ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
OVERVIEW
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) is intended to help the reader understand our company and the present business environment. MD&A is provided as a supplement to – and should be read in conjunction with – our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. All statements in the following discussion that are not statements of historical information or descriptions of current accounting policy are forward-looking statements. Please consider our forward-looking statements in light of the risks referred to in this report’s introductory cautionary note and the risks mentioned in Item 1A. "Risk Factors" within this document. This overview summarizes the MD&A, which includes the following sections:
• Year in Review - highlights from 2025 outlining some of the major events that occurred during the period, as well as forward-looking statements.
• Results of Operations - an in-depth analysis of our financial and operational results for 2025.
• Liquidity and Capital Resources - an overview of our financial position, analysis of cash flows, and relevant material cash commitments.
• GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations and Operating Statistics - reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis, as well as operating statistics we use to measure operating performance.
Dollar amounts in the MD&A are generally rounded to the nearest million. As a result, a manual recalculation of certain figures using these rounded amounts may not agree directly to our actual figures represented in the tables below.
This section of the Form 10-K covers discussion of 2025 and 2024 pro forma results, and comparisons between those years. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, please refer to Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Items affecting comparability
As Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. was acquired by Air Group on September 18, 2024, its financial results were not reflected in reported figures in the periods preceding the acquisition date. As a result, the reported results for 2025 and 2024 are not comparable. To assist with the discussion of 2025 and 2024 results on a comparable basis and provide more meaningful discussion, certain supplemental unaudited pro forma income statement information is provided for 2024. Pro forma historical results were included with the Form 8-K filed on January 22, 2025. This information does not purport to reflect what our financial and operational results would have been had the acquisition been consummated at the beginning of the periods presented.
Cybersecurity incident
As previously disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 27, 2025, on June 23, 2025, Hawaiian Airlines identified a cybersecurity incident affecting certain information technology systems. Upon identifying this incident, we followed established response protocols and immediately took steps to safeguard our network by disconnecting impacted Hawaiian systems and applications. Access for all systems was restored. Hawaiian's flights were not interrupted and continued to operate safely throughout our response. We engaged the relevant authorities and experts to assist in our investigation and remediation efforts. Based on the results of the investigation, the incident did not have a material impact on Hawaiian's business, results of operations, or financial condition. For a discussion of our risk factors associated with cybersecurity threats, please refer to Item 1A. "Risk Factors" within this document.
YEAR IN REVIEW
Overview
We reported pretax income under GAAP of $146 million in 2025, compared to $545 million in 2024. On a pro forma basis, pretax income in 2024 was $228 million. Refer below for a more detailed discussion of the items impacting these results.
Single operating certificate
On October 29, 2025, Alaska and Hawaiian obtained a single operating certificate from the FAA, officially recognizing Alaska and Hawaiian as one airline under the Alaska certificate.
Labor update
In 2025, Alaska flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), ratified a new three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Hawaiian flight attendants, represented by AFA, ratified a three-year extension to their existing CBA. Horizon technicians, represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) ratified a four-year CBA. McGee Air Services employees, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) ratified a five-year CBA.
Horizon is negotiating with its pilots represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), flight attendants represented by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), and dispatchers represented by the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) for updated collective bargaining agreements. A mediator from the National Mediation Board is involved in negotiations with AFA and TWU.
With one exception discussed below, Alaska has begun negotiations for joint collective bargaining agreements (JCBAs) covering each represented Alaska and Hawaiian workgroup. The process for determining which union will represent the combined technicians and related workgroup remains ongoing and, as a result, JCBA negotiations have not begun concerning that workgroup. Alaska intends to initiate those negotiations after the representation issue has been resolved. At December 31, 2025, Transition and Process Agreements have been negotiated for certain workgroups which define the process for negotiating JCBAs and set forth interim agreements until a JCBA is reached.
Loyalty program update
In August 2025, we launched Atmos Rewards, a single loyalty program combining Alaska’s Mileage Plan and Hawaiian’s HawaiianMiles. We also launched a new premium Atmos Summit co-branded credit card. These launches drove significant new card acquisitions, consumer spend, and member redemptions. In September 2025, amendments to the Atmos Rewards co-branded credit card agreement with Bank of America became effective, resulting in changes to the separately identifiable performance obligations.
