DORIC NIMROD AIR THREE LIMITED (the "Company") 

(Legal Entity Identifier: 213800BMYMCBKT5W8M49)

HALF-YEARLY FINANCIAL REPORT

The Board of the Company is pleased to announce its results for the period from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.

To view the Company's half-yearly financial report please follow the link below:

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/9475V_1-2021-12-16.pdf

In addition, to comply with DTR 6.3.5(1) please find below the full text of the half yearly financial report.

The half-yearly financial report will also shortly be available on the Company's website www.dnairthree.com.

For further information, please contact:

For administrative and company information:

JTC Fund Solutions (Guernsey) Limited

+44 (0) 1481 702400

For shareholder information:

Nimrod Capital LLP 

+44 (0) 20 7382 4565

END OF ANNOUNCEMENT

E&OE - in transmission

Doric Nimrod Air Three Limited

Half-Yearly Financial Report

For the period from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021

DEFINITIONS

SUMMARY INFORMATION

Please note that the Group has determined that the operating leases on the Assets are for 12 years based on an initial term of 10 years followed by an extension term of 2 years. For the purpose of this report the Leases are all referred to as 12 year leases.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

DNA3 is a Guernsey company incorporated on 29 March 2012.

Pursuant to the Company's Prospectus dated 20 June 2013, the Company, on 2 July 2013, offered its Shares for issue by means of a placing and raised approximately £211 million by the issue of Shares at an issue price of 100 pence per share. The Company's Shares were admitted to trading on the SFS on 2 July 2013.

As at 30 November 2021, the last practicable date prior to the publication of this report, the Company's total issued Share Capital consisted of 220,000,000 Shares and these Shares were trading at 36.50 pence per Share.

Investment Objectives and Policy

The Company's investment objective is to obtain income returns and a capital return for its Shareholders by acquiring, leasing and then selling Aircraft. To pursue its investment objective, the Company has used the net proceeds of placings and other equity capital raisings, together with debt facilities (or instruments), to initially acquire four Airbus A380 Aircraft which are leased to Emirates, the national carrier owned by The Investment Corporation of Dubai based in Dubai, UAE.

DNA Alpha

The Company has one wholly-owned subsidiary: DNA Alpha which holds the Assets for the Company.

The first Asset was acquired by DNA Alpha on 29 August 2013 for a purchase price of $245 million. Upon delivery, DNA Alpha entered into an operating lease with Emirates, pursuant to which the first Asset has been leased to Emirates for an initial term of 10 years, ending August 2023, with an extension period of two years ending August 2025.

The second Asset was acquired by DNA Alpha on 29 October 2013 for a purchase price of $245 million. Upon delivery, DNA Alpha entered into an operating lease with Emirates, pursuant to which the second Asset has been leased to Emirates for an initial term of twelve years, with fixed lease rentals for the duration. The initial lease is for 10 years ending October 2023, with an extension period of two years ending October 2025.

The third Asset was acquired by DNA Alpha on 14 November 2013 for a purchase price of $245 million. Upon delivery, DNA Alpha entered into an operating lease with Emirates, pursuant to which the third Asset has been leased to Emirates for an initial term of twelve years, with fixed lease rentals for the duration. The initial lease is for 10 years ending November 2023, with an extension period of two years ending November 2025.

The fourth Asset was acquired by DNA Alpha on 27 November 2013 for a purchase price of $245 million. Upon delivery, DNA Alpha entered into an operating lease with Emirates, pursuant to which the fourth Asset has been leased to Emirates for an initial term of twelve years, with fixed lease rentals for the duration. The initial lease is for 10 years ending November 2023, with an extension period of two years ending November 2025.

DNA Alpha acquired the Assets, using a combination of a portion of the proceeds of the issue of the Ordinary Shares by the Company together with the proceeds of the sale of equipment notes issued by DNA Alpha and the initial rent payment pursuant to the relevant operating Leases. The equipment notes were acquired by two separate pass through trusts using the proceeds of their issue of EETCs as detailed within the offering circular issued by DNA Alpha dated 10 July 2013.

Further information about the construction of these Leases is available in note 12 to the Financial Statements.

The EETCs, with an aggregate face amount of approximately $630 million, were admitted to the official list of the Euronext Dublin and to trading on the Main Securities market thereof and will mature on 30 May 2025.

Emirates bears all costs (including maintenance, repair; and insurance) relating to the Aircraft during the lifetime of the Lease

Distribution Policy

The Company currently targets a distribution of 2.0625 pence per Share per quarter.

There can be no guarantee that dividends will be paid to Shareholders and, if dividends are paid, as to the timing and amount of any such dividend. There can also be no guarantee that the Company will, at all times, satisfy the solvency test required to be satisfied pursuant to section 304 of the Law, enabling the directors to effect the payment of dividends.

