v
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
OR
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
OR
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
OR
SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Commission File Number
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) |
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Not Applicable |
(Translation of registrant’s name into English) |
Grand Duchy of |
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
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(Name, Telephone, E-mail and or Facsimile number and Address Company Contact Person)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
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| Name of each exchange in which registered |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes ☐
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | ☒ | |
Non-Accelerated filer | ☐ | Emerging growth company |
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
U.S. GAAP ☐ |
| Other ☐ |
If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.
Item 17 ☐ Item 18 ☐
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act)
Yes ☐ No
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS | 2 | ||
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| QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES REGARDING MARKET RISK | 211 | |
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| MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS | 212 | |
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| PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS | 214 | |
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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS | 216 | ||
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i
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This annual report contains forward-looking statements about our expectations, beliefs and intentions regarding, among other things, our products and services, development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies, plans and prospects. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “seek,” “target,” “will,” “project,” “forecast,” “continue” or “anticipate” or their negatives or variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical matters. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors listed below:
| ● | our business strengths and future results of operation; |
| ● | delays or unexpected casualties related to construction under our investment plans and master plans; |
| ● | our ability to generate or obtain the required capital to fully develop and operate our airports; |
| ● | the COVID-19 pandemic impact, as well as other epidemics, pandemics, and public health crises; |
| ● | general economic, political, demographic and business conditions in the geographic markets we serve; |
| ● | decreases in passenger traffic; |
| ● | changes in the fees we may charge under our concession agreements; |
| ● | inflation and hyperinflation, depreciation, and devaluation of the AR$, EUR, BRL, UYU or AMD, against the U.S. dollar; |
| ● | the early termination, revocation, or failure to renew or extend any of our concession agreements; |
| ● | the right of the Argentine Government to buy out the AA2000 Concession Agreement (as defined herein); |
| ● | changes in our investment commitments or our ability to meet our obligations thereunder; |
| ● | existing and future governmental regulations; |
| ● | natural disaster-related losses which may not be fully insurable; |
| ● | the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and other war events; and |
| ● | cyberterrorism in the international markets we serve. |
We believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable; however, these statements speak only as of the date of this annual report and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. We discuss these risks in this annual report in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors.” Given these uncertainties, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events.
Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or developments or otherwise.
2
CERTAIN CONVENTIONS
Corporación América Airports S.A. (“CAAP”) was incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“Luxembourg”) on December 14, 2012. The Company owns no material assets other than its direct and indirect ownership of the issued share capital of other intermediate holding companies for all our operating subsidiaries. Except where the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated, all references to the “Company,” “CAAP,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Corporación América Airports S.A. and its consolidated subsidiaries, as well as those businesses we account for using the equity method.
In this annual report, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires:
| ● | “U.S.$” and “U.S. dollar” each refers to the United States dollar; |
| ● | “AR$” refers to the Argentine peso; |
| ● | “€,” “EUR” or “euro” each refers to the euro, the single currency established for members of the European Economic and Monetary Union since January 1, 1999; |
| ● | “R$” or “BRL” each refers to the Brazilian real; |
| ● | “$U” or “UYU” each refers to the Uruguayan peso; and |
| ● | “AMD” refers to the Armenian dram. |
We have translated some of the local currency amounts contained in this annual report into U.S. dollars for convenience purposes only. The U.S. dollar-equivalent information presented in this annual report is provided solely for convenience and should not be construed as implying that the amounts represent, or could have been or could be converted into, U.S. dollars at such rates or at any other rate. See “Item 3 Key Information— Risk Factors— Depreciation or fluctuation of the currencies of the countries where we operate could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.”
Certain numbers and percentages included in this annual report have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, figures shown for the same category presented in various tables or other sections of this annual report may vary slightly, and figures shown as totals in certain tables may not be the arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them.
PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION
This annual report contains our audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 and for our fiscal years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (our “Audited Consolidated Financial Statements”).
