At December 31, 2018 Mesa has $209.2 million of equipment notes outstanding issued under the EETC financing included in long-term debt on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The structure of the EETC financing consists of a pass-through trust created by Mesa to issue pass-through certificates, which represent fractional undivided interests in the pass-through trust and are not obligations of Mesa.

The proceeds of the issuance of the pass-through certificates were used to purchase equipment notes which were issued by Mesa and secured by its aircraft. The payment obligations under the equipment notes are those of Mesa. Proceeds received from the sale of pass-through certificates were initially held by a depositary in escrow for the benefit of the certificate holders until Mesa issued equipment notes to the trust, which purchased such notes with a portion of the escrowed funds.

Mesa evaluated whether the pass-through trust formed for its EETC financing is a Variable Interest Entity ("VIE") and required to be consolidated. The pass-through trust was determined to be a VIE, however, the Company has determined that it does not have a variable interest in the pass-through trust, and therefore, has not consolidated the pass-through trust with its financial statements.

On June 27, 2018, the Company refinanced $16.0 million of debt on six CRJ-900 aircraft (due in 2019), with $27.5 million of debt, resulting in net cash proceeds to the Company of $10.4 million after transaction related fees. The notes payable require quarterly payments of principal and interest through fiscal 2022 bearing interest at LIBOR plus 3.50%.

On June 28, 2018, the Company purchased nine CRJ-900 aircraft, which were previously leased under its aircraft lease facility with Wells Fargo Bank Northwest, National Association, as owner trustee and lessor (the "GECAS Lease Facility"), for $76.5 million. The Company financed the aircraft purchase with $69.6 million in new debt and proceeds from the June 2018 refinancing of six CRJ-900 aircraft. The notes payable of $69.6 million require quarterly payments of principal and interest through fiscal 2022 bearing interest at LIBOR plus a spread ranging from 3.50% for the senior promissory notes to 7.50% for the subordinated promissory notes. The Company recorded non-cash lease termination expense of $15.1 million in connection with the lease buyout. Also, as part of the transaction, the Company (i) received $4.5 million of future goods and services credits and $5.6 million of loan forgiveness for loans with a maturity date in 2027 from the aircraft manufacturer, and (ii) mutually agreed with GE Capital Aviation Services LLC to terminate the GE Warrant to purchase 250,000 shares of common stock.

On August 14, 2018 the Company paid down the outstanding balance on the CIT Revolving Credit Facility of $25.7 million.

Calculations of net income per common share attributable to Mesa Air Group were as follows (in thousands, except per share data):

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Basic income per common share is computed by dividing net income attributable to Mesa Air Group by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period.

The number of incremental shares from the assumed issuance of shares relating to restricted stock and exercise of warrants is calculated by applying the treasury stock method. Share-based awards and warrants whose impact is considered to be anti-dilutive under the treasury stock method were excluded from the diluted net income or loss per share calculation. In loss periods, these incremental shares are excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share, as the inclusion of unvested restricted stock and warrants would have an anti-dilutive effect. There were no anti-dilutive shares relating to restricted stock and exercise of warrants that were excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

The Company previously issued warrants to third parties, which had a five-year term to be converted to common stock at an exercise price of $0.004 per share. Certain persons who are not U.S. citizens currently hold outstanding warrants to purchase shares of the Company's common stock. The warrants are not exercisable due to restrictions imposed by federal law requiring that no more than 24.9% of the Company's stock be voted, directly or indirectly, or controlled by persons who are not U.S. citizens. The warrants can be converted to common stock upon warrant holders demonstrating U.S. citizenship. During June 2018, the Company extended the term of outstanding warrants set to expire by five years (through fiscal year 2023). Any warrants that were not extended were forfeited.

On June 28, 2018, the Company agreed with GE Capital Aviation Services LLC ("GE Capital") to terminate a warrant to purchase 250,000 shares of common stock held by GE Capital.

