Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

BASIS OF PRESENTATION, CONSOLIDATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

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BASIS OF PRESENTATION, CONSOLIDATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Basis of Consolidation
Basis of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Bristow Group Inc., its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries and entities that meet the criteria of variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of which the Company is the primary beneficiary. All significant inter-company accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
Business Combinations
Business Combinations
The Company recognizes and measures, with certain exceptions, the fair value of assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and non-controlling interests when the acquisition constitutes a change in control of the acquired entity. Shares issued in consideration for a business combination, contingent consideration arrangements and pre-acquisition loss and gain contingencies are all measured and recorded at their acquisition-date fair value. Subsequent changes to fair value of contingent consideration arrangements are generally reflected in earnings. The operating results of entities acquired are included in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations from the date of acquisition. For material acquisitions, the Company typically engages independent appraisers to assist with the determination of the fair value of assets acquired, liabilities assumed, noncontrolling interest, if any, and goodwill or gain on bargain purchase, based on recognized business valuation methodologies. If the initial accounting for the business combination has not concluded by the end of the reporting period in which the acquisition occurs, an estimate will be recorded. The Company may record any material adjustments to the initial estimate based on new information obtained that would have existed as of the date of the acquisition within a year of the acquisition date.
Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL)
Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”)
Customers are primarily international, independent and major integrated exploration, development and production companies, third party helicopter operators and government agencies. The Company designates trade receivables as a single pool of assets based on their short-term nature, similar customer base and risk characteristics. Customers are typically granted credit on a short-term basis, and related credit risks are considered minimal. The Company conducts periodic quantitative and qualitative analysis on historic customer payment trends, customer credit ratings and foreseeable economic conditions. Historically, losses on trade receivables have been immaterial and uncorrelated to each other. Based on these circumstances, the Company decides if additional reserve amounts are needed against the trade receivables asset pool on a case by case basis. Trade receivables are deemed uncollectible and removed from accounts receivable and the allowance for doubtful accounts when collection efforts have been exhausted.
Leases
Leases
The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception or during modification or renewal of an existing lease. Operating leases are maintained for a number of fixed assets including aircraft, land, hangars, buildings, fuel tanks and tower sites. The right-of-use (“ROU”) assets associated with these leases are reflected under long-term assets; the current portion of the long-term payables are reflected within current liabilities; and the payables on lease agreements due after one year are recorded under long-term liabilities on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. For those contracts with terms of twelve months or less, the lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and recorded in operating expenses on the statements of operations.  As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date is used to determine the present value of future payments. Most of the Company’s lease agreements allow the option of renewal or extension, which are contemplated when determining the lease term. When it is reasonably certain that a lease will be extended, this is incorporated into the calculations.
The Company leases aircraft, land, hangars, buildings, fuel tanks and tower sites under operating lease agreements. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. All of the Company’s leases are operating leases and are recorded in right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, accounts payable and operating lease liabilities in its condensed consolidated balance sheets. The lease expense on those contracts with initial terms of twelve months or less are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and are not recorded on the balance sheet.
ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligations to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date of a lease based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company’s lease terms may include options to renew, extend or terminate the lease. The lease term includes options to extend when the Company is reasonably certain to exercise the option. The Company is not, however, reasonably certain that it will exercise any option(s) to extend at commencement of a lease, as each extension would be based on the relevant facts and circumstances at the time of the decision to exercise or not exercise an extension option, and as such, has not been included in the remaining lease terms. The Company will evaluate the impact of lease extensions, if and when the exercise of an extension option is probable.
Other Assets
Other Assets
Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values. The residual value of an intangible asset is generally assumed to be zero, with certain limited exceptions. Finite lived intangible assets are reviewed for recoverability when indicators of impairment are present. Indicators of impairment for finite lived intangible assets are the same as those for impairment of long-lived assets. For finite lived intangible assets, an impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the undiscounted cash flows projected to be generated by the asset. If the finite lived
intangible asset is impaired, then the amount of the impairment is calculated as the excess of the asset’s carrying amount over its fair value. After an impairment loss is recognized, the adjusted carrying amount of the intangible asset will be its new accounting basis. After adjusting the carrying amount for impairment loss, the Company’s policy requires the reevaluation of the useful life of that asset.