Performance Overview

All payments by Emirates have been made in accordance with the terms of the respective Leases.

During the Period and in accordance with the Distribution Policy the Company declared two interim dividends of 2.0625 pence per Share each. One interim dividend of 2.0625 pence per Share was declared after the Period. Further details of dividend payments can be found on page 35.

Return of Capital

The Company intends to return to Shareholders the net capital proceeds if and when the Company is wound up (pursuant to a shareholder resolution, including the Liquidation Resolution), subject to compliance with the Articles and the applicable laws (including any applicable requirements of the solvency test contained therein).

Liquidation Resolution

Although the Company does not have a fixed life, the Articles require that the directors convene a general meeting of the Company in November 2026 where an ordinary resolution will be proposed that the Company proceed to an orderly wind-up at the end of the term of the Leases. In the event that the liquidation resolution is not passed, the directors will consider alternatives for the future of the Company, and shall propose such alternatives at a general meeting of the Members, including re-leasing the Assets, or selling the Assets and reinvesting the capital received from the sale of the Assets in other aircraft.

CHAIR'S STATEMENT

During the Period the Company has declared and paid two quarterly dividends of 2.0625 pence per Share each, a rate of dividend payment equivalent to 8.25 pence per Share per annum.

The Company's investment objective is to obtain income returns and a capital return for its Shareholders by acquiring, leasing and then selling Aircraft.  The structures of the operating leases relating to the Company's four Aircraft are described on pages 5 to 6.

The debt portion of the funding is designed to be fully amortised over the term of the Leases, which would leave the Aircraft unencumbered on the conclusion of the ultimate Lease. Emirates bears all costs (including maintenance, repair and insurance) relating to the Aircraft during the lifetime of the Leases. At 30 November 2021, the latest practical date prior to this report, the Company had outstanding debt associated with the Aircraft totaling USD 113.6 million (18% of the initial balance). At 30 November 2021 the share price was 36.5 pence, representing a market capitalisation of GBP 80.3 million based on the 220,000,000 Shares in issue. The Company's first lease expiry falls due in August 2025.

All payments by Emirates during the Period and throughout the Lease have been made in accordance with the terms of the Lease. All four of the Company's Aircraft were put into storage in March 2020. MSNs 132 and 136 are currently stored at DWC. MSNs 133 and 134 have been stored at DXB since July 2021.

The emergence of the Omicron variant in late November 2021 has significantly increased uncertainty over the path of recovery of global air passenger traffic in the next few months, according to an IATA report from early December, as it may result in countries reimposing more extensive travel restrictions again. Israel and Japan have become the first to shut their borders for foreign travellers.

There are currently 70 A380 Aircraft in service globally of which 57 are being operated by Emirates. Emirates highlighted in late September that plans to restore 70% of its capacity by the end of 2021 are on track with the return to service of more than 50 A380 aircraft. Around the same time Emirates also embarked upon a worldwide campaign to recruit 3,000 cabin crew and 500 airport services employees to join its Dubai hub over the following six months. Pleasingly, several other A380 operators have stated plans to reintroduce the A380 to their fleets including British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Qantas Airways.

In its recent half-year results Emirates Airline reported that revenue rose by 86%, supported by increasing passenger demand and continuous strong cargo business. The airline reported EBITDA recovered to USD 1.4 billion but posted an overall loss of USD 1.6 billion. In the first half of 2021-22, the Government of Dubai injected a further USD 681 million into Emirates Group by way of an equity investment and they continue to support the airline on its recovery path. The airline reported a cash position of USD 3.9 billion as at 30 September 2021. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates noted "Our cargo transport and handling businesses continued to perform strongly, providing the bedrock upon which we were able to quickly reinstate passenger services.

While there's still some way to go before we restore our operations to pre-Pandemic levels and return to profitability, we are well on the recovery path with healthy revenue and a solid cash balance at the end of our first half of 2021-22."

Whilst Emirates do not have a formal credit rating, they have previously issued unsecured USD bonds with maturities in 2023, 2025 and 2028. At the time of writing these instruments are trading at approximately 101,102.7 and 103 cents respectively, equivalent to USD running yields in the range of roughly 3.8% to 4.4%. Further details on Emirates and the A380 can be found in the Asset Manager's report by Amedeo.

The Company's first Lease with Emirates expires in August 2025, approximately three years and eight months from now.

The redelivery procedure for a widebody Aircraft is complex and highly technical and as we move closer to the first lease expiry your Board will provide more details on the high-level considerations and also the implications of the various potential outcomes for Shareholders.

Amedeo continues to monitor the Leases and is in frequent contact with the Lessee and reports regularly to the Board. Nimrod continues to liaise with Shareholders on behalf of the Board and has provided valuable feedback on the views of Shareholders in the current climate.