We prepare our Audited Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”). We have applied all IFRS issued by the IASB effective at the time of preparing our Audited Consolidated Financial Statements. Our Audited Consolidated Financial Statements have been audited by Price Waterhouse & Co. S.R.L. (“PwC”), a member firm of the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network, and an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report dated March 22, 2023, is also included in this annual report.
Our Audited Consolidated Financial Statements are presented in U.S. dollars. Our fiscal year ends on December 31 of each year. Accordingly, all references to a particular year are to the year ended December 31 of that year.
Our Segments
We have identified six reportable segments: Argentina, Italy, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador and Armenia. See Note 4 to our Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and “Adjusted Segment EBITDA and Adjusted Segment EBITDA excluding Construction Services.”
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In December 2021, we transferred our 50% ownership interest in Aeropuertos Andinos del Perú S.A. (“AAP”) to Andino Investment Holding S.A. See “Business Overview—Our Airports by Country in Which We Operate—Peru.” The elimination of any intersegment revenues and other significant intercompany operations are included in the “Intrasegment Adjustments” column. AAP was not previously classified as an asset held for sale or as a discontinued operation.All the financial and operational information provided for our Peruvian segment for the year ended December 31, 2021 includes our financial and results of operation until December 16, 2021, date on which the transfer of our interest in AAP was completed.
Factors Affecting Comparability of Prior Periods
During 2020, the Company’s operations were significantly affected due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures that affected and continue to affect passenger traffic. The significant decrease in our results of operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected the comparability of the figures reported for the year ended December 31, 2021 with the corresponding period in 2020.
Adjusted Segment EBITDA and Adjusted Segment EBITDA excluding Construction Services
“Adjusted Segment EBITDA” is defined, with respect to each segment, as income from continuing operations before financial income, financial loss, income tax expense, depreciation, and amortization for such segment. Adjusted Segment EBITDA excludes certain items that are not considered part of our core operating results. Specifically, we do not allocate financial income, financial loss, income tax expense, depreciation, and amortization to our reportable segments. Our management also reviews a metric of performance, denominated “Adjusted Segment EBITDA excluding Construction Services,” which only differs with the Adjusted Segment EBITDA measure by excluding the Construction Services margin.
Although Adjusted EBITDA, and consequently, Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services, are commonly viewed as non-IFRS measure in other contexts, pursuant to IFRS 8, “Segment Information,” these are treated as IFRS measures in the manner in which we utilize them. We use Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services for purposes of making decisions about allocating resources to our segments and to internally evaluate their financial performance because we believe they reflect current core operating performance and provide an indicator of the segment’s ability to generate cash.
Non-IFRS Information
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services
“Adjusted EBITDA” is a non-IFRS financial measure defined as net income from continuing operations before financial income, financial loss, income tax expense, depreciation, and amortization. “Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services” only differs with the previously mentioned measure by excluding Construction Services margin.
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services are not defined under IFRS and have important limitations as analytical tools. You should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under IFRS. For example, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services have the following limitations:
| ● | exclude certain tax payments that may represent a reduction in cash available to us; |
| ● | do not reflect any cash capital expenditure requirements for the assets being depreciated and amortized that may have to be replaced in the future; |
| ● | do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; and |
| ● | do not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements, necessary to service our debt. |
We believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services enhances investors’ understanding of our performance. We believe these measures are useful metrics for investors to assess our operating performance from period to period by excluding certain items that we believe are not representative of our core business. We present Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services to provide supplemental information that we consider relevant for the readers of our Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this annual report, and such information is not meant to replace or supersede IFRS measures.
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In addition, our management believes Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services are useful because they allow us to evaluate our operating performance and compare the results of our operations from period to period without regard to our financing methods, capital structure or income taxes more effectively. We exclude the items listed above from income for the year in arriving at Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services because these amounts can vary substantially from company to company within our industry depending upon accounting methods and book values of assets, capital structures and the method by which the assets were acquired.