Irregular operations
In 2025, we experienced multiple operational disruptions. Technology incidents in July and October, involving both internal IT systems and an external third-party cloud services provider, resulted in temporary ground stops, flight cancellations and delays, and periods of irregular operations. These outages negatively impacted pretax earnings by approximately $50 million. In addition, a government shutdown in October led to FAA‑mandated flight reductions and associated cancellations. Although operations normalized quickly after the government reopened, the disruption negatively impacted pretax earnings by approximately $30 million.
Outlook
Looking ahead to 2026, we expect to continue to realize value from Alaska Accelerate initiatives and synergies from the Hawaiian integration, which remain on track or ahead of plan relative to our initial expectations. We expect capacity growth for the year of 2% to 3% compared to the prior year. Given the inherent uncertainty of the macroeconomic environment, we remain focused on disciplined cost management, strong productivity, and delivering on our initiatives.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
2025 COMPARED WITH PRO FORMA 2024
PRO FORMA OPERATING STATISTICS
Below are operating statistics presented on a pro forma basis, which assumes Hawaiian is included in both 2024 and 2025.
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
2024 As Reported
2024 Hawaiian Airlines (a)
2024 Pro Forma
Change
Consolidated Operating Statistics:
Revenue passengers (000)
RPMs (000,000) "traffic"
ASMs (000,000) "capacity"
Load factor
(1.0) pts
Yield
PRASM
RASM
CASMex
Economic fuel cost per gallon
Fuel gallons (000,000)
ASMs per gallon
Departures (000)
Average full-time equivalent employees (FTEs)
(a) The Hawaiian column reflects results prior to the consummation of the merger, comprising the period January 1, 2024 to September 17, 2024.
PRO FORMA OPERATING REVENUE
On a pro forma basis, total operating revenue increased $460 million, or 3%. The changes, including the reconciliation of the impact of Hawaiian on the combined results, are summarized in the following table:
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)
2024 As Reported
2024 Hawaiian Airlines (a)
2024 Pro Forma
% Change
Passenger revenue
Loyalty program other revenue
Cargo and other revenue
Total Operating Revenue
(a) As provided on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 22, 2025, including certain immaterial reclassification and policy adjustments.
The table below presents operating revenue details by principal geographic region (as defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation), and the percentage change of certain operational results on a pro forma basis for the twelve months ended December 31, 2025.
Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2025
Increase (Decrease) vs. Pro Forma Prior Year
(in millions)
Total Operating Revenue
Passenger Revenue
RPMs
ASMs
Yield
PRASM
Domestic
Latin America
Pacific
Total Operating Revenue
Passenger revenue
On a pro forma basis, Passenger revenue increased $333 million, or 3%, as traffic increased by 1% and yield grew by 2%. Hawaiian passenger revenue improved meaningfully, driven by demand environment strength in the state of Hawai'i, as well as benefits from our integration synergies and commercial initiatives. Increased premium cabin revenues, corporate travel, and loyalty program award redemption on our airlines contributed to higher yield. Additionally, prior year results were negatively impacted by $150 million due to the B737-9 grounding in the first quarter of 2024.
Loyalty program other revenue
On a pro forma basis, Loyalty program other revenue increased $38 million, or 5%, due to higher commission revenue from bank card and third party partners, which was driven by increased consumer spend and incremental credit card acquisitions from the launch of the Atmos Rewards program and Summit Visa Infinite premium credit card.
Cargo and other revenue
On a pro forma basis, Cargo and other revenue increased $89 million, or 19%, primarily driven by increased revenue under the ATSA with Amazon following the addition of the four remaining contracted A330-300F aircraft to our cargo fleet in 2025. Increased international cargo volumes driven by the launch of our Seattle-Seoul route also contributed to the increase.
PRO FORMA OPERATING EXPENSES
On a pro forma basis, total operating expenses increased $467 million, or 3%. The changes, including the reconciliation of the impact of Hawaiian on the combined results, are summarized below. We believe it is useful to summarize operating expenses as follows, which is consistent with the way expenses are reported internally and evaluated by management:
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)
2024 As Reported
2024 Hawaiian Airlines (a)
2024 Pro Forma
% Change
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses
Non-fuel operating expenses, excluding special items
Special items - operating
Total Operating Expenses
(a) As provided on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 22, 2025, including certain immaterial reclassification and policy adjustments.
