REG - NATS En Route PLC - Annual Financial Report

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30/06/2023 08:15

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RNS Number : 5273E  NATS (En Route) PLC  30 June 2023

NATS Holdings Limited - Results for the year ended 31 March 2023

30 June 2023

 

NATS Holdings Limited (NATS) today announced its results
(https://www.nats.aero/news/annual-report-accounts-2023/) for the year ended
31 March 2023.

 

 Financial year ended 31 March                                               2023   2022
 Financial highlights:
 Revenue and regulatory allowances - £m                                      930.0  749.8
 Profit before tax - £m                                                      148.5  8.7
 Debt-adjusted cash inflow/(outflow)(1) - £m                                 58.1   (241.1)
 Capital expenditure - £m                                                    113.7  100.1
 Net debt(2) - £m                                                            803.6  849.5
 Gearing(3) - (%)                                                            52.3%  60.1%
 Dividends - £m                                                              nil    nil
 Operational highlights:
 Flights handled (millions)                                                  2.24   1.29
 Safety: risk-bearing Airprox(4) (attributable to NATS)                      0      0
 Delay seconds per flight (en route delay attributable to NATS for calendar  10.2   0.3
 years 2022 and 2021)

Notes

1.  Post-tax free cash flows after debt interest but excluding the proceeds
of bonds issued, the cost of bonds redeemed and repayments or drawings of
borrowing facilities.  This alternative performance measure is explained in
the annual report and accounts of NATS Holdings Limited.

2.  Excludes derivative financial instruments.

3.  Ratio of net debt (as defined by NERL's Licence) to regulatory assets of
the economically regulated business.

4.  An Airprox is a situation in which the safety of the aircraft was or may
have been compromised in the opinion of a pilot or a controller.

 

2022/23 financial year key points

Flights recovered strongly after the lifting of travel restrictions in March
2022.  NATS handled 2.24 million flights, which was a 75% increase on the
prior year.  NATS' planning for recovery, whereby it retained critical skills
and delivered simulation training, enabled it to support a safe regeneration
and meet all of its safety targets.

 

NATS reported a profit of £148.5m, with a debt adjusted cash flow of £58.1m
(see note 1 above).  As for the prior year, the result includes an assessment
of regulatory allowances for the Covid revenue shortfall which are being
determined by the CAA's retrospective reconciliation of revenue and costs.

 

While the result this year reflects the start of the sector's recovery after
the Covid pandemic, as for the results of the last two years, it is not yet
supported by the equivalent level of debt-adjusted cash flow generation.
This is because Covid suppressed flight volumes and income receipts.

 

NATS expects that, for the regulatory allowances outstanding, the CAA will
require their recovery over 10-years from 2023 to support the sector's
recovery.  NATS has financed accordingly with borrowings aligned with
recovery of these allowances.  The final step of NERL's refinancing was
completed during the year, with the issue of a further £145m of bonds
repayable in 2033.

 

In October 2022, the CAA published its initial proposals for the NR23 price
control.  While the CAA recognises the challenge NATS faced during Covid,
NATS in its response has highlighted its concern about material elements of
their initial proposals.  NATS has reiterated the importance of a price
control with appropriate resources to deliver the NR23 plan which supports the
increased traffic forecasts and the service customers have requested now and
in the future.  The CAA's decision is expected in summer 2023.

 

CEO, Martin Rolfe said:

"It was a welcome relief to see air traffic volumes recover strongly last
summer following the lifting of Covid travel restrictions. We had made a
conscious decision during the pandemic to retain the essential skills to
support the recovery.  This meant we were able to ramp our operation back up
very quickly and safely support the level of demand.

Our result this year also reflected the start of the sector's recovery after
the Covid pandemic but, as with the results of the two previous years, it is
not yet supported by the equivalent level of cash flows on a debt-adjusted
basis.  Given its scale, we expect that the CAA will require the income
shortfall we experienced during Covid to be recovered over an extended 10-year
period.

 

We are committed to a net zero estate by 2035 with near-term science-based
targets and a strategic objective to be carbon negative by 2040.  We are also
playing our part to support UK aviation to decarbonise by 2050.  We recently
modernised the airspace route network over South West England and Wales, which
will enable more fuel efficient flight planning across one of the UK's busiest
air intersections for international flights."

 

Chairman, Dr. Paul Golby said:

"NATS exists to ensure the skies are a safe and efficient environment for
aviation.  Our priority from the start of the year, which we delivered, was
to support the safe return of air traffic as Covid travel restrictions were
lifted.

 

In October 2022 the CAA published its initial proposals for NERL's next
five-year price control, as well as its retrospective reconciliation for
calendar years 2020 to 2022.  It is essential that the CAA's final decision
later this summer provides the resources necessary to support the sector's
recovery and for sustainable investment in the UK's ATC infrastructure and
recovery of the costs we incurred to provide a continuous ATC service during
Covid.

I have been encouraged by the company's approach to developing a diverse and
inclusive place to work.  Our people play an essential role in everything we
do.  We want our employees to feel valued and able to fulfil their potential
in a workplace where their contribution is recognised and rewarded.  Success
is critical for attracting future talent and achieving our ambition to be a
Top 25 employer."

 

END

 

Notes to Editors:

For more information contact the NATS Press Office on 01489 615945 or email
press.office@nats.co.uk (mailto:press.office@nats.co.uk)

 

·      The accounts of NATS Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries were
approved by the Board on 29 June 2023 and are available from
https://www.nats.aero/news/annual-report-accounts-2023/
(https://www.nats.aero/news/annual-report-accounts-2023/) NATS Holdings
Limited is the parent company of the NATS group.

·      NATS Holdings Limited operates through a Private Public
Partnership (PPP) and is owned by the UK Government (48.9%); The Airline Group
Limited (41.9%); LHR Airports Limited (4.2%) and the NATS Employee Share Trust
Limited (5.0%). The Airline Group is a consortium including British Airways
plc, the Pension Protection Fund, easyJet Airline Company Limited and USS
Sherwood Limited.  Nominal shareholdings in The Airline Group are retained by
Alix Partners, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, TUI Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic
Airways Limited.

·      NATS (En Route) plc (NERL) is the core of NATS' operations and
accounts for more than 80% of the NATS group's revenue.  It is the sole
provider of air traffic control services for aircraft flying en route in UK
airspace and the eastern part of the North Atlantic.  It provides approach
services to aircraft arriving at or departing from the major airports around
London and air traffic control services to helicopters operating in the North
Sea.  NERL also has a long-term agreement to provide the military with
engineering, surveillance and communications services.  It is economically
regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and operates under licence
from the Secretary of State for Transport.  NERL reported a profit before tax
of £156.5m (2022: £5.1m loss).

·      NATS (Services) Limited provides airport air traffic and related
engineering services at most of the UK's major airports, including Heathrow,
the world's busiest dual runway airport and Gatwick, the UK's second largest
airport.  It provides defence services to the UK MOD through Aquila, a joint
venture, including air traffic services at six airfields and asset and service
support.  In the UK, it also provides information, design and data services
to airlines and airspace users.  Its international services are provided
primarily to customers in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.  During the year
its Indian subsidiary opened an office in Delhi.  NATS Services reported a
loss before tax of £17.0m (2022: £18.2m profit).

 

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