Property and Equipment
Property and Equipment
The Company periodically reviews useful lives and residual values for changes in circumstances that indicate a change in estimate may be required. Upon emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases, Old Bristow performed a review of useful lives and residual values. As a result of this review, certain changes were made to the useful lives and residual values of aircraft and related equipment. No material changes were made to non-aircraft property, plant and equipment useful lives and residual values. The previous policy stated that estimated useful lives of aircraft generally range from 5 to 15 years, and the residual value used in calculating depreciation of aircraft generally ranged from 30% to 50% of cost. The revised policy will generally utilize a 30 year useful life from the date of manufacture of an aircraft for used aircraft and the in-service date for new aircraft and a residual value range of 5% to 25% of cost. In certain circumstances, the useful lives of aircraft are limited by a 30,000 flight hour restriction on the airframe of an aircraft imposed by certain aircraft manufacturers. These changes in useful lives reflect the Company’s view of expected operating conditions and the economic environment, which suggest the Company will utilize its aircraft for longer than it has historically. The changes in residual values reflect the change made to useful lives and the current expectations of value to be recovered at the time of eventual disposal, based on historical sales data during the decline in the oil and gas industry.
The Company capitalizes betterments and improvements to its aircraft and depreciates such costs over the remaining useful lives of the aircraft. Betterments and improvements increase the life or utility of an aircraft. 
The Company evaluates its asset groups for impairment whenever facts or circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset group may not be recoverable.
Guarantors of Securities
Guarantors of Securities
In March 2020, the SEC amended Rule 3-10 and 3-16 of Regulation S-X, CFR 210.1-01 through 210.3-16, regarding financial disclosure requirements for debt securities issued in registered offerings involving subsidiaries of the registrant as either issuers or guarantors. This amended rule narrows the circumstances that require separate financial statements or summarized financial disclosures of issuers and subsidiary guarantors and simplifies the summarized disclosures required in lieu of those statements. Under the new rule, comparative period information is no longer required. As a result of this amended rule, the Company has included narrative disclosures in lieu of separate financial statements. The Company has early adopted this new rule and has elected to provide the simplified disclosure related to its 7.750% Senior Notes due 2022 within the MD&A.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The Company considers the applicability and impact of all accounting standard updates (“ASUs”). ASUs not listed below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are expected to have minimal impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.
Adopted
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, 2019-04, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (ASU No. 2016-13), which sets forth the current expected credit loss model, a new forward-looking impairment model for certain financial instruments based on expected losses rather than incurred losses.  The ASU is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and early adoption of the standard was permitted.  Entities were required to adopt ASU No. 2016-13 using a modified retrospective approach, subject to certain limited exceptions.  Upon evaluating the impact of this ASU, the Company concluded that no additional reserves were necessary as historical losses were immaterial, and, based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis performed in accordance with ASC 326 requirements, the Company determined there was no reasonable expectation of credit losses associated with the Company’s trade receivables in the foreseeable future. ASU No. 2016-13 was adopted effective April 1, 2020, and such adoption did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurements” (Topic 820) modifying the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. The amendment modifies, removes, and adds several disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. The amendment will be effective for the Company in fiscal year 2022, and early adoption is permitted. The Company has not yet adopted this accounting guidance and is currently evaluating the effect this accounting guidance will have on its disclosure requirements. This disclosure requirement was adopted effective April 1, 2020 prospectively, and such adoption did not have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.    
In August 2018, the FASB modified ASU No. 2018-14, “Compensation—Retirement Benefits—Defined Benefit Plans” (Subtopic 715-20), for changes to disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension plans. Certain disclosure requirements were removed and certain disclosure requirements were added. The amendment also clarifies disclosure requirements for projected benefit obligations and accumulated benefit obligations in excess of respective plan assets. The amendment is effective beginning in the Company’s fiscal year 2021 financial statements, and early adoption is permitted. This disclosure requirement was adopted effective April 1, 2020 by removing the weighted-average expected long-term rate of return on assets in this Quarterly Report. Annual disclosure requirements will be reflected in the Annual Report.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software” (Subtopic
350-40), providing guidance that addresses the accounting for implementation costs associated with a hosted service. The guidance provides that implementation costs be evaluated for capitalization using the same criteria as that used for internal-use software development costs, with amortization expense being recorded in the same income statement expense line as the hosted service costs and over the expected term of the hosting arrangement. The amendment is effective beginning in fiscal year 2021 financial statements, and early adoption is permitted. The guidance will be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. This disclosure requirement was adopted effective April 1, 2020 prospectively, and such adoption did not have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.