Shareholders should note that although the underlying cash flows received and paid during the Period have been received and paid as anticipated and in accordance with contractual obligations; it may not be obvious from the accounts that this is so because of the application of the accounting treatments for foreign exchange, rental income and finance costs mandated by IFRS.

For instance, the entirety of the rental income that is receivable under the 10-year Leases followed by an extension term of 2-years (including advance rental received as part of the initial acquisition of the Assets) is credited evenly over each of the 144 months of the Leases. However the actual rental income has been received in advance of this uniform pattern in order to match and fund the accelerated payment down of debt. Thus as at 30 September 2021, 86% of income receivable under the Leases has been received, which has funded the payment down to 82% initial borrowings, whereas under the relevant accounting standard only 65% may be recognised. This mismatch in timing between the receipt and recognition of rental income results in a deferred income creditor of £126.8 million or 58 pence per Share in the 30 September 2021 balance sheet. This is an artificial accounting adjustment in the sense that it does not represent a liability to pay £126.8 million to third parties. The faster that income is received and debt repaid the larger the resultant creditor producing a reduction in reported net asset value.

Similarly, the relevant accounting standards require that transactions denominated in currencies other than the presentation currency (including, most importantly, the cost of the Aircraft) are translated into the presentation currency at the exchange rate ruling at the date of the transaction whilst monetary items (including also very significantly, the outstanding borrowings and deferred income creditor) are translated at the rate prevailing on the reporting date. The result is that the figures sometimes show large mismatches which are reported as unrealised foreign exchange differences - although the distortive effect becomes less pronounced over time as debt is paid down.

On an on-going basis and assuming the lease rental is received, and the Bond payments are made as anticipated, such exchange differences do not reflect the commercial substance of the situation in the sense that the key transactions denominated in USD are in fact closely matched. Rental income received in USD is used to make Bond repayments due which are likewise denominated in USD. Furthermore, the USD lease rentals and Bond repayments are fixed at the inception of the respective Lease and are very similar in amount and timing. 

The Board encourages Shareholders to read the Company's quarterly fact sheets which we believe provide a great deal of interesting information. We hope these regular reports, in addition to the communication you receive from Nimrod, are useful and informative. The directors welcome Shareholder engagement and feedback and encourage you to contact Nimrod to request a meeting or to relay any feedback.

Finally, on behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our service providers for all their help and, most importantly, all Shareholders for their continuing support of the Company during these difficult times. I look forward to keeping all Shareholders up to date with further progress.

Charles Wilkinson

Chair

16 December 2021

ASSET MANAGER'S REPORT

At the request of the directors of the Company, this commentary has been provided by the Asset Manager of the Company. The report reflects the information available at the end of September 2021 unless otherwise noted.

COVID-19

The Pandemic continues to impact private and economic life worldwide. The consequences of COVID-19 are far reaching and changing at a significant pace. The impact of this Pandemic on the aviation sector has been significant with a large part of the global passenger aircraft fleet grounded. This Asset Manager's report is exclusively based on known facts at the time of writing and does not seek to draw on any speculation about any possible future, long-term impacts of the Pandemic on the aviation sector or the Company specifically and should be read in such context.

1. The Assets

The Company acquired four Airbus A380 Aircraft by the end of November 2013. Since delivery, each of the four Aircraft has been leased to Emirates - the national carrier owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, based in Dubai, UAE - for a term of 12 years based on an initial term of 10 years followed by an extension term of 2 years with fixed lease rentals for the duration. In order to complete the purchase of the Aircraft, DNA Alpha Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, issued two tranches (Class A & Class B) of EETC - a form of debt security - in July 2013 in the aggregate face amount of USD 630 million. The Certificates are admitted to the official list of the Euronext Dublin and to trading on the Main Securities market thereof. DNA Alpha used the proceeds from both the Equity and the Certificates to finance the acquisition of the four new Airbus A380 aircraft.

Due to the effects of COVID-19, all four Aircraft were put into storage in March 2020. MSNs 132 and 136 were temporarily transferred from DWC to DXB in June and July 2021, respectively, before being returned to DWC in July and August 2021, respectively. MSNs 133 and 134 returned to service in late November 2020 but were subsequently placed back into storage at DWC in late January 2021. Both Aircraft flew briefly within Dubai in July 2021 before returning to storage in DWC.

Aircraft utilisation for the period from delivery of each Airbus A380 until the end of September 2021 was as follows:

Maintenance Status

Emirates maintains its A380 aircraft fleet based on a maintenance programme according to which minor maintenance checks are performed every 1,500 flight hours, and more significant maintenance checks (C checks) at 36-month or 18,000-flight hour intervals, whichever occurs first.

Due to the continuing COVID-19 Pandemic, Emirates has stored the Aircraft owned by the Group in Dubai. The Lessee has "a comprehensive aircraft parking and reactivation programme [in place], that strictly follows manufacturer's guidelines and maintenance manuals".

