Bristow Group Reports Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2018 Results

HOUSTON, Feb. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS) today reported the following results for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2017. All amounts shown are dollar amounts in thousands unless otherwise noted:

 

"Our third quarter results continue to demonstrate the success of the new Bristow in the face of ongoing industry challenges," said Jonathan Baliff, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bristow Group. "Our adjusted EBITDA was better than expected in the third quarter led by higher revenue from increased flying activity across several regions, while also benefiting from the operating leverage created by our lower cost hub structure. In addition, the third quarter benefited significantly from OEM cost recoveries, which, when coupled with capex deferrals, revenue improvement and cost control measures, delivered a significant increase in cash and liquidity."

BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Our operating revenue showed continued improvement year-over-year as all U.K. SAR bases are fully online, fixed wing services were accretive, and oil and gas service activity benefited from short-term activity in the North Sea off Norway and in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. In addition, during the December 2017 quarter, we recovered $125 million in OEM costs resulting in a $13.1 million reduction in rent expense (included in direct cost) and a corresponding increase in adjusted EBITDA.
• We are raising our fiscal 2018 adjusted EBITDA guidance to $100 million - $115 million from $55 million - $85 million provided in November 2017, as a result of better than expected operational and financial performance including OEM cost recoveries.
• We had $505.4 million of total liquidity as of December 31, 2017, an increase of $116 million or 30% in the December 2017 quarter; we are raising our liquidity guidance as of March 31, 2018 to a range of $450 million to $480 million, an increase of approximately $40 million over our November 2017 guidance, primarily due to the issuance of $143.8 million of 4½% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023, net of amounts used to pay down existing bank debt.

"I am incredibly proud of our team members who are delivering on our fiscal 2018 priorities of safety improvement, cost efficiencies, portfolio management and increased revenue," said Jonathan Baliff. "While the third quarter results tangibly demonstrate efforts like the OEM cost recoveries, the remainder of fiscal 2018 will remain challenging due to continued oversupply of aircraft and limited visibility into our clients' demand for aviation services. Our lower cost structure works for our clients, but we must continue to improve Target Zero safety as we successfully compete in a short cycle market that will likely continue into fiscal 2019."

Operating revenue from external clients by line of service was as follows:

The year-over-year increase in revenue was primarily driven by an increase in U.K. SAR services revenue due to additional bases coming online in fiscal years 2017 and 2018, an increase in our fixed wing services in our Europe Caspian, Asia Pacific and Africa regions and an increase in operating revenue for our oil and gas services primarily in our Americas and Europe Caspian regions due to an increase in activity. The activity level increase across our business was driven mostly by short term contracts, ad hoc and increased flying on existing contracts as we continue to see some stability in certain markets, especially in Norway and in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The year-over-year change in net loss and diluted loss per share was primarily driven by one-time income tax benefits, higher revenue in the December 2017 quarter as discussed above, lower rent expense resulting from OEM cost recoveries in the December 2017 quarter and impairment charges on goodwill recorded in the December 2016 quarter that did not recur in the December 2017 quarter. These favorable changes were partially offset by higher interest expense and a higher loss on disposal of assets in the December 2017 quarter.

The GAAP net loss and diluted loss per share for the December 2017 quarter included the following special items:

• Organizational restructuring costs of $2.8 million ($2.5 million net of tax), or $0.07 per share, included in direct cost and general and administrative expense, resulting from separation programs across our global organization designed to increase efficiency and reduce costs, and
• A non-cash benefit from tax items of $15.1 million, or $0.42 per share, including a $75.6 million benefit related to the revaluation of net deferred tax liabilities to a lower tax rate resulting from the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Act") in December 2017 and ongoing impact of valuation of deferred tax assets and recent financings of $1.0 million, partially offset by the impact of deemed repatriation of foreign earnings under the Act of $61.5 million.

Additionally, we had a loss on disposal of assets of $4.6 million ($2.5 million net of tax), or $0.07 per share, during the December 2017 quarter primarily related to a loss of $3.0 million from the sale or disposal of aircraft and other equipment.

Excluding the effect of special items and the loss on disposal of assets, the year-over-year change in adjusted net loss and adjusted diluted loss per share is primarily driven by an adjusted income tax expense in the December 2017 quarter compared to an adjusted income tax benefit in the December 2016 quarter and an increase in interest expense, partially offset by the increase in U.K. SAR, fixed wing services and oil and gas services revenue and the benefit from the OEM cost recoveries discussed above. The year-over-year change in adjusted EBITDA was primarily driven by the same increase in revenue and benefit from OEM cost recoveries.