In July 2018, the Company's Board of Directors and Compensation Committee approved the issuance of shares of restricted common stock under its 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2018 Plan") immediately following completion of the Company's IPO to certain of its employees and directors in exchange for the cancellation of existing restricted phantom stock units, unvested restricted shares and SARs. The shares of restricted common stock issued under the 2018 Plan in exchange for the cancellation of restricted phantom stock units, unvested restricted shares and SARs are subject to vesting on the same terms set forth in the prior vesting schedules and are not subject to acceleration in connection with the 2018 Plan issuances.

On August 8, 2018, the Company filed its Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, which, among other things: (i) effected a 2.5-for-1 stock split of its common stock; and (ii) increased the authorized number of shares of its common and preferred stock to 125,000,000 and 5,000,000, respectively. All references to share and per share amounts in the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements have been retrospectively revised to reflect the stock split and increase in authorized shares.

The Company's shares of common stock were listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "MESA" effective August 10, 2018. On August 14, 2018, the Company completed its IPO, in which it issued and sold 9,630,000 shares of common stock, no par value, at a public offering price of $12.00 per share (the "Firm Shares"). Additionally, in connection with the IPO, the Company granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 1,444,500 shares of common stock at the same price. On September 11, 2018, the Company closed the sale of 1,344,500 shares ("Option Shares") of its common stock, in connection with the partial exercise of the overallotment option granted to the underwriters in its IPO. Of the 1,344,500 Option Shares sold, 723,985 were purchased directly from the Company and the remaining 620,515 shares were purchased directly from the selling shareholders. The Firm Shares and Option Shares were sold to the public for a price of $12.00 per share. The aggregate gross proceeds to us from the IPO were approximately $124.2 million. The Company received $111.7 million in net proceeds after deducting $8.7 million of underwriting discounts and commissions and $3.8 million in offering costs.

The Company has not historically paid dividends on shares of its common stock. Additionally, the Company's aircraft lease facility (the "RASPRO" Lease Facility) with RASPRO Trust 2005, a pass-through trust and its aircraft lease facility with Wells Fargo Bank Northwest, National Association, as owner trustee and lessor (the "GECAS Lease Facility") each contain restrictions that limit the Company's ability to or prohibit it from paying dividends to holders of its common stock.

The Company's effective tax rate (ETR) from continuing operations was 23.8% for the three months ended December 31, 2018, and (2,609.5)% for the three months ended December 31, 2017. The quarterly ETR was significantly different from the Company's prior year ETR primarily as a result of the comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred

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to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax Act") enacted by the U.S. government on December 22, 2017, which reduced the Company's statutory federal tax rate from 35% to 21%.  In addition, the Company's rate varied slightly from prior years as a result of state taxes, changes in the valuation allowance against state net operating losses, and changes in state apportionment and state statutory rates.

The Tax Act made broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code that affected the Company's fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, including but not limited to (1) reducing the U.S. federal corporate tax rate, (2) changing rules related to uses and limitations of NOL carryforwards created in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, (3) eliminating the corporate alternative minimum tax ("AMT") and changing how existing AMT credits can be realized, and (4) altering bonus depreciation rules that will allow for full expensing of qualified property. The Tax Act reduced the federal corporate tax rate to 21% in the Company's fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 for the period beginning after December 31, 2017. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and onward, the applicable federal corporate tax rate is 21%.

The SEC staff issued SAB 118, which provides guidance on accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the Tax Act enactment date for companies to complete the accounting under ASC 740. In accordance with SAB 118, a company must reflect the income tax effects of those aspects of the Tax Act for which the accounting under ASC 740 is complete. To the extent that a company's accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Act is incomplete, but it is able to determine a reasonable estimate, it must record a provisional estimate in the financial statements. If a company cannot determine a provisional estimate to be included in the financial statements, it should continue to apply ASC 740 on the basis of the provisions of the tax laws that were in effect immediately before the enactment of the Tax Act.  The one year measurement period ended during the Company's first quarter ended December 31, 2018.  As a result, the Company has finalized provisional amounts originally recorded in connection with the Tax Act.