In addition, Emirates has enhanced standards and protocols of their own, to protect and preserve the Assets during the downtime.

This includes the watertight sealing of all apertures and openings through which environmental factors - sand, water, birds, and insects - can find their way inside an aircraft. During parking, maintenance teams complete periodic checks at different intervals. Depending on the reactivation date of a specific aircraft, Emirates might defer due maintenance checks, which are calendar-based, until that time. This would allow the airline to make use of the full maintenance interval once the operation of a specific aircraft resumes. The Aircraft of the Company are in deep storage condition at this time and could be reactivated within weeks. 

Emirates bears all costs relating to the Aircraft during the lifetime of the Leases (including for maintenance, repairs and insurance).

Inspections

The Asset Manager conducted physical inspections and records audits of the Aircraft as per the below table. Due to the storage of the Aircraft and the protective measures associated with this, the inspection of the Aircraft were limited to viewing the outside of the Aircraft from ground level. The condition of the Aircraft - to the extent visible - and their technical records were in compliance with the provisions of the respective lease agreements, taking into account that the Aircraft were in storage at the moment of the audit.

2. Market Overview

The impact of COVID-19 on the global economy has been severe, resulting in an estimated contraction in global GDP of 3.5% for 2020, according to the World Bank's latest revision. This is expected to be followed by a recovery in growth of between 5.6% and 6.0% in 2021. In its latest economic impact analysis from September 2021, the ICAO estimates that the full year 2021 could experience an overall reduction in seats offered by airlines of 39% to 40% compared with pre-crisis 2019 levels. However, the actual impact of COVID-19 on the airline industry will depend on several factors, including the duration and magnitude of the outbreak and containment measures, the degree of consumer confidence in air travel as well as general economic conditions.

The IATA anticipates an airline industry-wide net loss of USD 51.8 billion in 2021, after approximately USD 138 billion in the previous year, according to its latest estimates from October 2021.

The rebound in global air passenger traffic has continued through August 2021, supported by vaccine rollouts and a willingness to travel during the northern hemisphere summer.

In August 2021, industry-wide RPKs fell by 56% compared to pre-crisis 2019 levels, while industry-wide capacity, measured in ASKs, contracted by 46.2% compared to pre-crisis 2019 levels. This resulted in the PLF falling by 15.6 percentage points to 70%. In comparison to the year prior, RPKs were up 72.9%, ASKs were up 46.9%, and the PLF increased by 10.5 percentage points during the month of August 2021.

Due to their reliance on international long-haul routes, Middle Eastern carriers like Emirates continue to experience greater declines than other regions compared to pre-crisis levels. However, IATA points out that there was a broad-based improvement in international markets in August due to growing vaccination rates and less stringent international travel restrictions in some regions. RPKs fell 68% in August 2021 compared to pre-crisis 2019 levels. Capacity also fell by 53% during that period.

The result was a 26 percentage points decrease in PLF to 56%. However, in comparison to the lowest point of the crisis a year prior, RPKs were up 229%, ASKs were up 123%, and the PLF increased by 18 percentage points in August 2021.

While IATA notes that the spread of the Delta variant globally did not have a strong impact on international RPKs in August, other macroeconomic factors could impact the speed of the recovery in air travel. IATA states that economic concerns, such as supply chain congestion, labour shortages, a slowdown in Chinese growth as well as inflation, could lead to reduced economic activity in the coming months.

In September 2021 the Biden Administration announced that travellers from 33 countries would be allowed to enter the US again from early November, if fully vaccinated and with a negative COVID-19 test result. The list of countries included the UK, Ireland, the Schengen Area, Brazil, South Africa, India, and China. IATA sees "a major step forward" in this announcement and expects support for the economic recovery, according to Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General.

The emergence of the Omicron variant in late November 2021 has significantly increased uncertainty over the path of recovery of global air passenger traffic in the next few months, according to an IATA report from early December, as it may result in countries reimposing more extensive travel restrictions again. Israel and Japan have become the first to shut their borders for foreign travellers.

Source: IATA, ICAO

© International Air Transport Association, 2021. Air Passenger Market Analysis August 2021. Outlook for the Global Airline Industry October 2021. Air Passenger Market Analysis October 2021. All Rights Reserved. Available on the IATA Economics page.

3. Lessee - Emirates

Network

Emirates' recovery efforts continued through the third quarter of 2021, coinciding with the easing of entry requirements for travellers into the UAE. At the same time, other countries, such as the UK, have also been relaxing their own restrictions on travellers from the UAE, allowing for a general easing of restrictions for Emirates' passengers. As a result of such changes, Emirates has been actively scaling up its operations in key passenger markets. The carrier now intends to operate 73 weekly flights to the UK by mid-October and has also begun to restore routes to Saudi Arabia and Russia. From December, Emirates will restart flights to LGW with a daily Boeing 777 service, increasing the number of weekly flights to the UK to 84 by the end of December. Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Chief Commercial Officer, observed a surge in demand after the UK simplified travel and is prepared to accept international vaccination certificates from 55 countries starting on 4 October.