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services should not be considered as alternatives to, or more meaningful than, consolidated net income for the year as determined in accordance with IFRS or as indicators of our operating performance from continuing operations.
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services may not be the same as similarly titled measures used by other companies.
We have included the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding Construction Services to consolidated net income from continuing operations for all the periods presented. See “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation to Net Income/(Loss) from Continuing Operations.”
Capital Increase
On February 5, 2018, the Company completed its initial public offering of common shares whereby 11,904,762 new common shares were issued, thus bringing the Company’s share capital from U.S.$148,117,500, represented by 148,117,500 shares having a nominal value of U.S.$1.00 each, to the amount of U.S.$160,022,262.
As part of the management share compensation plan (see “Item 6 Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Compensation—Management Compensation Plan”), on October 9, 2020, the board of directors of the Company increased the Company’s share capital by the amount of U.S.$3,200,445 through the issuance of 3,200,445 new shares having a nominal value of U.S.$1.00 each. As a result of the issuance of these new shares, the outstanding share capital of the Company increased from 160,022,262 shares to 163,222,707 shares. These new shares were subscribed by A.C.I. Airports S.à r.l., the Company’s controlling shareholder, for a total subscription price of U.S.$6,144,854.40 (i.e., a subscription price of U.S.$1.92 per new share, being the market price per share as of October 8, 2020), and paid for through the incorporation of the corresponding amount which was allocated to the Company’s free distributable reserves. The new shares were, subsequently and on the same date, transferred by the controlling shareholder to the Company to be held in treasury until their allocation to key employees in accordance with the management share compensation plan. As of the date of this annual report, 821,334 shares have been delivered to key employees under the management share compensation plan and the remaining outstanding 2,379,111 shares are still held in treasury.
PRESENTATION OF INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA
In this annual report, we rely on, and refer to, information regarding our business and the markets in which we operate and compete. The market data and certain economic and industry data and forecasts used in this annual report were obtained from internal surveys, market research, governmental and other publicly available information, and independent industry publications. Industry publications, surveys, and forecasts generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but that the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed. We believe that these industry publications, surveys, and forecasts are reliable, but we have not independently verified them and cannot guarantee their accuracy or completeness.
Certain market share information and other statements presented herein regarding our position relative to our competitors are not based on published statistical data or information obtained from independent third parties but reflects our best estimates. We have based these estimates upon information obtained from publicly available information from our competitors in the industry in which we operate.
ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS
Not applicable.
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ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE
Not applicable.
ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION
A[Reserved]
B.CAPITALIZATION AND INDEBTEDNESS
Not applicable.
C.REASONS FOR THE OFFER AND USE OF PROCEEDS
Not applicable.
D.RISK FACTORS
You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with the other information contained in this annual report, before making any investment decision. Any of the following risks and uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. The market price of our common shares could decline due to any of these risks and uncertainties, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks described below are those that we currently believe may materially affect us.