In connection with the Company's initial analysis of the impact of the Tax Act, it has recorded a discrete net tax benefit of $22.4 million in the period ended September 30, 2018.  The Company recorded the $22.4 million impact for the three months ended December 31, 2017, the first quarter of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018.  The Company has completed its accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Act.

The Company's accounting for the Tax Act was completed as follows:

Reduction of U.S. federal corporate tax rate: The Act reduces the corporate tax rate to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. In the fourth quarter of the period ended September 30, 2018, the Company completed its analysis to determine the effect of the reduction of the U.S. federal corporate tax rate and recorded an adjustment of $0.9 million from the amount recorded in the first quarter of the fiscal year.  Consequently, the effect for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 was a decrease related to the Company's net deferred tax liabilities of $22.0 million, excluding the valuation allowance.  The Company also calculated an increase to its valuation allowance of $0.5 million due to the rate change.  The Company recorded a corresponding net adjustment to its deferred income tax benefit of $21.5 million for the period ended September 30, 2018 as part of its completion of the accounting for Tax Act.

Elimination of Corporate AMT and Refund of AMT Credits: For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, the corporate AMT was repealed.  The Act allows the use of existing corporate AMT credits to offset regular tax liability for tax years after December 31, 2017. AMT credits in excess of regular liability are refundable in the years 2018 through 2021.  At December 31, 2018, the Company had $2.5 million of AMT credits, all of which is expected to be refunded.  The Company has reclassified the AMT credits to long-term receivable.   In the fourth quarter of the year ended September 30, 2018, the Company had accounted for a potential sequestration of its AMT credit receivable by recording a provisional tax expense of $0.1 million for the estimated sequestration amounts withheld from its AMT credit carryovers. As a result of the IRS's recent announcement regarding Section 53(e), the Company is no longer subject to the sequestration previously mandated, and has reversed the estimated $0.1 million sequestration accrual recorded for the tax year ended September 30, 2018, resulting in an income tax benefit of $0.1 million for the tax year ended September 30, 2019.  This benefit was recorded in the three months ended December 31, 2018.

Valuation allowances: The Company determined whether the federal and state valuation allowance assessments were affected by various aspects of the Tax Act. Any corresponding determinations relating to changes in valuation allowances have, likewise, been completed with no changes identified with respect to the provisional amounts recorded.

As of September 30, 2018, the Company had aggregate federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $415.1 million and $199.6 million, respectively, which expire in 2027-2037 and 2019-2038, respectively.  Approximately $0.9 million of state net operating loss carryforwards are expiring in 2019.

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Restricted Stock

The restricted stock activity for the three months ended December 31, 2018 were summarized as follows:

As of December 31, 2018, there was $11.9 million, of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested share-based compensation arrangements. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.6 years.

Compensation cost for share-based awards are recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Share-based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 was $1.5 million and $0.5 million, respectively. Share-based compensation expenses are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

At December 31, 2018, the Company leased 28 aircraft under noncancelable operating leases with remaining terms of up to 5.25 years. The Company has the option to terminate certain leases at various times throughout the lease. The Company headquarters and other facility noncancelable operating leases have remaining terms of up to 7.00 years. The leases require the Company to pay all taxes, maintenance, insurance, and other operating expenses. Rental expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term, net of lessor rebates and other incentives. Aggregate rental expense under all operating aircraft, equipment and facility leases totaled approximately $19.1 million and $21.7 million for the three months ended December, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Future minimum lease payments as of December 31, 2018, under noncancelable operating leases are as follows (in thousands):

The majority of the Company's leased aircraft are leased through trusts that have a sole purpose to purchase, finance, and lease these aircraft to the Company; therefore, they meet the criteria of a variable interest entity. However, since these are single-owner trusts in which the Company does not participate, the Company is not at risk for losses and is not considered the primary beneficiary. Management believes that the Company's maximum exposure under these leases is the remaining lease payments.