Emirates has further expanded its network in South Africa through new codeshare and interline agreements with Airlink and CemAir as well as in Brazil through a codeshare agreement with Azul.

On the day of the Biden Administration's decision to lift travel restrictions to the US from November 2021, Emirates announced plans to increase frequencies to six of its current 12 US destinations starting from October. This will result in 78 weekly flights. By early December Emirates expects to have restored 90% of its pre-COVID flight frequencies to the US.

Fleet

Throughout the crisis, Emirates' operations largely focused on the utilisation of its fleet to meet the global demand for cargo services. As travel restrictions have continued to ease, Emirates has been redeploying its Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A380 Aircraft on newly resumed passenger services as well as up-gauging existing passenger routes.

A380s already returned to service are primarily of recent vintage as younger Aircraft usually benefit from more comprehensive warranty packages, which dwindle the older an Aircraft gets. Warranties can help an operator to reduce its maintenance costs.

The carrier has resumed passenger services to over 120 destinations, recovering approximately 90% of its pre-Pandemic network.

The number of pre-Pandemic A380 destinations is expected to increase from 16 at present to 27 by the end of November, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Johannesburg, Madrid, Milan, Riyadh (subject to government approvals), Sao Paulo, and Zurich. In addition, Emirates will add Istanbul as an A380 destination for the first time, with services starting from 1 October. Recently restored or up-gauged passenger A380 destinations include Jeddah, London Heathrow, New York JFK, and Manchester.

By the end of the calendar year, the airline expects that more than 50 A380 Aircraft will have returned to service, which - together with its active Boeing 777-300ER fleet - will amount to 70% of its pre-Pandemic capacity.

The table below details the passenger Aircraft fleet activity as of 30 September 2021:

Source: Cirium as of 30 September 2021

After reaching an agreement with Airbus, Emirates now intends to take delivery of its final Airbus A380 in November 2021, seven months ahead of the originally planned delivery date in June 2022. In total, the carrier will have taken delivery of three new A380s this year, which will bring the fleet to 118 of the type. The three new A380s will also be equipped with Emirates' new premium-economy seats in a four-class cabin configuration, giving the carrier a total of six A380s featuring premium-economy seats. Emirates' President Sir Tim Clark added: "Emirates will continue to be the largest operator of this spacious and modern Aircraft for the next two decades, and we're committed to ensuring that the Emirates A380 experience remains a customer favourite with ongoing investments to enhance our product and services."

Key Financials

In the first half of the financial year ending 31 March 2022, Emirates recorded a net loss of AED 5.8 billion (USD 1.6 billion) compared to AED 12.6 billion (USD 3.4 billion) loss for the same period in the previous year. However, revenues increased 86% to AED 21.7 billion (USD 5.9 billion), with the increasing passenger demand and strong cargo demand aiding the recovery.

During the first half of the 2021/22 financial year, Emirates carried 6.1 million passengers up 319% from the same period last year. As more countries eased travel and flight restrictions, Emirates increased capacity by 250% and its passenger traffic increased 335%. This resulted in the average passenger seat load factor recovering to 47.9% (compared with last year's Pandemic figure of 38.6%).

Given the substantial increase in flight operations during the six-month period up to end of September 2021, Emirates' operating costs increased by 22% against an overall capacity growth of 66%.

The carrier's fuel costs more than doubled compared to the same period last year, primarily due to an 81% higher fuel uplift in line with increasing flight operations as well as an increase in average oil prices. Fuel, which had been the largest component of the Emirates' operating cost prior to the Pandemic, accounted for 20% of operating costs compared to only 11% in the same period last year.

The recovery in Emirates' operations during the first six months of the 2021/22 financial year led to an improved EBITDA of AED 5.0 billion (USD 1.4 billion) compared to AED 290 million (USD 79 million) for the same period last year.

Demand for air freight also remained strong. The volume of cargo uplifted between April and September 2021 increased by 39% to 1.1 million tonnes, restoring Emirates' cargo operation to 90% of its pre-Pandemic (2019) levels by volume handle.

As of 30 September 2021, Emirates' total liabilities decreased by 2.2% to AED 128.7 billion (USD 35.1 billion USD) compared to the end of the previous financial year. Total equity decreased by 14.7% to AED 17.2 billion (USD 4.7 billion). Emirates' equity ratio stood at 11.8% and its cash position amounted to AED 14.2 billion (USD 3.9 billion) at the end of September 2021. In comparison, the carrier had AED 15.1 billion (USD 4.1 billion) in cash assets at the end of the 2020/21 financial year. The cash flow from operating activities remained positive at AED 6.9 billion (USD 1.9 billion).