Summary of Risk Factors
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
| ● | Our concessions may be terminated under various circumstances, some of which are beyond our control |
| ● | We may be subject to monetary penalties or early termination if we fail to comply with the terms of our concession agreements. |
| ● | Our revenue is highly dependent on levels of air traffic, which depend in part on factors beyond our control, including economic and political conditions in the countries where we operate our airports. |
| ● | The COVID-19 virus (nCoV), as well as any other public health crises that may arise in the future, has had, and may continue to have a negative impact on passenger traffic levels, air traffic operations and in our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. |
| ● | We are dependent on information and communication technologies, and our systems and infrastructures face certain risks, including cybersecurity risks. |
| ● | Geopolitical uncertainties and an increase of trade protectionism could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition. |
Risks Related to Argentina and the AA2000 Concession Agreement
| ● | The Argentine Government extended the term of the AA2000 Concession Agreement until 2038 subject to our compliance with certain commitments, which if we fail to comply with, could result in the imposition of fines or the termination or revocation of the AA2000 Concession Agreement. |
| ● | Pursuant to the AA2000 Concession Agreement, since February 2018, the Argentine Government may buy out our concession, which would materially affect our revenues and operations. |
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| ● | The ORSNA may adjust the fees we charge for aeronautical services, the payments we are required to make to the Argentine Government and our investment plan in a way that is detrimental to us or fail to adjust them to restore the AA2000 Concession Agreement’s economic equilibrium |
| ● | If the ORSNA does not approve the capital expenditures already made under the AA2000 Concession Agreement, we could be required to make additional capital expenditures, which may affect our cash flows and financial condition. |
Risks Related to Our Other Principal Operations and Other Principal Markets in Which We Operate
| ● | Italy. If the approval process from local and national authorities of the master plan for the Florence Airport is further delayed, our financial results from the operation of such airport will be negatively impacted. |
| ● | Brazil. Officials of the entity that controls Infravix Participações S.A., a former shareholder of Inframerica Concessionaria do Aeroporto de São Gonçalo do Amarante S.A. (“ICASGA”) and Inframerica Concessionaria do Aeroporto do Brasilia S.A. (“ICAB”) , were found guilty of corruption, money laundering and criminal organization in connection with the Car Wash Affair. |
| ● | Uruguay. Our revenue derived from the operation of the airports in Uruguay could be adversely affected by the deterioration in neighboring markets. |
| ● | Armenia. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has and will likely continue to disrupt or impact the connecting flights between our Armenian Airports and Russia, which could affect our results of operation. |
Risks Related to Our Common Shares
| ● | We issued, and may further issue, options, restricted shares, and other forms of share-based compensation, which have the potential to dilute shareholder value and cause the price of our common shares to decline. |
| ● | A significant portion of our common shares may be sold into the public market, which could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well. |
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Our concessions may be terminated under various circumstances, some of which are beyond our control.
Our business consists of acquiring, developing and operating airport concessions. These concessions are granted by governmental authorities for a limited period of time and subject to several conditions and obligations.
Our concessions may be terminated under various circumstances, some of which are beyond our control. In general, our concession agreements may be terminated at any time by the relevant governments or agencies for public interest reasons. For example, in 2017 the Peruvian Government unilaterally terminated the concession it had awarded to us for the construction and operation of the new Chinchero – Cusco International Airport in Peru. Concession agreements may also be terminated due to our material and repeated breach of the concession terms. The termination of one or more of our concessions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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If an applicable governmental authority terminates any of our concessions, with or without cause, we may be entitled to seek claims for compensation from such terminating governmental authority. Although termination payments vary by concession, they usually include a claim for indemnification equal to the value of the non-amortized investments made by us for purposes of operating the airports and rendering the services agreed under the concession agreements. If the applicable governmental authority terminates one of our concessions due to our material and repeated breach or failure to make the committed investments, we may assert claims for indemnification equal to those non-amortized investments we made for purposes of operating the relevant airports and rendering of the services agreed under the relevant concession agreements. If the concession is terminated by the relevant government or agency for public interest reasons or without cause, we may assert claims for indemnification equal to the non-amortized investments plus loss of profits. Collecting on such claims may be difficult and time-consuming, and any amounts collected in respect of such claims may not provide us with the expected level of returns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, the Argentine Government has the right to buy out the AA2000 Concession Agreement upon prior notification to us and indemnify us for certain investments we incurred for purposes of operating the airports and rendering the services agreed thereunder. See “Item 3 Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Argentina and the AA2000 Concession Agreement—Pursuant to the AA2000 Concession Agreement, since February 2018, the Argentine Government may buy out our concession, which would materially affect our revenues and operations.”
We may be subject to monetary penalties or early termination if we fail to comply with the terms of our concession agreements.