The Company is involved in various legal proceedings (including, but not limited to, insured claims) and FAA civil action proceedings that the Company does not believe will have a material adverse effect upon its business, financial condition, or results of operations, although no assurance can be given to the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings.

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The Company adopted ASU 2016-18 on a retrospective basis during the quarter ended December 31, 2018. The following is a reconciliation of the captions in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands):

The restricted cash balance primarily includes deposits in trust accounts to collateralize letters of credit and to fund workers' compensation claims, landing fees, and other business needs.

On January 28, 2019, the Company entered into a Term Loan Agreement (the "Term Loan") pursuant to which the lenders committed to lend to the Company term loans in the aggregate principal amount of $91,200,000.  Borrowings under the Term Loan will bear interest at LIBOR plus 3.10%.  This interest rate applicable to the Term Loan is significantly lower than the Company's Spare Engine Facility (defined below), which the Term Loan refinances and replaces.  The Spare Engine Facility accrued interest at LIBOR plus 7.25% plus a Yield Enhancement of 1.50% applied to scheduled principal repayments.  The Term Loan has a term of five years, with principal and interest payments due monthly over the term of the loan in accordance with an amortization schedule.

Proceeds from the Term Loan were used to (1) repay amounts outstanding under its spare engine financing facility entered into in fiscal year 2017 (the "Spare Engine Facility"); (2) pay prepayment fees under the Spare Engine Facility; (3) pay accrued and unpaid interest expenses; and (4) finance six engines acquired in 2018.  The obligations under the Term Loan are secured by a first priority lien on 27 aircraft engines (21 used engines securing the obligations under the Spare Engine Facility and the six new and used engines acquired by the Company in calendar year 2018) and related collateral, including engine warranties and proceeds of the foregoing.  

On January 29, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the entry by its wholly owned subsidiary, Mesa Airlines, into a term sheet (the "Term Sheet") with American Airlines, Inc. ("American"), which sets forth certain proposed amendments to the American Capacity Purchase Agreement.  The parties agreed that the Term Sheet will remain in effect until the earliest to occur of the following: (1) the execution a definitive amendment to the American Capacity Purchase Agreement; (2) the date American provides a withdrawal notice with respect to six additional aircraft in connection with the Company's failure to meet certain performance criteria (as discussed below); (3) the date the Company exercises its option to withdraw aircraft from the American Capacity Purchase Agreement (as discussed below); and (4) the expiration or termination of such Capacity Purchase Agreement.

The amendments to the American Capacity Purchase Agreement include the following:  

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Item 2. 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 condensed consolidated financial statements, the accompanying notes, and the other financial information included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The following discussion contains forward‑looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties such as our plans, estimates, and beliefs.  Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements below.  Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include those discussed below and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, particularly in the sections titled "Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" above and "Risk Factors" below.

Overview

Mesa Airlines is a regional air carrier providing scheduled passenger service to 121 cities in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Mexico, Cuba and the Bahamas. All of our flights are operated as either American Eagle or United Express flights pursuant to the terms of capacity purchase agreements we entered into with American Airlines, Inc. (" American") and United Airlines, Inc. ("United") (each, our "major airline partner"). We have a significant presence in several of our major airline partners' key domestic hubs and focus cities, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and Washington-Dulles.

As of December 31, 2018, we operated a fleet of 145 aircraft with approximately 628 daily departures. We operate 64 CRJ-900 aircraft under our capacity purchase agreement with American (our "American Capacity Purchase Agreement") and 20 CRJ-700 and 60 E-175 aircraft under our capacity purchase agreement with United (our "United Capacity Purchase Agreement"). For the three months ended December 31, 2018, approximately 56% of our aircraft in scheduled service were operated for United and approximately 44% were operated for American. All of our operating revenue in our fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 (our "2018 fiscal year") and the three months ended December 31, 2018 was derived from operations associated with our American and United Capacity Purchase Agreements.  