In October 2018, the FASB amended ASU No. 2018-17, “Targeted Improvements to Related Party Guidance for Variable Interest Entities” (Topic 810), the guidance for determining whether a decision-making fee is a variable interest. The amendments
require organizations to consider indirect interests held through related parties under common control on a proportional basis rather than as the equivalent of a direct interest in its entirety (as currently required in generally accepted accounting principles). Therefore, these amendments likely will result in more decision makers not consolidating VIEs. This amendment is effective beginning in the Company’s fiscal year 2021 financial statements, and early adoption is permitted. This disclosure requirement was adopted effective April 1, 2020, and such adoption did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-03, “Codification Improvements to Financial Instruments”, which makes improvements to financial instruments guidance. The standard is effective immediately for certain amendments and for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. This accounting guidance was adopted effective April 1, 2020, and such adoption did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
Not Yet Adopted
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, “Income Taxes” (Topic 740), new guidance to simplify the accounting for income taxes, which eliminates certain exceptions for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intraperiod allocation and calculating income taxes in interim periods. This ASU also includes guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas, including recognizing deferred taxes for tax goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. The standard will be effective for the Company in fiscal year 2022 and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2019-12 on its consolidated financial statements.
In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-01, “Investments-Equity Securities” Topic 321, “Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures” Topic 323 and “Derivatives and Hedging” Topic 815 (ASU No. 2020-01) as an update to ASU No. 2016-01 “Financial Instruments-Overall”, further clarifying certain interactions between the guidance to account for certain equity securities under Topic 321, 323 and 815, and improve current GAAP by reducing diversity in practice and increasing comparability of accounting. The standard will be effective for the Company in fiscal year 2022, and early adoption is permitted. The Company has not yet adopted this accounting guidance and is currently evaluating the effect this accounting guidance will have on its financial statements.
In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform” (Topic 848). The guidance is intended to provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions to ease the financial reporting burdens related to the expected market transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. This guidance is effective for the Company in fiscal year 2022. The Company has not yet adopted this accounting guidance and is currently evaluating the effect this accounting guidance will have on its financial statements.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue Recognition
The Company derives its revenues primarily from oil and gas flight services and search and rescue services. A majority of the Company’s revenue is generated through two types of contracts: helicopter services and fixed wing services. Revenue is recognized when control of the identified distinct goods or services has been transferred to the customer, the transaction price is determined and allocated to the satisfied performance obligations and the Company has determined that collection has occurred or is probable of occurring. Each contract type has a single distinct performance obligation described further below.
The Company determines revenue recognition by applying the following steps:
1.
Identify the contract with a customer;
2.
Identify the performance obligations in the contract;
3.
Determine the transaction price;
4.
Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations; and
5.
Recognize revenue as the performance obligations are satisfied.
Helicopter services The Company’s customers, which include major integrated, national and independent offshore energy companies, charter its helicopters primarily to transport personnel between onshore bases and offshore production platforms, drilling rigs and other installations. To a lesser extent, the Company’s customers also charter their helicopters to transport time-sensitive equipment to these offshore locations. The customers for SAR services include both the oil and gas industry and governmental agencies. Revenue from helicopter services is recognized when the performance obligation is satisfied over time based on contractual rates as the related services are performed. Each contract has a single distinct performance obligation for helicopter services. Operating revenue from the Company’s oil and gas line of service is derived mainly from fixed-term contracts with its customers, a substantial portion of which is competitively bid. A small portion of oil and gas customer revenue is derived from providing services on an “ad-hoc” basis. Fixed-term contracts typically have original terms of one to five years (subject to provisions permitting early termination by its customers). Customers are typically invoiced on a monthly basis with payment terms of 30-60 days.