Fuel expense
Aircraft fuel expense includes raw fuel expense plus the effect of mark-to-market adjustments to our fuel hedge portfolio as the value of that portfolio increases and decreases. Our aircraft fuel expense can be volatile because it includes these gains or losses in the value of the underlying instrument as crude oil prices increase or decrease. Raw fuel expense is defined as the price that we generally pay at the airport, or the “into-plane” price, including taxes and fees. Raw fuel prices are impacted by world oil prices and refining costs, which can vary by region in the U.S. Raw fuel expense approximates cash paid to suppliers and does not reflect the effect of our fuel hedges.
Alaska and Hawaiian previously used crude oil call options to hedge fuel expense. Alaska's fuel hedge program was suspended in 2023 and all remaining positions were settled in 2025. Hawaiian's fuel hedge program was suspended in 2025, with all remaining positions settled later in the year. No hedge positions remain open as of December 31, 2025.
We evaluate economic fuel expense, which we define as raw fuel expense adjusted for the cash we receive from counterparties for hedges that settle during the period and for the premium expense that we paid for those contracts. Management considers economic fuel costs to be the best estimate of the cash cost of fuel.
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
2024 Pro Forma
(in millions, except for per gallon amounts)
Dollars
Cost/Gal
Dollars
Cost/Gal
Raw or "into-plane" fuel cost
Losses on settled hedges
Economic fuel expense
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses
Fuel gallons
On a pro forma basis, aircraft fuel expense decreased by $166 million, or 5%. Raw fuel expense decreased 5% compared to pro forma 2024, primarily driven by lower per gallon costs on crude oil. Decreases were partially offset by higher fuel consumption consistent with increased capacity and higher refining margins associated with the conversion of crude oil to jet fuel.
Losses recognized for hedges that settled during the year were $4 million in 2025, compared to losses of $44 million in pro forma 2024. These amounts represent cash paid for premium expense, offset by any cash received from those hedges at settlement.
Non-fuel expenses
The table below summarizes our operating expense line items, excluding fuel and other special items, on a pro forma basis. Generally, increases to these expenses are driven by capacity increases and growth of the Company's operations. Significant or unusual changes compared to 2024 on a pro forma basis are more fully described below.
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)
2024 As Reported
2024 Hawaiian Airlines (a)
2024 Pro Forma
% Change
Wages and benefits
Variable incentive pay
Aircraft maintenance
Aircraft rent
Landing fees and other rentals
Contracted services
Selling expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Food and beverage service
Third-party regional carrier expense
Other
Total non-fuel operating expenses, excluding special items
(a) As provided on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 22, 2025, including certain immaterial reclassification and policy adjustments.
Wages and benefits
The primary components of wages and benefits, including a reconciliation of 2024 on a pro forma basis, are shown in the following table:
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)
2024 As Reported
2024 Hawaiian Airlines (a)
2024 Pro Forma
% Change
Wages
Payroll taxes
Medical and other benefits
Defined contribution plans
Pension - Defined benefit plans
Total Wages and benefits
(a) The Hawaiian column reflects results prior to the consummation of the merger, comprising the period January 1, 2024 to September 17, 2024.
On a pro forma basis, wages and benefits increased $442 million, or 10%, driven by increased headcount and higher wage rates across multiple labor groups in 2025. Increases were partially offset by nonrecurring wages from irregular operations following the B737-9 grounding in the first quarter of 2024.
On a pro forma basis, medical and other benefits expense increased $26 million, or 5%, driven by an increase in the cost of medical services and higher costs associated with our pilots long-term disability plan. Defined contribution plan expense increased $32 million, or 10%, driven by higher contribution rates for pilots and flight attendants.
Variable incentive pay
On a pro forma basis, variable incentive pay expense decreased $104 million, or 28%, driven by a lower payout percentage for the Company's Performance-Based Pay program compared to the prior year, partially offset by an increased wage base and inclusion of Hawaiian employees in the plan.
Aircraft maintenance
On a pro forma basis, aircraft maintenance expense increased $68 million, or 8%, primarily driven by incremental maintenance projects and material costs on cabin refresh initiatives. Also, Horizon engine maintenance increased due to additional coverage under its power-by-the-hour engine maintenance agreement during the year.
Landing fees and other rentals
On a pro forma basis, landing fees and other rental expense increased $186 million, or 20%, primarily driven by increased terminal rents due to higher rates and growth throughout the combined network. Increased volume of departures and landed weight, as well as nonrecurring favorable settlements received from certain airports in 2024 also contributed to the year-over-year increase.
