New York, March 10, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") has
affirmed the Baa3 backed issuer rating of AerCap Holdings NV (AerCap)
and the Baa3 long-term senior unsecured ratings of subsidiaries
AerCap Ireland Capital D.A.C. and International Lease
Finance Corporation. Moody's also revised the outlook of
AerCap and its rated subsidiaries to stable from positive.
Affirmations:
..Issuer: AerCap Holdings N.V.
....Backed Issuer Rating, Affirmed Baa3
....Backed Junior Subordinated Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Ba2 (hyb)
..Issuer: AerCap Ireland Capital D.A.C
....Backed Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Baa3
....Backed Senior Unsecured Shelf, Affirmed
(P)Baa3
..Issuer: AerCap Global Aviation Trust
....Backed Junior Subordinated Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Ba1 (hyb)
....Backed Senior Unsecured Shelf, Affirmed
(P)Baa3
..Issuer: International Lease Finance Corporation
....Pref. Stock, Affirmed Ba2
(hyb)
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Baa3
..Issuer: Delos Finance SARL
....Backed Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility,
Affirmed Baa2
..Issuer: Flying Fortress Holdings, LLC
....Backed Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility,
Affirmed Baa2
..Issuer: ILFC E-Capital Trust I
....Backed Pref. Stock, Affirmed
Ba1 (hyb)
..Issuer: ILFC E-Capital Trust II
....Backed Pref. Stock, Affirmed
Ba1 (hyb)
Outlook Actions:
..Issuer: AerCap Holdings N.V.
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Positive
..Issuer: AerCap Ireland Capital D.A.C
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Positive
..Issuer: AerCap Global Aviation Trust
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Positive
..Issuer: International Lease Finance Corporation
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Positive
..Issuer: Delos Finance SARL
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Positive
..Issuer: Flying Fortress Holdings, LLC
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Positive
..Issuer: ILFC E-Capital Trust I
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Positive
..Issuer: ILFC E-Capital Trust II
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Positive
RATINGS RATIONALE
Moody's affirmed AerCap's Baa3 backed long-term issuer rating based
on the company's strong operating performance and effective liquidity
and fleet risk management, which has solidified the company's leading
competitive positioning in commercial aircraft leasing. AerCap
consistently maintains a strong liquidity cushion in relation to its operating
and financing needs and it has continued to diversify its funding sources.
AerCap has strengthened its fleet composition through active fleet trading
and the ongoing acquisition of new technology aircraft models, reducing
the company's exposure to the more volatile residual risks on aging aircraft.
AerCap also has a history of arranging leases on its new aircraft well
in advance of their delivery from manufacturers, helping to contain
lease-up and financing risks. AerCap's credit profile is
also strengthened by the company's solid record of earnings, cash
flow and capital generation over the past several years. AerCap
reported 2019 earnings of $1,146 million, up 13%
from 2018, resulting in a ratio of net income to average assets
of 2.6%, which compares well with rated peers in aircraft
leasing.
Moody's revised AerCap's outlook to stable from positive to
reflect the disruption of global airline operations associated with the
spread of COVID-19 that has led to a change in Moody's outlook
on the aircraft leasing sector to stable from positive and the outlook
on the airline industry to negative from stable. Moody's
expects that lessors including AerCap will suffer moderate revenue delays
over the next two quarters as lessors selectively accede to rental deferral
requests from weakened airlines. The revised stable outlook also
considers that a downside scenario for the sector would result in far
greater operational disruption and severe, credit negative revenue
losses and aircraft impairments if coronavirus-related illnesses
become significantly more pervasive in coming months and prompt government
or industry action to more broadly curtail flights.
Additional credit challenges include AerCap's exposure to the cyclical
airline industry, significant speculative aircraft purchase commitments,
and a fleet composition that is more weighted toward wide-body
aircraft than most peers. This could result in increased remarketing
challenges compared to fleets with a higher proportion of more liquid
narrow-body aircraft.
AerCap has exposure to aviation sector environmental concerns that increase
long-term risks to the company's earnings and cash flow and factor
into Moody's assessment of the company's anticipated financial profile.
Moody's does not have any particular governance concerns for AerCap.
WHAT COULD CHANGE THE RATINGS UP/DOWN
Moody's could upgrade AerCap's ratings if the company: 1) increases
and maintains a ratio of tangible common equity to tangible managed assets
above 20%, 2) further reduces fleet composition risks,
3) sustainably reduces the ratio of secured debt to gross tangible assets
to less than 25%; and 4) maintains strong liquidity and pre-tax
profitability above the peer median.
Moody's could downgrade AerCap's ratings if the company's 1) operating
prospects unexpectedly weaken including from a prolonged disruption in
air travel and weakening of airline credit quality, 2) liquidity
weakens in relation to upcoming expenditures, 3) fleet residual
risks rise, or 4) leverage increases materially from the current
level.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Finance Companies
Methodology published in November 2019. Please see the Rating Methodologies
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of
debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures
in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the
same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant
to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing
ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings
issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain
regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the
support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action
for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's
credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement
provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional
rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may
be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each
case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior
to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have
affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings
tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action,
and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Mark L. Wasden
Senior Vice President
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Ana Arsov
MD - Financial Institutions
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653