AAR Reports First Quarter Fiscal Year 2015 Results

WOOD DALE, ILLINOIS — AAR (NYSE: AIR) today reported first quarter fiscal year 2015 consolidated sales of $469.2 million and net income of $14.4 million, or $0.36 per diluted share.  For the first quarter of the prior fiscal year, the Company reported sales of $514.5 million and net income of $17.9 million, or $0.45 per diluted share.

“Although performance in the first quarter was in line with our expectations, sales in both segments were down for the quarter,” said David P. Storch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AAR CORP.  “In the Aviation Services segment, we saw a 7% increase in revenues to commercial customers while sales to defense customers declined by 27%. The increase in commercial sales was driven by strength in supply chain. The decline in defense sales was largely due to the drawdown of aircraft positions in Afghanistan and a delay in commencement of new contracts in Africa for our airlift business. In the Technology Products segment, lower sales of mobility products contributed to the sales decline.”

Storch continued, “Over the balance of the year, we expect lower results for our businesses that support the military’s operational tempo – airlift and mobility. While we expect continued strength in our commercial and defense supply chain businesses, as well as improvement in our MRO performance, this will not fully offset the anticipated reductions related to military operations.”

During the quarter, the Company announced the following new business wins:

• A ten-year exclusive distribution agreement with EATON for aircraft fluid-distribution products, oil debris-monitoring technology, engine seals and other products for commercial airlines. Revenues under this program will start in October and will fully ramp within a year.
• Agreement with the U.S. Army to upgrade and overhaul Auxiliary Power Units for its UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, which started in the second quarter.

Subsequent to quarter end, the Company had the following new business awards:

• Two airlift contracts valued at approximately $83 million over five years, to provide dedicated rotary- and fixed-wing airlift services to U.S. Africa Command with operations commencing in the second quarter.
• A five-year agreement with Air Nostrum to overhaul landing gear on its CRJ900 aircraft fleet. The contract began in the second quarter and builds upon AAR’s existing relationship and experience servicing landing gear on the airline’s entire fleet of CRJ200s over the past seven years.
• Contracts for maintenance and engineering work on narrow- and wide-body aircraft at the Lake Charles MRO facility with two major U.S. carriers, a leasing company, and a VIP aircraft operator, which started in the second quarter.

First quarter sales to commercial customers represented 65% of consolidated sales, compared to 58% of consolidated sales in the first quarter of last year.  The balance of the sales was to government and defense customers.

Selling, general and administrative expenses declined $2.8 million over the prior year period as a result of cost savings measures implemented by the Company over the past several quarters.  Net interest expense for the quarter decreased to $9.5 million from $10.7 million last year. During the quarter, the Company generated $15.0 million in cash flow from operations and free cash flow of $6.0 million, while adding to its investment in its supply chain businesses.  In the first quarter, the Company also paid out dividends to shareholders of $3.0 million.  Average diluted share count for the quarter was 39.2 million compared to 39.0 million in the first quarter last year.

Company Guidance       

The Company’s previous earnings guidance included assumptions on the number and mix of contracted Airlift positions, including certain awards that now seem unlikely to materialize.  Therefore, the Company is adjusting its earnings per share guidance from a range of $1.80 to $1.90 to a range of $1.65 to $1.75 and its sales guidance from a range of $2.100 to $2.150 billion to a range of $2.000 to $2.050 billion.

Conference Call Information

AAR will hold its quarterly conference call at 3:45 p.m. CST on September 23, 2014. The conference call can be accessed by calling 866-802-4322 from inside the U.S. or 703-639-1319 from outside the U.S.  A replay of the conference call will be available by calling 888-266-2081 from inside the U.S. or 703-925-2533 from outside the U.S. (access code 1623126). The replay will be available from 8:15 p.m. CST on September 23, 2014, until 11:59 p.m. CST on September 30, 2014.

Contact: John Fortson, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | (630) 227-2075 | john.fortson@aarcorp.com