Contracted services
On a pro forma basis, contracted services expense increased $51 million, or 9%, driven by higher rates charged by vendors as well as increased departures and passengers throughout our combined network.
Selling expenses
On a pro forma basis, selling expenses decreased $32 million, or 7%, primarily driven by lower marketing costs in comparison to pro forma prior year. Increased credit card vendor rebates driven by higher consumer spend also contributed to this decrease.
Depreciation and amortization
On a pro forma basis, depreciation and amortization increased $56 million, or 8%, primarily due to the addition of 23 owned aircraft to our fleet during the year. Incremental depreciation on ground service and other equipment also contributed to the increase.
Food and beverage service
On a pro forma basis, food and beverage service expense increased $28 million, or 8%, primarily driven by a 5% increase in departures and higher costs for food, food service supplies, and transportation.
Third-party regional carrier expense
On a pro forma basis, third-party regional carrier expense, which represents payments made to SkyWest under the CPA with Alaska, increased $29 million, or 12%, driven by incremental departures and block hours operated by SkyWest.
Other expenses
On a pro forma basis, other expense increased $24 million, or 2%, driven by higher professional services and software costs. Increases were partially offset by gains of $57 million from the sale of 12 B737-900 aircraft and certain nonrecurring passenger remuneration and crew hotel costs associated with the B737-9 grounding in 2024.
Special items - operating
On a pro forma basis, special items decreased $113 million, or 31%, driven by decreased integration costs associated with the Hawaiian acquisition and nonrecurring costs in 2024 associated with Alaska flight attendant retroactive pay, the retirement of Alaska's Airbus and Horizon's Q400 aircraft, and certain litigation matters. Contractual changes to Alaska flight attendants' sick leave benefits in 2025 partially offset this decrease. Refer to Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements for details.
Additional Segment Information
Refer to Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements for a detailed description of each segment. Below is a summary of each segment's results.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines reported a pretax profit, excluding special items and other adjustments, of $526 million in 2025, compared to $744 million in 2024. The $218 million decrease was primarily driven by a $407 million increase in non-fuel operating expenses, largely attributable to higher wages and increased variable costs, net of a $136 million decrease in variable incentive pay. These impacts were partially offset by $39 million in increased revenue and $185 million in lower fuel costs due to lower per gallon costs.
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines reported a pretax loss, excluding special items and other adjustments, of $189 million in 2025, compared to a pro forma loss of $359 million in 2024. The $170 million improvement was driven by $370 million in increased revenue, the result of higher traffic and yield due to the optimization of Hawaiian assets in Air Group's combined network, demand environment strength in the state of Hawai'i, as well as continued recovery following the 2023 Maui wildfires. This amount was partially offset by increased non-fuel operating expenses of $192 million driven by increased capacity and variable costs, as well as higher variable incentive pay due to the inclusion of Hawaiian employees in the Company's Performance-Based Pay program.
Regional
Regional reported a pretax loss, excluding special items and other adjustments, of $1 million in 2025, compared to a profit of $111 million in 2024. The $112 million decrease was primarily due to $154 million in increased non-fuel operating expenses associated with increased capacity and variable costs. The decrease was partially offset by $48 million in increased revenue as incremental traffic mitigated the impact of a weaker yield environment.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
As of December 31, 2025, we had cash and marketable securities of $2.1 billion, excluding restricted cash. We also had 103 unencumbered aircraft, which can be financed if necessary, and an $850 million bank line-of-credit facility with no outstanding borrowings. We expect our current cash and marketable securities balance, combined with our available sources of liquidity, to be sufficient to fund our liquidity needs for the next 12 months. We expect to meet our liquidity needs for the foreseeable future using cash flows from our operations, our available sources of liquidity, and future financing arrangements. We discuss our sources and uses of cash in more detail below.
Operating cash flows
Cash provided by ticket sales and from our co-branded credit card agreements are the primary sources of our operating cash flow. Our primary use of operating cash flow is for operating expenses, including payments for employee wages and benefits, aircraft fuel, payments to suppliers for goods and services, payments to lessors and airport authorities for leased aircraft, rents, and landing fees, and interest expense for our debt obligations. Operating cash flow also includes payments to, or refunds from, federal, state, and local taxing authorities.