We may be subject to monetary penalties if we violate or otherwise fail to comply with the terms of our concessions. Some violations of a concession agreement may provide for cure periods or other remedial action, while other violations, whenever they are substantial and repeated, can result in the immediate termination of the relevant concession. If we experience difficulties, we may encounter problems in satisfying our obligations under our concession agreements and the relevant governmental authorities may impose sanctions on us. For a description of the consequences that may result from the violation of various terms of our concessions, or local laws and regulations related to such concessions, see “Item 4 Company Information—Business Overview—Regulatory and Concessions Framework.” Monetary penalties could negatively affect our results of operations.
In addition, under all our concession agreements, we are required to establish and comply with an investment plan for the airports covered under such concession agreements. If we do not fulfill our investment commitments on a timely basis or obtain financing necessary to complete such projects, such failures could lead to a breach of the relevant concession agreement.
Our revenue and profitability may be affected if we fail to win new concession agreements, acquire companies with existing concession agreements, or otherwise improve or expand our current operations.
Our growth strategy relies upon identifying and winning new concession agreements, acquiring companies with existing concession agreements, or improving and expanding our current operations. Our future growth may also depend on new (greenfield) development projects, which may require significant time and upfront financial commitments for construction and development. While we anticipate having opportunities to bid for concession agreements or purchase existing concessionaires in the future, we cannot predict the frequency of such opportunities. We must also strategically identify which concession agreements and existing concessionaires to target based on numerous factors such as number of passengers, size of the relevant airport(s), type, location, and quality of the available airports and subconcession space, rental structure, financial return, regulatory requirements, and the competitive landscape within such market. We may not be able to successfully expand, as we may not correctly analyze the suitability of airport locations, anticipate all the challenges imposed by expanding our operations or succeed in executing our growth plan efficiently. We also may fail to expand within budget or on a timely basis or expand at all. In addition, to win a particular concession contract, we may be required to make investments or incur other expenses that would render such concession less economically attractive.
Our growth strategy and the substantial investment associated with the acquisition of each new concession agreement, existing concessions or expansion of existing concessions may cause our operating results to fluctuate and be unpredictable.
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The COVID-19 virus (nCoV), as well as any other public health crises that may arise in the future, has had, and may continue to have a negative impact on passenger traffic levels, air traffic operations and in our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.
In late December 2019, a notice of pneumonia of unknown cause originating from Wuhan, Hubei province of China was reported to the World Health Organization. A novel COVID-19 virus (nCoV) was identified, with cases soon confirmed in multiple provinces in China, as well as in several other countries. The Chinese government placed Wuhan and multiple other cities in Hubei province under quarantine, with approximately 60 million people affected. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in several cities be placed under quarantine, increased travel restrictions from and to several countries, which have forced airlines to cancel flights and extended shutdowns of certain businesses in certain regions. Although impact of COVID-19 pandemic has eased as travel restrictions have been lifted worldwide, future impact of COVID-19 pandemic, including new strains such as the Omicron or Delta variant that may arise in the future, remains uncertain.
Outbreaks of disease and health epidemics could have a negative impact on international air travel.
In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, other public health crises such as the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (known as SARS) between 2002 and 2003, the outbreak of the A/H1N1 virus in 2009, the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and 2015 and the outbreak of the Zika virus in 2018 and 2019, have disrupted the frequency and pattern of air travel worldwide in recent years. Future outbreaks of disease and health pandemics are uncertain. Because our revenue is largely dependent on the level of passenger traffic in our airports, any outbreaks of health epidemics, such as the H1N1 virus and the Zika virus, could result in decreased passenger traffic and increased cost to the air travel industry and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business revenues and results of operations.
Inflation, along with the uncertainties, could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
While inflation in the United States and global markets has been relatively low in recent years, during 2021 and 2022, the economy in the United States and global markets encountered a material increase in the level of inflation. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical developments such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and global supply chain disruptions continue to increase uncertainty in the outlook of near-term and long-term economic activity, including whether inflation will continue and how long, and at what rate. Increases in inflation raise our costs for commodities, labor, materials and services and other costs required to grow and operate our business, and failure to secure these on reasonable terms may adversely impact our financial condition. Additionally, increases in inflation has caused, and may in the future cause, global economic uncertainty and uncertainty about the interest rate environment, which may make it more difficult, costly or dilutive for us to secure additional financing. A failure to adequately respond to these risks could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Geopolitical uncertainties and an increase of trade protectionism could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition.