In the first half of the 2021/22 financial year, the carrier's ultimate shareholder, the Government of Dubai, injected a further AED 2.5 billion (USD 681 million) into the Emirates Group by way of an equity investment, demonstrating continued support for the airline on its recovery path. On the ongoing performance of Emirates in light of the global Pandemic, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates, stated: "Our cargo transport and handling businesses continued to perform strongly, providing the bedrock upon which we were able to quickly reinstate passenger services. While there's still some way to go before we restore our operations to pre-Pandemic levels and return to profitability, we are well on the recovery path with healthy revenue and a solid cash balance at the end of our first half of 2021-22."

In mid-September 2021 the airline announced its intention to hire 3,000 flight attendants and 500 services personnel for its DXB operations over the next six months. After Emirates had reduced its workforce by about 15% of its pre-Pandemic level in an attempt to reduce the cost base during the Pandemic, additional staff are needed to support the ramp-up of its operations.

As at the end of September 2021, Emirates has outstanding USD debt issuances with maturities in 2023, 2025, and 2028. These respective bonds were all trading at above par (100 cents) and with running yields ranging from approximately 3.9% to 4.4% in USD. There has also been no upward pressure on yields. This level of yields does not appear to indicate any significant financial stress to the issuer. In its latest annual financial report, the auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers issued an unqualified audit report and the airline stated it "remains confident to meet our financial commitments as they fall due in the coming year and beyond through proactive working capital management and utilisation of available credit lines and facilities".

In early November 2021 Emirates' President Sir Tim Clark shared the news that the airline had just returned to profit and also achieved a cash surplus. With about 60,000 to 70,000 daily passengers the airline still has some way to go before reaching its pre-Pandemic level of 170,000 passengers. However, higher yields with its passenger and cargo operations allowed for the turnaround. During the Pandemic Emirates was also able to double its cargo operations, benefiting from a surge in demand for air cargo transport.

Source: Airline Ratings, Bloomberg, Cirium, Emirates, Khaleej Times, Simple Flying

4. Aircraft - A380

As of the end of September 2021, the global A380 fleet consisted of 240 planes with airline operators. Only 47 of these aircraft were in service. The remainder of the fleet is currently parked due to COVID-19. The fifteen operators are Emirates (119), Singapore Airlines (19), Deutsche Lufthansa (14), Qantas (12), British Airways (12), Korean Air Lines (10), Etihad Airways (10), Qatar Airways (10), Air France (8), Malaysia Airlines (6), Thai Airways (6), Asiana Airlines (6), China Southern Airlines (5), and All Nippon Airways (3). Another three aircraft are on order.

In April 2021, Etihad chief executive Tony Douglas disclosed that the carrier has decided to ground its 10 Airbus A380 "indefinitely" as it remodels its fleet around the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350. He added that the A380 is "a wonderful product… but they are no longer commercially sustainable. So, we have taken the difficult decision to park those machines up indefinitely". As a part of its streamlining process, the carrier has also already removed its Airbus A330 aircraft from service and intends to remove its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from service by the end of the year.

Also in April, British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle stated that the Airbus A380 will continue to play a role in the carrier's fleet strategy, following the retirement of British Airways' Boeing 747 aircraft in 2020, which represented a large portion of its pre-COVID capacity. The A380 will serve to offer flexibility on a range of routes, especially to the USA and Asia, while also maximising efficiency at carrier's slot-constrained London Heathrow base, according to Doyle.

In May 2021, MAG, Malaysia Airlines' parent company, announced its intention to retire its Airbus A380 fleet "in the coming months". The retirement of the A380 is a part of MAG's larger reorganisation plan, known as "Long-Term Business Plan 2.0". Under the plan, MAG's pilgrimage-focused subsidiary Amal will cease flying A380s and will instead operate A330-200 aircraft.

In August 2021, Qantas announced plans to return five Airbus A380s to service in the second half of 2022, a year ahead of schedule. The aircraft are scheduled to operate between Sydney and Los Angeles from July 2022 as well as between Sydney and London (via Singapore) from November 2022. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce stated that the carrier could return five additional A380s to service by early 2024, depending on the market recovery, but its remaining two A380s will be retired "because they will be surplus to requirements".

In September 2021, Lufthansa's final Airbus A380 arrived in Teruel, Spain for storage. The German airline group previously confirmed that its 14 A380s will not be returning to service as it intends to use the Pandemic as an opportunity to implement a major reorganisation of its long-haul fleet.

SIA has repatriated three of its A380s in 2021 from storage in Alice Springs, Australia in order to conduct scheduled maintenance. The carrier stated: "This movement is part of the ongoing management of our fleet, ensuring we remain nimble, flexible, and prepared to deploy capacity to markets as the demand warrants."