In 2025, cash provided by operating activities was $1.2 billion, compared to $1.5 billion in 2024. Advance ticket sales and our co-branded credit card agreements are the primary sources of our operating cash flow. Our primary use of operating cash flow is for operating expenses, including payments for employee wages and benefits, aircraft fuel, payments to suppliers for goods and services, payments to lessors and airport authorities for leased aircraft, rents, and landing fees, and interest expense for our debt obligations. In 2025, this includes more than $300 million paid to employees in recognition of their 2024 Performance-Based Pay program achievements. It also includes $98 million paid to Starlink associated with an agreement to provide in-flight connectivity on Alaska's fleet.
Investing cash flows
Capital expenditures to acquire aircraft, flight equipment, and other property and equipment is the primary use of investing cash flow. Total capital expenditures in 2025 were $1.6 billion, compared to $1.3 billion in 2024, excluding the acquisition of Hawaiian. We discuss our aircraft-related commitments in more detail below.
Cash used in investing activities was $1.6 billion in 2025, compared to $634 million in 2024. In 2025, property and equipment expenditures were $1.6 billion, driven by the addition of new aircraft as well as other equipment purchases. Net purchases of marketable securities were $190 million in 2025. These amounts were partially offset by other investing cash inflows of $155 million, including proceeds from the sale of 12 B737-900 aircraft. The difference compared to the prior year was due to a combination of factors. In 2024, we paid $659 million to acquire Hawaiian Airlines, net of Hawaiian's cash balances. We received $162 million in compensation from Boeing related to the B737-9 grounding. We also had $929 million in net sales of marketable securities, driven by the liquidation of Hawaiian's investment portfolio.
Financing cash flows
Cash provided by new financing arrangements is the primary source of our financing cash flow. Our primary uses of financing cash flow are payments of our debt service and finance lease obligations, as well as share repurchases. Refer to Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements for a detailed discussion of our debt balances, including a schedule outlining future payments.
Cash used in financing activities was $199 million in 2025, compared to cash provided by financing activities of $119 million in 2024. Cash used for share repurchases was $570 million, and debt payments were $519 million. These outflows were partially offset by proceeds from new financing arrangements, net of debt issuance costs, of $808 million. The difference compared to the prior year was primarily driven by additional share repurchases in 2025.
Indicators of financial condition and liquidity
The Company's liquidity target is between 15% and 25% of the trailing twelve months' revenue. This metric was elevated as of December 31, 2024 as it did not include a full year of Hawaiian revenue, but has returned to target levels as of December 31, 2025.
The table below presents the major indicators of financial condition and liquidity:
(in millions)
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024
Change
Cash, marketable securities, and unused lines of credit (a)
Trailing twelve months' revenue
Liquidity as a percentage of trailing twelve months' revenue
(7) pts
Long-term debt and finance leases, net of current portion
Shareholders’ equity
(a) Excludes restricted cash of $28 million as of December 31, 2025 and $29 million as of December 31, 2024.
Debt-to-capitalization, including leases
(in millions)
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024
Change
Long-term debt and finance leases, net of current portion
Capitalized operating leases
Current portion of finance lease liabilities (a)
Adjusted debt, net of current portion of long-term debt
Shareholders' equity
Total invested capital
Debt-to-capitalization, including leases
(a) To best reflect our leverage, we included our short-term finance lease liabilities, which are recognized within 'Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases' in our condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Material cash commitments
We have various contractual obligations that require material future outlays of cash. These obligations include the purchase of aircraft and other flight equipment, payments for Alaska's CPA with SkyWest, debt service payments, lease payments for aircraft and other property and equipment, costs for aircraft and engine maintenance, sponsorship and license agreements, and other miscellaneous agreements for services associated with operating and marketing our airlines. We also anticipate we may have material cash outlays associated with new technologies for the future of the business. Currently, Alaska has agreements to purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to be delivered in the coming years. These agreements are dependent on suppliers' ability to obtain all required governmental and regulatory approvals, achieve commercial operation, and produce sufficient quantities of SAF. We expect to satisfy these obligations using cash flows from our operations, our available sources of liquidity, and future financing arrangements.