Cost reimbursements from customers are recorded as reimbursable revenue with the related reimbursed costs recorded as reimbursable expense on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Fixed wing services Airnorth provides fixed wing transportation services through regular passenger transport (scheduled airline service with individual ticket sales) and charter services. A performance obligation arises under contracts with customers to render services and is the unit of account under the new accounting guidance for revenue. Within fixed wing services, the Company determined that each contract has a single distinct performance obligation. Revenue is recognized over time at the earlier of the period in which the service is provided or the period in which the right to travel expires, which is determined by the terms and conditions of the ticket. Ticket sales are recorded within deferred revenue in accordance with the above policy. Both chartered and scheduled airline service revenue is recognized net of passenger taxes and discounts.
Taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are reported on a net basis in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Thus, the Company excludes taxes imposed on the customer and collected on behalf of governmental agencies to be remitted to these agencies from the transaction price in determining the revenue related to contracts with a customer.
Contract Assets, Liabilities and Receivables
The Company generally satisfies performance of contract obligations by providing helicopter and fixed wing services to its customers in exchange for consideration. The timing of performance may differ from the timing of the customer’s payment, which results in the recognition of a contract asset or a contract liability. A contract asset exists when the Company has a contract with a customer for which revenue has been recognized (i.e., services have been performed), but customer payment is contingent on a future event (i.e., satisfaction of additional performance obligations). These contract assets are transferred to receivables when the right to consideration becomes unconditional. Contract liabilities relate to deferred revenue in which advance consideration is
received from customers for contracts where revenue is recognized on future performance of services.
Other Considerations and Practical Expedients
The Company was awarded a government contract to provide SAR services for all of the U.K., which commenced in April 2015. The Company previously incurred costs related to this contract that generate or enhance the resources used to fulfill the performance obligation within the contract and the costs are expected to be recoverable. These contract acquisition and pre-operating costs qualified for capitalization. The capitalized contract acquisition and pre-operating costs related to the U.K. SAR contract and two customer contracts in Norway were capitalized and amortized by the Predecessor Company prior to implementation of fresh-start accounting. See Notes 1 and 3 of the condensed consolidated financial statements for further details.
The Company incurs incremental direct costs for obtaining contracts through sales commissions paid to ticket agents to sell seats on regular public transportation flights for its fixed-wing services only. The Company will utilize the practical expedient allowed by the FASB that permits expensing the incremental costs of obtaining a contract when incurred, if the amortization period of the contract asset that would otherwise have been recognized is one year or less.
In addition, the Company applied the invoice practical expedient that allows the recognition of revenue in the amount to which the Company has the right to invoice the customer and corresponds directly with the value to the customer of the Company’s performance completed to date.
Derivatives
From time to time, the Company enters into forward exchange contracts as a hedge against foreign currency asset and liability commitments and anticipated transaction exposures, including intercompany purchases. All derivatives are recognized as assets or liabilities and measured at fair value. The Company does not use financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
During fiscal year 2019 (Predecessor), the seven months ended October 31, 2019 (Predecessor), the five months ended March 31, 2020 (Successor) and three months ended June 30, 2020 (Successor), the Company entered into foreign currency put option contracts of £5 million per month through March 2021 to mitigate a portion of the Company’s foreign currency exposure. Upon emergence from bankruptcy, these derivatives were re-designated as cash flow hedges.
The designation of a derivative instrument as a hedge and its ability to meet relevant hedge accounting criteria determines how the change in fair value of the derivative instrument will be reflected in the condensed consolidated financial statements. A derivative qualifies for hedge accounting if, at inception of the hedging relationship, the derivative is expected to be highly effective in offsetting the hedged item’s underlying cash flows or fair value and the documentation requirements of the accounting standard for derivative instruments and hedging activities are fulfilled at the time the Company entered into the derivative contract. A hedge is designated as a cash flow hedge, fair value hedge, or a net investment in foreign operations hedge based on the exposure being hedged. The asset or liability value of the derivative will change in tandem with its fair value. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, the changes in fair value are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The derivative’s gain or loss is released from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to match the timing of the effect on earnings of the hedged item’s underlying cash flows.
The Company reviews the effectiveness of hedging instruments on a quarterly basis. The Company discontinues hedge accounting for any hedge that it no longer considers to be highly effective. Changes in fair value for derivatives not designated as hedges or those not qualifying for hedge accounting are recognized in current period earnings.