After a Pandemic-related grounding of its entire A380 fleet for about 20 months, the carrier wants to return the superjumbo to the skies and intends to operate daily A380 flights between Singapore and London from 18 November 2021.

To get the crews certified for the A380 once again, SIA has scheduled daily flights between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for a period of one month, starting in early November. The flight time between these two destinations is only about 30 minutes.

In late September 2021, Qatar announced that at least five of its ten Airbus A380s will resume service from November this year in order to address the increasing demand for flights while 13 of the carrier's Airbus A350 jets remain grounded over claims of fuselage degradation.

Early in the Pandemic, the airline had withdrawn all of its A380s from service, declared a permanent retirement for five of them and later admitted that they never wanted to fly any of its A380s again.

However, given the latest capacity squeeze Qatar's CEO Akbar Al Baker didn't want to rule out that all ten A380s could be reactivated, as the shortfall in A350 capacity is leaving the carrier roughly 4,000 seats short of its required passenger capacity.

In October 2021, BA announced it will return some of its A380s to service before the end of this year. UK's flag carrier plans to re-familiarise its crews on short-haul European connections, before operating the superjumbos on routes to Los Angeles, Miami, and Dubai in December. This move is an acceleration of the airline's previous plans to reintroduce the A380 in March 2022. Recently BA extended its maintenance contract for all 12 of its A380s with Lufthansa Technik until at least August 2027.

Source: AeroTime, Cirium, Executive Traveller, One Mile at a Time, Simple Flying

DIRECTORS

As at 30 September 2021 the Company had four directors all of whom were independent and non-executive.

Charles Edmund Wilkinson - Chair of the Company and of the Nomination Committee

Charles Wilkinson is a solicitor who retired from Lawrence Graham LLP in March 2005. While at Lawrence Graham he specialised in corporate finance and commercial law, latterly concentrating on investment trust and fund work. 

Charles is Chair of Doric Nimrod Air One Limited and a director of Doric Nimrod Air Two Limited. Charles is also a director of Landore Resources Ltd, a Guernsey based mining exploration company. He is resident in Guernsey.

Geoffrey Alan Hall - Chair of the Audit Committee

Geoffrey Hall has extensive experience in asset management, having previously been Chief Investment Officer of Allianz Insurance plc, a major UK general insurance company and an investment manager at HSBC Asset Management, County Investment Management, and British Railways Pension Funds. Geoffrey is also a director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Doric Nimrod Air One Limited and Chair of Doric Nimrod Air Two Limited.

Geoffrey earned his master's degree in Geography at the University of London and is an associate of the CFA Society of the UK. He is resident in the United Kingdom.

Suzanne Elaine Procter - SID

Suzanne Procter brings over 38 years' experience in financial markets, with specific expertise in asset management. She was previously a non-executive director of TR Property Investment Trust plc, an investment company listed on the FTSE 250 index. Her executive roles included Partner and member of the Executive Management Committee at Cantillon Capital Management LLC, Managing Director of Lazard Asset Management, Head of Institutional Sales at INVESCO Asset Management, Director and Head of Fixed Income Business at Pictet International Management Ltd and Head of Fixed Income at Midland Montagu Asset Management.

Suzanne is also the SID of Doric Nimrod Air One Limited and Doric Nimrod Air Two Limited. She is resident in the United Kingdom.

Andreas Josef Tautscher

Andreas Tautscher brings over 31 years' financial services experience. He serves as a non-executive director and member of the Audit Committee of MJ Hudson PLC, a Jersey based holding company whose shares are traded on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange. He is also a director of Arolla Partners Limited, a leading independent director services business in the Channel Islands. From 1994 to 2018 Andreas held various roles at Deutsche Bank and was most recently CEO of the Channel Islands and Head of Financial Intermediaries for EMEA. He was previously a non-executive director of the Virgin Group. Andreas qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1994.

Andreas is also Chair of the Audit Committee of Doric Nimrod Air Two Limited and a director of Doric Nimrod Air Three Limited. He is resident in Guernsey.

INTERIM MANAGEMENT REPORT

A description of important events which have occurred during the Period their impact on the performance of the Group as shown in the Consolidated Financial Statements and a description of the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Group is given in the Chair's Statement, Asset Manager's Report, and the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained on pages 25 to 47 and are incorporated here by reference.

There were no material related party transactions which took place in the Period, other than those disclosed at note 23 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Principal Risks and Uncertainties

The principal risks and uncertainties faced by the Company for the remaining six months of the financial year are unchanged from those disclosed in the Company's Consolidated Annual Financial Report for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Going Concern

The Group's principal activities are set out within the Company Overview on pages 5 to 6. The financial position of the Group is set out on page 22. In addition, note 20 to the Consolidated Financial Statements includes the Group's objectives, policies and processes for managing its capital, its financial risk management objectives and its exposures to credit risk and liquidity risk.