Within the notes accompanying our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, refer to Note 5 for discussion of scheduled debt obligations, Note 6 for discussion of future minimum payments for operating and finance leases, and Note 9 for discussion of aircraft-related purchase commitments and CPA obligations. We are also obligated to make periodic interest payments at fixed and variable rates, depending on the terms of our debt agreements. As of December 31, 2025, these interest obligations are expected to be $254 million in 2026, $266 million in 2027, $230 million in 2028, $211 million in 2029, $162 million in 2030, and $217 million thereafter.
As of December 31, 2025, Alaska had firm orders to purchase 174 B737 aircraft, with deliveries expected between 2026 and 2035, and firm orders to purchase 12 B787 aircraft with deliveries expected between 2026 and 2032. Alaska also had rights for 71 additional B737 aircraft through 2035. Horizon had firm orders to purchase three E175 aircraft with deliveries in 2026. Alaska also has an agreement with SkyWest Airlines to expand our long-term capacity purchase agreement by one aircraft in 2026.
Boeing has communicated that certain B737 and B787 aircraft are expected to be delivered later than the contracted delivery timing. This includes certain B737-8 aircraft contracted for delivery in 2025 and 2026 that have moved into 2026 and 2027, and certain B787 aircraft contracted for delivery in 2025 that have moved into 2026. B737-10 aircraft contracted for delivery between 2027 and 2035 may be delayed pending certification of the aircraft type. Management expects that other Boeing aircraft deliveries could be delayed beyond the contractual delivery. The table below reflects Boeing's communications.
Actual Fleet Count
Anticipated Fleet Activity
Aircraft
Dec 31, 2024
Dec 31, 2025
2026 Changes
Dec 31, 2026
2027 Changes
Dec 31, 2027
2028 Changes
Dec 31, 2028
Mainline Fleet:
B737-700 Freighters
B737-800 Freighters
A330-300 Freighters (a)
A321-200neo
Total Mainline Fleet
Regional Fleet:
E175 operated by Horizon
E175 operated by third party
Total Regional Fleet
Total Air Group Fleet
(a) A330-300 freighter aircraft utilized under the ATSA with Amazon.
GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS AND OPERATING STATISTICS
We are providing reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. We believe that consideration of these non-GAAP financial measures may be important to investors for the following reasons:
• By excluding certain costs from our unit metrics, we believe that we have better visibility into the results of operations. Our industry is highly competitive and is characterized by high fixed costs, so even a small reduction in non-fuel operating costs can result in a significant improvement in operating results. We believe that all U.S. carriers are similarly impacted by changes in jet fuel costs over the long run, so it is important for management and investors to understand the impact of company-specific cost drivers which are more controllable by management. We adjust for expenses related directly to our freighter aircraft operations, including those costs incurred under the ATSA with Amazon, to allow for better comparability to other carriers that do not operate freighter aircraft. We also exclude certain special charges as they are unusual or nonrecurring in nature and adjusting for these expenses allows management and investors to better understand our cost performance.
• CASMex is one of the most important measures used by management and by the Air Group Board of Directors in assessing cost performance. CASMex is also a measure commonly used by industry analysts, and we believe it is the basis by which
they have historically compared our airline to others in the industry. The measure is also the subject of frequent questions from investors.
• Adjusted pretax income is an important metric for the employee incentive plan, which covers the majority of Air Group employees.
• Disclosure of the individual impact of certain noted items provides investors the ability to measure and monitor performance both with and without these special items. We believe that disclosing the impact of these items as noted above is important because it provides information on significant items that are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Industry analysts and investors consistently measure our performance without these items for better comparability between periods and among other airlines.
• Although we disclose our unit revenue, we do not, nor are we able to, evaluate unit revenue excluding the impact that changes in fuel costs have had on ticket prices. Fuel expense represents a large percentage of our total operating expenses. Fluctuations in fuel prices often drive changes in unit revenue in the mid-to-long term. Although we believe it is useful to evaluate non-fuel unit costs for the reasons noted above, we would caution readers of these financial statements not to place undue reliance on unit costs excluding fuel as a measure or predictor of future profitability because of the significant impact of fuel costs on our business.
• Adjusted capital expenditures includes certain amounts that are not classified as investing cash outflows within our consolidated statements of cash flows, but are viewed by management and other stakeholders as significant long-term investments in the business. We believe these adjustments provide a more complete view of our capital expenditures during the year.
We are providing reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. Amounts in the tables below are rounded to the nearest million. As a result, a manual recalculation of certain figures using these rounded amounts may not agree directly to our actual figures presented in the tables below.
GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited)
Adjusted Income Before Income Tax Reconciliation
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)
Income before income tax
Adjusted for:
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment
Losses (gains) on foreign debt
Special items - operating
Special items - net non-operating
Adjusted income before income tax
Pretax margin
Adjusted pretax margin
Adjusted Net Income Reconciliation
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in millions, except per share amounts)
Dollars
Per Share
Dollars
Per Share
Net income
Adjusted for:
Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments
Losses (gains) on foreign debt
Special items - operating
Special items - net non-operating
Income tax effect (a)
Adjusted net income
(a) Includes income tax effect of the adjustments in the tables above as well as one-time effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act which was signed into law in the third quarter of 2025.
CASMex Reconciliation
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in millions, except unit metrics)
Total operating expenses
Less the following components:
Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses
Freighter costs
Special items - operating
Total operating expenses, excluding fuel, freighter costs, and special items
ASMs
CASMex
Adjusted Capital Expenditures Reconciliation
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in millions)
Aircraft and aircraft purchase deposits
Other flight equipment
Other property and equipment
Capital expenditures
Adjusted for:
Financed aircraft acquisition
Proceeds from sales of aircraft and other equipment
Adjusted capital expenditures
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
The discussion and analysis of our financial position and results of operations in this MD&A are based upon our consolidated financial statements. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect our financial position and results of operations. See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a description of our significant accounting policies.
Critical accounting estimates are defined as those that reflect significant management judgment and uncertainties and that potentially may lead to materially different results under varying assumptions and conditions. Management has identified the following critical accounting estimates and has discussed the development, selection and disclosure of these policies with our audit committee.
Atmos Rewards
Atmos Rewards awards points to members who fly on our airlines and our airline partners. We also provide other benefits, including Companion Fare™ certificates, priority boarding, bag fee waivers, and access to our brand and customer lists to major banks that offer our co-branded credit cards. To a lesser extent, points are also sold to other non-airline partners, such as hotels, and car rental agencies. Points can be redeemed for travel on our airlines or eligible airline partners, and for non-airline products such as hotels. Outstanding points held by Atmos Rewards members represent an obligation to provide future travel.
Points and the various other services we provide under Atmos Rewards represent performance obligations that are part of a multiple deliverable revenue arrangement. Accounting guidance requires that we use a relative standalone selling price model to allocate consideration received to the material performance obligations in these contracts. Our relative standalone selling price models are refreshed when contracts originate or are materially modified.
At December 31, 2025, Atmos Rewards program had approximately 480 billion points outstanding, resulting in a deferred revenue balance of $2.9 billion. For the year ended December 31, 2025, Loyalty program revenue recognized from deferred revenue and recorded in passenger revenue was $1.3 billion. Determination of our relative selling price allocations require significant management judgment, impacting revenue recognition and liabilities that we carry on our balance sheet. There are uncertainties inherent in these estimates. Therefore, different assumptions could affect the amount and/or timing of revenue recognition or expenses. The most significant assumptions are described below.
1. The rate at which we defer sales proceeds related to services sold:
We estimate the standalone selling price for each performance obligation, including points, by considering multiple inputs and methods, including but not limited to, the estimated selling price of comparable travel, discounted cash flows, brand value, published selling prices, number of points awarded, and the number of points redeemed. We estimate the selling prices and volumes over the terms of the agreements in order to determine the allocation of proceeds to each of the multiple deliverables.
2. The number of points that will not be redeemed for travel (breakage):
We estimate how many points will be used per award by employing a relative selling price method to allocate revenue from passenger ticket sales between air transportation and earned loyalty points. The portion attributed to points is deferred initially and recognized in passenger revenue upon redemption. We determine the estimated value of points using an equivalent ticket approach, considering historical data on award redemption patterns.
Our estimates are based on the current requirements in our Atmos Rewards program and historical and future award redemption patterns.
We review significant Atmos Rewards assumptions on an annual basis, or more frequently should circumstances indicate a need, and change our assumptions if facts and circumstances indicate that a change is necessary. We regularly update our breakage estimates for the portion of Atmos Rewards points not expected to be redeemed. These estimates are based upon statistical analyses of historical data. A hypothetical 1% change in the amount of outstanding points estimated to be redeemed would result in an approximately $17 million impact on annual revenue recognized.