Our long-term capacity purchase agreements provide us guaranteed monthly revenue for each aircraft under contract, a fixed fee for each block hour and flight actually flown, and reimbursement of certain direct operating expenses in exchange for providing regional flying on behalf of our major airline partners. Our capacity purchase agreements also shelter us from many of the elements that cause volatility in airline financial performance, including fuel prices, variations in ticket prices, and fluctuations in number of passengers. In providing regional flying under our capacity purchase agreements, we use the logos, service marks, flight crew uniforms and aircraft paint schemes of our major airline partners. Our major airline partners control route selection, pricing, seat inventories, marketing and scheduling, and provide us with ground support services, airport landing slots and gate access.

Components of Results of Operations

The following discussion summarizes the key components of our condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Operating Revenues

Our condensed consolidated operating revenues consist primarily of contract revenue flight services as well as pass-through and other revenues.

Contract Revenue. Contract revenue consists of the fixed monthly amounts per aircraft received pursuant to our capacity purchase agreements with our major airline partners, along with the additional amounts received based on the number of flights and block hours flown. Contract revenues we receive from our major airline partners are paid and recognized by us on a weekly basis.

Pass-Through and Other. Pass-through and other revenue consists of passenger and hull insurance, aircraft property taxes, and certain maintenance costs related to our E-175 aircraft.

Operating Expenses

Our operating expenses consist of the following items:

Flight Operations. Flight operations expense includes costs related to salaries, bonuses and benefits earned by our pilots, flight attendants, and dispatch personnel, as well as costs related to technical publications, lodging of our flight crews and pilot training expenses.

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Fuel. Fuel expense includes fuel and related fueling costs for flying we undertake outside of our capacity purchase agreements, including aircraft repositioning and maintenance. As of December 31, 2018, all aircraft fuel and related fueling costs for flying under our capacity purchase agreements were directly paid and supplied by our major airline partners. Accordingly, we do not record an expense or the related revenue for fuel supplied by American and United for flying under our capacity purchase agreements.

Maintenance. Maintenance includes costs related to engine overhauls, airframe, landing gear and normal recurring maintenance, which includes pass-through maintenance costs related to our E-175 aircraft, as well as maintenance lease return obligations on our leased aircraft when the expense is probable and can be reasonably estimated. We record these expenses using the direct expense method of accounting, wherein the expense is recognized when the maintenance work is completed, or over the repair period, if materially different. As a result of using the direct expense method, the timing of maintenance expense reflected in the financial statements may vary significantly period to period.

Aircraft Rent. Aircraft rent includes costs related to leased engines and aircraft.

Aircraft and Traffic Servicing. Aircraft and traffic servicing includes expenses related to our capacity purchase agreements, including aircraft cleaning, passenger disruption reimbursements, international navigation fees and wages of airport operations personnel, a portion of which are reimbursable by our major airline partners.

General and Administrative. General and administrative expense includes insurance and taxes, non-operational administrative employee wages and related expenses, building rents, real property leases, utilities, legal, audit and other administrative expenses.

Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation expense is a periodic non-cash charge primarily related to aircraft, engine and equipment depreciation. Amortization expense is a periodic non-cash charge related to our customer relationship intangible asset.

Other (Expense) Income, Net

Interest Expense. Interest expense is interest on our debt to finance purchases of aircraft, engines, equipment as well as debt financing costs amortization.

Interest Income. Interest income includes interest income on our cash and cash equivalent balances.

Other Expense. Other expense includes expense derived from activities not classified in any other area of the condensed consolidated statements of income, including write-offs of miscellaneous third-party fees.

Segment Reporting

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing operating performance. In consideration of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 280, "Segment Reporting," we are not organized around specific services or geographic regions. We currently operate in one service line providing scheduled passenger services in accordance with our capacity purchase agreements.