Russia´s war against neighboring Ukraine continues to disrupt international travel from and to Russia and Ukraine and other destinations as the flights to Russia have been banned by Western countries and by the European Union, Russia has closed its skies for carriers registered in Western countries and carriers avoid overflying the war zone.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU, the U.K. and the U.S. introduced extensive sanctions on Russia (as well as Belarus for its role in Russia’s invasion) comprised of targeted, restrictive measures on certain individuals and entities, export controls, restrictions on economic relations, trade and financial restrictions. The sanctions have had, and are expected to continue to have, a significant disruptive effect on global markets, including oil and gas markets, accessibility of airports and associated travel routes, as well as supply chains, including aircraft components. Geopolitical events may lead to further instability across Europe and worldwide.
The imposition of tariffs on certain imported products by the U.S. has triggered retaliatory actions from certain foreign governments and may trigger retaliatory actions by other foreign governments, potentially resulting in a “trade war”. Certain foreign governments have instituted or are considering imposing trade sanctions on certain U.S. goods. Others are considering the imposition of sanctions that will deny U.S. companies access to critical raw materials.
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The above geopolitical and trade uncertainty and tensions have resulted in fuel price increase has affected, and may continue to affect, our profitability. Sanctions, trade wars between certain countries or blocks of countries, or other governmental action related to tariffs or international trade agreements, could have a material adverse effect on passenger traffic on our airports as well as on our services, costs and suppliers or world economy or certain sectors thereof and, consequently, on our business and financial results.
We could be subject to acts of terrorism or war, which could have a negative impact on air travel and result in increased security requirements.
Our airports operate within a stringent and complex security regime, as required by the relevant governmental authorities, which may impose additional security measures from time to time, including as a result of a terrorist attack or a war act, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The consequences of the Russia and Ukraine conflict and any future terrorist action or threat may include the cancellation or delay of flights, fewer airlines and passengers using our airports, liability for damage or loss and the costs of repairing damage. If as a consequence of the Russia and Ukraine conflict or if a terrorist attack affected one of the airports we operate, the airport in question could be closed, in whole or in part, for the time needed to care for victims, investigate the circumstances of the attack, rebuild any damaged areas or otherwise, with a subsequent decrease in the revenue and increase in costs for the reconstruction of the affected areas (to the extent these are not covered by insurance policies).
Moreover, if an accident, act of terrorism or threat affects the safety standard perception on customers thereof or were to occur in a country in which we operate, even if not at our airports, the perception of safety by airport users could decrease, and, consequently, there could be a reduction in passenger air traffic for an indefinite period of time, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Furthermore, the implementation of additional security measures at our airports in the future could lead to additional limitations on airport capacity or retail space, overcrowding, increases in operating costs and delays to passenger movement through the airport, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our business may also be affected by the outbreak of wars or armed conflicts in any region of the world. Among other things, wars can lead to increased prices of fuel, supplies, and interest rates for aircraft leases, which could, in turn, lead to increased prices of airline tickets and a decline in demand for air transportation in general. Likewise, the occurrence of armed conflicts could result in increased security measures, thereby increasing security costs.
We are dependent on information and communication technologies, and our systems and infrastructures face certain risks, including cybersecurity risks.
The operation of complex infrastructures, such as airports, and the coordination of the many actors involved in its operation require the use of several highly specialized information systems, including both our own information technology systems and those of third-party service providers, such as systems that monitor our operations or the status of our facilities, communication systems to inform the public, access control systems and closed circuit television security systems, infrastructure monitoring systems, passenger ticketing and boarding, automated baggage handling, points of sale, terminals and radio and voice communication systems used by our personnel. In addition, our accounting and fixed assets, payroll, budgeting, human resources, supplier and commercial, hiring, payments and billing systems and our websites are key to the functioning of our airports. The proper functioning of these systems is critical to our operations and business management. These systems may, from time to time, require modifications or improvements as a result of changes in technology, the growth of our business and the functioning of each of these systems.