The December 2016 quarter was also impacted by special items as reflected in the table at the end of this release.

LIQUIDITY AND FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY

Don Miller, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, commented, "Our liquidity improved significantly by $116 million or 30% to $505.4 million at the end of the December 2017 quarter primarily due to the recovery of OEM costs and the issuance of $143.8 million of our convertible senior notes. In addition, we paid down $135.4 million of our bank term loans and ended the quarter with $400 million available under our revolver, before $12 million in letters of credit. We are raising our liquidity guidance as of March 31, 2018 to a range of $450 million to $480 million from $410 million to $450 million provided in November 2017 as we take actions to improve revenue, reduce cost, manage working capital and leverage our existing assets."

The increase in operating revenue from the December 2016 quarter to the December 2017 quarter was primarily driven by an increase from the start-up of U.K. SAR bases since the December 2016 quarter, an increase in Norway primarily due to increases in activity and short-term contracts and an increase in fixed wing revenue. Partially offsetting these increases was a decrease in U.K. oil and gas revenue. Eastern Airways contributed $29.5 million and $25.1 million in operating revenue for the December 2017 quarter and December 2016 quarter, respectively.

A substantial portion of our operations in the Europe Caspian region are contracted in the British pound sterling, which depreciated significantly against the U.S. dollar in the December 2016 quarter as a result of Brexit. As a result of the changes in the British pound sterling, adjusted EBITDA was favorably impacted from foreign exchange changes of $0.7 million during the December 2017 quarter compared to an unfavorable impact of $11.3 million during the December 2016 quarter.

During the December 2017 quarter, we recorded a benefit to rent expense within our Europe Caspian region results of $7.1 million related to the OEM cost recoveries. Additionally, during the December 2016 quarter, we recorded an impairment of $8.7 million for the remaining goodwill related to Eastern Airways, which contributed to the operating loss in the December 2016 quarter, but was adjusted for in our calculation of adjusted EBITDA.

Operating income, operating margin, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin increased in the December 2017 quarter primarily due an increase in operating revenue as a result of increased activity, the benefit to rent expense in the December 2017 quarter related to the OEM cost recoveries and favorable impacts from changes in foreign currency exchange rates, with operating income and operating margin also improving due to the goodwill impairment in the December 2016 quarter. These benefits were partially offset by increased salaries and benefits and maintenance expense year-over-year due to the increase in activity. Eastern Airways contributed a negative $4.1 million and a negative $2.1 million in adjusted EBITDA for the December 2017 quarter and December 2016 quarter, respectively.

Operating revenue for Africa decreased in the December 2017 quarter due to an overall decrease in activity compared to the December 2016 quarter. Activity declined with certain clients and certain contracts ended, which was only partially offset by an increase in activity with other clients. Additionally, fixed wing services in Africa generated $2.0 million and $1.0 million of operating revenue for the December 2017 quarter and December 2016 quarter, respectively.

Operating income remained flat while adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin decreased in the December 2017 quarter primarily due to the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, which negatively impacted adjusted EBITDA by $2.2 million compared to the December 2016 quarter.

Operating revenue increased in the December 2017 quarter primarily due to an increase in activity from our U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations and additional revenue from the search and rescue consortium in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, partially offset by a decrease in operating revenue in Trinidad and Brazil due to lower activity.

Earnings from unconsolidated affiliates, net of losses, increased $1.3 million primarily due to an increase in earnings from our investment in Líder in Brazil due to reduced salaries and benefits and less of an unfavorable change in exchange rates which decreased our earnings from our investment in Líder by $0.8 million in the December 2017 quarter and decreased our earnings from our investment in Líder by $1.2 million in the December 2016 quarter.

The increases in operating income, operating margin, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin were driven by the increase in revenue and earnings from unconsolidated affiliates discussed above, partially offset by an increase in rent expense.

Operating revenue increased in the December 2017 quarter primarily due to an increase from our fixed wing operations as Airnorth contributed $21.0 million and $18.7 million in operating revenue for the December 2017 quarter and December 2016 quarter, respectively.

Operating loss, operating margin, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin improved in the December 2017 quarter primarily due to a benefit to rent expense of $6.0 million recorded in the December 2017 quarter related to the OEM cost recoveries and the increase in operating revenue discusse