Paris, June 24, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") today affirmed Brussels Airport
Company NV/SA ("BAC")'s Baa1 senior secured rating and the (P)Baa1 long-term
senior secured rating for the company's Euro Medium Term Note programme.
The outlook on the ratings remains negative.
A full list of affected ratings is provided towards the end of this press
release.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The affirmation of BAC's ratings reflects Moody's expectations
that a gradual recovery in passenger traffic together with the company's
cost cutting efforts will support a return to credit metrics commensurate
with a Baa1 rating by 2022. The rating affirmation also recognises
(i) the essential nature of BAC's airport infrastructure for future
air travel and (ii) the company's adequate liquidity profile with
sufficient available resources to cover all funding needs over the next
12-18 months supported by a large cash position and flexibility
under the capex program.
The rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak, severe global economic
shock, low oil prices, and asset price volatility are creating
a severe and extensive credit shock across many sectors, regions
and markets. The combined credit effects of these developments
are unprecedented. The airport sector has been one of the sectors
most significantly affected by the shock given its sensitivity to consumer
demand and sentiment. Moody's regards the coronavirus outbreak
as a social risk under our ESG framework, given the substantial
implications for public health and safety. Today's action
takes account of the impact on BAC of the breadth and severity of the
shock, recognising the potential for recovery in the company's
credit quality once the coronavirus outbreak and its effects have been
contained.
BAC's traffic has been severely impacted by the introduction of
travel restrictions with a very limited number of flights permitted since
mid-March this year. With restrictions gradually easing
and airlines planning to commence or ramp up capacity during the summer
season, Moody's expects flight activity will gradually resume
in the second half of 2020 and continue to increase in 2021, although
the degree of passenger traffic recovery will vary across European airports
depending on the airport location, its airline mix and type of traffic
served. Domestic flights will recover earlier, with a slower
return for international and long haul flights. In this regard,
BAC's traffic recovery will be supported by a large proportion of
short-haul flights representing close to 90% of its traffic.
More generally BAC's current Baa1 rating reflects (1) the strong business
profile of Brussels Airport as the largest airport in Belgium with limited
competition within its core catchment area; (2) a transparent regulatory
regime that includes a five-year price agreement between Brussels
Airport and airline customers recently extended until March 2022;
(3) the resilience of its core origin and destination traffic; (4)
the largely constraint-free environment in which BAC operates,
which provides management with the scope to efficiently meet the needs
of airlines and passengers, and relatively low maintenance capital
expenditure requirements; and (5) debt structural features that provide
for the treatment of BAC's shareholder loan as fully subordinated for
credit quality assessment purposes.
However, BAC's ratings also reflect the following challenges:
(1) significant on-going negative impact from travel restrictions
related to the Covid-19 outbreak on BAC's operating performance
and uncertainties as to the timing and level of passenger recovery,
(2) BAC's exposure to European airlines the credit quality of which is
rapidly weakening as a result of the outbreak, and in particular
to Brussels Airlines, a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengesellschaft
(Ba1, RUR Down) which is currently going through a reorganization,
and (3) BAC's shareholder friendly financial policy, albeit not
at the expense of financial stability.
RATIONALE FOR THE NEGATIVE OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects the material uncertainties regarding the
prospects of a recovery in air passenger traffic and the weakening credit
quality of BAC's carrier base and in particular Brussels Airlines
which accounted for 39% of BAC's total air traffic prior
to the coronavirus crisis.
LIQUIDITY AND DEBT COVENANTS
Moody's considers BAC's liquidity profile to be good.
As of end of December 2019 BAC had €121 million in available cash
and access to a €600 million RCF which Moody's understands
has been fully drawn in March 2020. During February 2020 the company
also issued €400 million US private placement notes due in 2040 and
2050 aimed to pre-finance a €500 million debt maturity this
year in July when the 2013 Eurobond is due. Moody's expects
the company will be able to cover upcoming debt maturities and other commitments
with its available resources taking into account the company's steps in
reducing operating and capital expenditures.
BAC's debt documentation includes the requirement for the maintenance
of certain financial covenants which historically had significant headroom
compared to BAC's reported ratios. While Moody's expects the reduction
in earnings driven by travel restrictions will lead to a potential covenant
breach, the agency anticipates the company will be successful in
receiving the necessary waivers from lenders on a timely basis.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
In light of the negative outlook, an upgrade of BAC's ratings is
unlikely in the near-term. The outlook on BAC's ratings
could move to stable in the scenario of a sustainable improvement in operating
environment and traffic recovery, such that the company's FFO/Debt
ratio are expected to remain solidly in the mid-teens in percentage
terms.
BAC's ratings could come under downwards pressure if it appeared likely
that FFO / Debt ratio would remain below the low teens in percentage terms.
This could result from an extension of travel restrictions or the loss
of a significant portion of traffic due to airlines failure.
The methodologies used in these ratings were Privately Managed Airports
and Related Issuers published in September 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1092224,
and Government-Related Issuers Methodology published in February
2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1186207.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
Brussels Airport Company NV/SA is the owner and operator of Brussels airport,
which is Belgium's major airport. Brussels Airport Company NV/SA
is 25% owned by the government of Belgium (Aa3 stable), 31%
by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, 32% by a consortium comprised
of APG Asset Management (APG) and Queensland Investment Corp (QIC),
and the remaining 12% by other private shareholders including Swiss
Life.
LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS
Outlook Actions:
..Issuer: Brussels Airport Company NV/SA
....Outlook, Remains Negative
Affirmations:
..Issuer: Brussels Airport Company NV/SA
....Senior Secured Medium-Term Note
Program, Affirmed (P)Baa1
....Senior Secured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Baa1
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and
sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and
Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's
Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.
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.
The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated
agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.
These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy
for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on
its website www.moodys.com.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social
and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.
At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s)
announced and described above.
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.
Paco Debonnaire
Asst Vice President - Analyst
Infrastructure Finance Group
Moody's France SAS
96 Boulevard Haussmann
Paris 75008
France
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Kevin Maddick
Associate Managing Director
Infrastructure Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's France SAS
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France
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454