The directors in consultation with the Asset Manager are monitoring the continuous effect of the Pandemic generally on the aviation industry and specifically on the Group's Aircraft values and the financial wellbeing of its Lessee both now and in the future. The Pandemic continues to have a pervasive impact on the global economy and it remains possible that the Group's future performance could be impacted in this prolonged period of uncertainty. In many jurisdictions restrictions on the ability of people to travel still adversely affect the airline sector, and by extension the Aircraft leasing sector. The risk therefore remains that some airlines may not be able to pay rent as it falls due. The impact of the Pandemic on the aviation industry has been significant with more than 60% of the global passenger aircraft fleet temporarily grounded back in April 2020. This number has decreased to about 22% at the time of writing, but is still materially higher than the historical average. These factors, together with wider economic uncertainty and disruption, have had an adverse impact on the future value of the Aircraft owned by the Group, and could also negatively impact the sale, re-lease, refinancing or other disposition of the relevant Aircraft.

Given the prolonged impact of the Pandemic, increased lessee counterparty credit risk remains in existence and there could be requests for lease rental deferrals. Reduced rents receivable under the Leases may not be sufficient to meet the fixed loans or equipment note interest and regular repayments of debt scheduled during the life of each Bond and equipment note and may not provide surplus income to pay for the Group's expenses and permit the declaration of dividends.

The option to remarket the Aircraft following a potential event of default by the Lessee has not been taken into account. The period of time necessary to successfully complete such a process is beyond the twelve months forecasting horizon of the going concern considerations. This applies in particular in times of COVID-19, as various restrictions are still in place to contain the Pandemic.

The directors consider that the going concern basis of accounting remains appropriate. Based on current information the directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, although the risk to this is clearly higher compared to a pre-COVID-19 environment.

Whilst there is some uncertainty as to the airline industry in general, and specifically Emirates' financial position and credit risk profile, on the basis that (i) Emirates has shown no intention of failing to meet its obligations (ii) Emirates has the financial backing to continue paying these rentals, the directors believe that it is appropriate to prepare these financial statements under the going concern basis of preparation.

The directors have considered Emirates' ability to continue paying the lease rentals over the next 12 months and are satisfied that the Group can meet its liabilities as they fall due over this period. In forming this conclusion, the directors considered the following evidence.

-     Emirates continues to be a going concern as at the date of the Lessee's latest signed annual financial report for the financial year ended on March 31, 2021.

-     Challenged by an unprecedented drop in passenger air travel during 2020, the Lessee reacted quickly and temporarily adjusted its business model with a particular focus on air cargo services. The high Pandemic-driven demand in this space helped the Lessee to offset some of its losses in the passenger segment.

-     Although Emirates concluded its last financial year with the first net loss in more than 30 years and refunded already paid tickets in the amount of USD 2.3 billion, it still has a substantial cash position, which also benefited from the support of its ultimate shareholder.

-     Emirates confirmed to have access to the capital markets and was able already able to secure committed offers for the financing of two upcoming aircraft deliveries.

-     The ultimate shareholder of Emirates Airline has injected another AED 2.5 billion (USD 681 million) into Emirates Airline, during the Period. Together with the USD 3.1 billion already contributed during the previous financial year, this adds up to approximately USD 3.8 billion in total.

-     Emirates' listed debt and CDS are trading at non-distressed levels, indicating the trust capital markets have in Emirates.

-     As of the date of the half-yearly financial report, the Board is not aware of a formal request to the Group for a lease payment deferral or any other efforts that would result in the restructuring of the existing transaction.

-     Emirates has paid all the lease rentals to the Group in a timely manner.

-     If end of lease negotiations with Emirates have not been concluded by the end of the terms of each current Lease, the lease rentals due under the existing agreements must continue to be paid.

Responsibility Statement

The directors jointly and severally confirm that to the best of their knowledge:

a)         the Consolidated Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with IFRS give a fair, balanced and understandable view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profits of the Company and performance of the Company; and

b)         this Interim Management Report includes or incorporates by reference:

i. an indication of important events that have occurred during the Period and their impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements;

ii.   a description of the principal risks and uncertainties for the remaining six months of the financial year; and

iii.  confirmation that there were no related party transactions in the Period that have materially affected the financial position or the performance of the Company during that Period.

Signed on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company.

Charles Wilkinson                                        Geoffrey Hall

Chair                                                              Director

16 December 2021

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the period from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021

In arriving at the results for the financial period, all amounts above relate to continuing operations.

The notes on pages 25 to 47 form an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

As at 30 September 2021

The consolidated financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 16 December 2021 and are signed on its behalf by: 

Charles Wilkinson                                                              Geoffrey Hall

Chair                                                                                    Director

The notes on pages 25 to 47 form an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.