While we operate under two separate capacity purchase agreements, we do not manage our business based on any performance measure at the individual contract level. Additionally, our chief operating decision maker uses condensed consolidated financial information to evaluate our performance, which is the same basis on which he communicates our results and performance to our Board of Directors. He bases all significant decisions regarding the allocation of our resources on a consolidated basis. Based on the information described above and in accordance with the applicable literature, management has concluded that we are organized and operated as one operating and reportable segment.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Non-GAAP Measures

We present EBITDA and EBITDAR in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which are not recognized financial measures under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"), as supplemental disclosures because our senior management believes that they are well recognized valuation metrics in the airline industry that are frequently used by companies, investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in comparing companies in our industry.

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EBITDA. We define EBITDA as net income or loss before interest, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization.

EBITDAR. We define EBITDAR as net income or loss before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and aircraft rent.

EBITDA and EBITDAR have limitations as analytical tools. Some of the limitations applicable to these measures include: (i)  EBITDA and EBITDAR do not reflect the impact of certain cash charges resulting from matters we consider not to be indicative of our ongoing operations; (ii)  EBITDA and EBITDAR do not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements, for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; (iii) EBITDA and EBITDAR do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; (iv)  EBITDA and EBITDAR do not reflect the interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debts; (v) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future; and (vi)  EBITDA and EBITDAR do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements and other companies in our industry may calculate EBITDA and EBITDAR differently than we do, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure. Because of these limitations, EBITDA and EBITDAR should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. In addition, EBITDAR should not be viewed as a measure of overall performance because it excludes aircraft rent, which is a normal, recurring cash operating expense that is necessary to operate our business. For the foregoing reasons, each of EBITDA and EBITDAR has significant limitations which affect its use as an indicator of our profitability. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this information.

Results of Operations

Three Months Ended December 31, 2018 Compared to Three Months Ended December 31, 2017

We had operating income of $39.2 million in our three months ended December 31, 2018 compared to operating income of $15.0 million in our three months ended December 31, 2017.  In our three months ended December 31, 2018, we had net income of $19.1 million compared to net income of $22.6 million in our three months ended December 31, 2017.  Our operating results for the three months ended December 31, 2018 reflected an increase in contract revenue primarily related to the addition of 12 E-175 aircraft under our United Capacity Purchase Agreement as well as increased flying on our CRJ fleet.  We also experienced an increase in flight operations expense driven by an increase in pilot and flight attendant wages due to the additional block hours.

Our maintenance expense decreased due to the timing of significant engine overhaul events, which occurred less frequently during the three months ended December 31, 2018 than during the three months ended December 31, 2017. Our aircraft rent decreased in the three months ended December 31, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 mainly as a result of purchasing nine CRJ-900 aircraft that were previously leased under our GECAS Lease Facility.  We also saw an increase in depreciation expense primarily due to the purchase of nine CRJ-900 aircraft that were previously leased under our GECAS Lease Facility.

Operating Revenues

"Available seat miles" or "ASMs" means the number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown.

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"Average stage length" means the average number of statute miles flown per flight segment.

"CRASM" means contract revenue divided by ASMs.

"RPM" means the number of miles traveled by paying passengers

Total operating revenue increased by $13.5 million, or 8.2%, during our three months ended December 31, 2018 as compared to our three months ended December 31, 2017. Contract revenue increased by $16.1 million, or 10.4%, primarily due to an increase in flying with our expanded E-175 fleet as well our CRJ-900 and CRJ-700 fleets and a decrease in credits given to our major airline partners based on contractual utilization levels.  Our block hours flown during our three months ended December 31, 2018 increased 17.7% compared to the three months ended December 31, 2017 primarily due to increased flying on our E175 fleet and our CRJ-900 and CRJ-700 fleets. Our pass-through and other revenue decreased during our three months ended December 31, 2018 by $2.6 million, or 25.1%, primarily due to pass-through maintenance revenue related to our E-175 fleet.

Operating Expenses