Azul shares slump as airline looks at options to rework debt

Azul SA shares slumped to a record low Thursday as people familiar with that matter said the Brazilian airline is weighing options from an equity offering to a Chapter 11 filing to address approaching debt obligations. [caption id="attachment_57144707" align="alignright" width="300"] Azul was the only one among Brazil's trio of dominant airlines that didn't file for bankruptcy protection after the pandemic decimated the travel industry. (Courtesy/Bloomberg)[/caption] The troubled carrier is also actively working to get a merger with Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA over the line to convince creditors that a new combined entity would have lower debt levels and better growth prospects, one of the people said, asking not to be named because the information is private. But that approach is seen as less attractive given Azul’s imminent cash needs and weak financial results. While filing for bankruptcy protection is on the table, Azul is keen to avoid it and is working with Citigroup Inc. for a potential follow-on offering, according to one of the people. The company has also tapped Citi as an adviser on the potential merger agreement with Gol, and is pursuing that potential deal as a strategic option separate from the current debt crunch. Another potential option under consideration is to issue debt through Azul’s cargo unit. Representatives for Azul and the U.S. bank declined to comment for this story. Shares in the airline plummeted as much as 26% in Sao Paulo on Thursday, with trading repeatedly halted. [caption id="attachment_57144706" align="alignnone" width="1200"] (Courtesy/Bloomberg)[/caption] Gol filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January after grappling with $2.7 billion in near-term liabilities and carrying out a dozen debt exchanges. Three other of the region’s largest airlines — Avianca Holdings SA , Latam Airlines Group SA and Grupo Aeromexico SAB — filed for bankruptcy in 2020, with their respective processes dragging on for years. Since then, smaller carriers like Interjet in Mexico and Colombia’s Viva Air have also shuttered operations. Azul was the only one among Brazil’s trio of dominant airlines that didn’t file for bankruptcy protection after the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the travel industry. Instead, the company was able to push out maturities through a bond swap in June 2023. But it's still grappling with lease obligations and high-interest payments on its debt load. A weaker Brazilian real has inflated Azul’s expenses, including dollar-denominated lease payments and fuel costs tied to the greenback. The carrier has 382 million reais ($68.6 million) in outstanding local debt payments this year, as well as $550 million in U.S. dollar notes due in quarterly installments over the next four years. Azul’s shares plunged after it reported net losses of 3.87 billion reais in the second quarter and boosted its net debt. The company’s leverage level has climbed to more than four times its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, from three times previously, according to its latest published guidance. The airline blamed its higher debt outlook on the weaker currency and catastrophic floods that paralyzed the state of Rio Grande do Sul’s main airport in Porto Alegre, which remains closed. Brazilian lawmakers approved a long-awaited financial aid proposal for the airline sector late Wednesday. The plan is expected to provide 5 billion reais ($914 million) in credit for troubled carriers. It could help ease the pressure on Azul, which would qualify as long as it avoids a bankruptcy filing.

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