Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

LONG-TERM DEBT

v2.4.1.9
LONG-TERM DEBT
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
LONG-TERM DEBT
LONG-TERM DEBT
The Company’s borrowings as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 were as follows (in thousands):
 
 
2014
 
2013
7.750% Senior Notes (excluding unamortized discount)
 
$
200,000

 
$
200,000

Senior secured revolving credit facility
 
85,000

 
55,000

Promissory notes
 
27,426

 
30,311

Total principal balance on borrowings
 
312,426

 
285,311

Portion due with one year
 
(27,426
)
 
(2,787
)
Unamortized discount
 
(2,882
)
 
(3,133
)
Long-term debt
 
$
282,118

 
$
279,391


The Company’s scheduled long-term debt maturities as of December 31, 2014 were as follows (in thousands):
2015
 
$
27,426

2016
 

2017
 

2018
 

2019
 
85,000

Years subsequent to 2019
 
200,000

 
 
$
312,426


7.750% Senior Notes. On December 7, 2012, Era Group issued $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 7.750% senior unsecured notes due December 15, 2022 (the “7.750% Senior Notes”) and received net proceeds of $191.9 million. Interest on the 7.750% Senior Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year. The 7.750% Senior Notes may be redeemed at any time, and from time to time on or after December 15, 2017 at the applicable redemption prices set forth in the indenture governing the 7.750% Senior Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date. Prior to December 15, 2017, Era Group may also redeem the 7.750% Senior Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price based on a “make-whole” premium plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, the redemption date. In addition, at any time on or prior to December 15, 2015, Era Group may redeem up to 35% of the 7.750% Senior Notes at a redemption price equal to 107.750% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest if any, to the redemption date, using the proceeds of certain equity offerings. The indenture contains covenants that restrict Era Group’s ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, pay dividends or make other distributions or repurchase or redeem its capital stock, prepay, redeem or repurchase certain debt, make loans and investments, sell assets, incur liens, enter into transactions with affiliates, enter into agreements restricting its subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends, and consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of their assets. In addition, upon a specified change of control trigger event or a specified asset sales, Era Group may be required to offer to repurchase the 7.750% Senior Notes.
Era Group’s payment obligations under the 7.750% Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by all of its wholly owned existing U.S. subsidiaries that are guarantors under the amended and restated senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”). The net proceeds of the offering were used to repay $190.0 million of borrowings outstanding under the Company’s prior, $200.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Prior Credit Facility”).
Revolving Credit Facility. On March 31, 2014, Era Group entered into the Revolving Credit Facility through an amendment to the Prior Credit Facility. The Revolving Credit Facility provides the Company with the ability to borrow up to $300.0 million with a sub-limit of up to $50.0 million for letters of credit and includes an “accordion” feature which, if exercised and subject to agreement by the lenders and the satisfaction of certain conditions, will increase total commitments by up to $100.0 million. Availability under the Revolving Credit Facility may be limited by the terms of the 7.750% Senior Notes. Advances under the Revolving Credit Facility at the closing were used to refinance indebtedness incurred under the Prior Credit Facility. The Revolving Credit Facility matures in March 2019.
Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at Era Group’s election, either a base rate or LIBOR, each as defined, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin is based on the Company’s ratio of funded debt to EBITDA, as defined, and ranges from 75 to 200 basis points on the base rate margin and 175 to 300 basis points on the LIBOR margin. The applicable margin as of December 31, 2014 was 100 basis points on the “base rate” margin and 200 basis points on the LIBOR margin. In addition, Era Group is required to pay a quarterly commitment fee based on the average unfunded portion of the committed amount at a rate based on the Company’s ratio of funded debt to EBITDA, as defined, that ranges from 37.5 to 50 basis points. As of December 31, 2014, the commitment fee was 37.5 basis points.
The obligations under the Revolving Credit Facility are secured by a portion of the Company’s helicopter fleet and other tangible and intangible assets and are guaranteed by Era Group’s wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries. The Revolving Credit Facility contains various restrictive covenants including interest coverage, funded debt to EBITDA, and fair market value of mortgaged helicopters plus accounts receivable and inventory to funded debt, as well as other customary covenants including certain restrictions on the Company’s ability to enter into certain transactions, including those that could result in the incurrence of additional indebtedness and liens, the making of loans, guarantees or investments, sales of assets, payments of dividends or repurchases of capital stock, and entering into transactions with affiliates.
As of December 31, 2014, Era Group had $85.0 million of outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, and the remaining availability was $214.3 million, net of issued letters of credit of $0.7 million. In connection with the amendment of the Revolving Credit Facility, Era Group incurred debt issuance costs of $2.4 million. Such costs are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets and are amortized to interest expense in the consolidated statements of operations over the life of the Revolving Credit Facility.
Promissory Notes. On December 23, 2010, the Company entered into a promissory note for $27.0 million to purchase a heavy helicopter. The note is secured by the helicopter and bears interest rate at the three-month LIBOR rate plus 260 basis points. The interest rate resets quarterly, and at December 31, 2014, was 2.85%. The note requires monthly principal and interest payments of $0.2 million with a final payment of $19.0 million due in December 2015.
On November 24, 2010, the Company entered into a promissory note for $11.7 million to purchase a medium helicopter. The note is secured by the helicopter and bears interest at the three-month LIBOR rate plus 260 basis points. The interest rate resets quarterly and at December 31, 2014, was 2.83%. The note requires monthly principal and interest payments of $0.1 million with a final payment of $5.9 million due in December 2015.