New York, January 18, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") confirmed
today the B3 rating assigned to the Senior Unsecured rating of Aeris Holding
Costa Rica S.A. ("Aeris") and changed the rating
outlook to negative. The rating action concludes the rating review
that initiated on November 10th, 2020.
Confirmations, previously placed on review for downgrade:
..Issuer: Aeris Holding Costa Rica S.A.
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture;
Confirmed at B3
Outlook Actions:
..Issuer: Aeris Holding Costa Rica S.A.
....Outlook, Changed To Negative From
Rating Under Review
RATINGS RATIONALE
Moody's rating action follows the confirmation that Aeris received
a compensation of approximately $29.9 million from the Government
of Costa Rica (B2 negative) in line with the economic re-equilibrium
clauses established in the Contrato de Gestión Interesada ("CGI"),
under which Aeris operates. The cash injection materially improves
Aeris' cash position easing the pressures on liquidity. With
this cash injection Aeris is expected to will be able to meet operating
expenditures and debt service payments without drawing from the debt service
reserve account.
According to the CGI, Aeris is entitled to receive compensation
in the form of reimbursement, tariff increases or a concession extension
as a result of the decrease of the traffic levels of 15% or more
over the last 12 months. Aeris reached an agreement with the Government
of Costa Rica in which they received $29.9 to re-establish
financial equilibrium. In addition, we understand that the
Government of Costa Rica is analyzing a potential concession extension.
Aeris rating reflects the slow recovery of traffic amid the COVID-19
outbreak and its impact on Aeris' liquidity position. Despite
the recent reopening of the airport, our updated enplanement scenarios
incorporate a much slower recovery in 2021. As a result,
Aeris will continue to rely on available cash to sustain operations and
meet debt service payments.
Although Aeris resumed commercial operations in October and opened its
borders to international travelers, the degree and speed of traffic
recovery is uncertain. As of December, traffic was down 74%
compared to the same month in 2020. We expect that the coronavirus
outbreak will continue to result in low passenger traffic through 2021.
On a yearly basis, Moody's currently expects that the decline
in passenger traffic will amount around 60-70% below 2019
in 2021, although more challenging scenarios could emerge.
Moody's regards the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our Environmental,
Social and Governance (ESG) framework, given the substantial implications
for public health and safety that lead to severe restrictions to air travel.
The ongoing effects of the coronavirus outbreak along with the need to
maintain health and safety in airport operations will continue to pose
risks that are reflected in the negative rating outlook.
RATING OUTLOOK
The rating outlook is negative to incorporate the uncertainty with respect
to the speed and magnitude of traffic recovery, the evolution of
the pandemic and the effectiveness of the vaccination programs.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATING
In light of the negative outlook, upward rating pressure on Aeris'
rating is unlikely in the near future. However, the outlook
could change to stable if the traffic recovery leads to the stabilization
of liquidity and Aeris is projected to record debt service coverage ratios
above 1.1x on a sustained basis.
Conversely, the rating could be downgraded if traffic recovery is
slower than expected, such that Aeris is projected to record debt
service coverage ratios below 1.0x on a sustained basis and available
liquidity is materially reduced.
The principal methodology used in this rating was Privately Managed Airports
and Related Issuers published in September 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1092224.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
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
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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
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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
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For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
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and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
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if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
The rating has been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s)
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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_1243406.
At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s)
announced and described above.
The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was
issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed
by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt
am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph
3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies.
Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's
office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.
The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was
issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed
by Moody's Investors Service Limited, One Canada Square,
Canary Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit
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Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
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Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Adrian Garza
Vice President - Senior Analyst
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Michael J. Mulvaney
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