In order to face these issues, we created a global information security department which reports to the Executive Committee. We also hired a global information security manager and reinforced the global information security department with multicultural security specialists in different locations. This new area focuses on contingency procedures, security governance, access and identity management, infrastructure protection and monitoring, researching and deploying new technology to improve protection of information and communication systems, However, these information technology systems cannot be completely protected against certain events such as natural disasters, fraud, computer viruses, hacking, communication failures, equipment breakdown, software errors and other technical problems. The occurrence of any of these events could disrupt our operations, resulting in increased costs, a decline in revenue and damage to our business in general, including, but not limited to harm to our public image.
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Phishing attempts and fake emails increased during 2022 compared to 2021. However, none of these events had any consequence for the Company nor our passengers. Additionally, we are implementing a global a security monitoring service (SOC) including a new Incident Response and Threat Intelligence Service. This service allows us to respond more quickly and efficiently to any potential security breach. Additionally, we continue implementing security measures to maintain and improve protection of information, increase endpoint protection, and improve phishing alerts, particularly for employees working remotely.
The risk of cyber-crime has been increasing, especially as infiltrating technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated. If we are unable to prevent a significant cyber-attack, such attack could materially affect the number of passengers at our airports, cause the loss of passenger information, damage our reputation and lead to regulatory penalties and financial losses.
In addition, our business operations routine involves gathering personal information about vendors, customers, and employees among others, through the use of information technologies. Breaches of our systems or those of our third-party contractors, or other failures to protect such information, could expose such people’s personal information to unauthorized use. Any such event could give rise to a significant potential liability and reputational harm.
The loss or impairment of our relationship with governments and their agencies in the markets in which we operate could adversely affect our business, future revenues, and growth prospects.
Our principal assets are concession rights granted by governments in the countries in which we operate. Our business depends to a large extent on our ability to manage relationships with such governments and their agencies. During the term of our concessions, we are in continuous communications with the relevant governments and their agencies regarding, among other things, the terms and conditions of the concession, compliance with the concession agreement, the applicable master plan and works to be performed at the airports, including works not specifically required by the terms of the relevant concession, and the establishment of tariffs. Our business, prospects, financial condition, or operating results could be materially harmed if we were suspended or debarred from contracting with any such government or government agency or if our reputation or relationship with any such government or agency is impaired.
Our revenue is highly dependent on levels of air traffic, which depend in part on factors beyond our control, including economic and political conditions in the countries where we operate our airports.
Our revenue is closely linked to passenger and cargo traffic volumes and the number of air traffic movements at our airports. These factors directly determine our aeronautical revenue and indirectly determine our commercial revenue. Passenger and cargo traffic volumes and air traffic movements depend, in part, on many factors beyond our control. Such factors include economic conditions and the political situation in the countries where we operate our airports, epidemics, pandemics such as the COVID-19 virus and other public health crises, terrorism, fluctuations in petroleum prices (which can have a negative impact on traffic as a result of fuel surcharges or other measures adopted by airlines in response to increased fuel costs), currency exchange rate fluctuations, hyperinflation, geopolitical considerations and changes in regulatory policies applicable to the aviation industry. The occurrence of any of these risks may result in a reduction of passenger air traffic levels and air traffic movements globally and in the regions in which we operate. A significant decline in passenger and cargo traffic volumes and the number of air traffic movements at our airports would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We face risks related to our dependence on the revenue from Ezeiza Airport.
During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, Ezeiza Airport generated U.S.$278.1 million in revenue, or 20.2%, U.S.$123.3 million in revenue, or 17.4% and U.S.$135.9 million in revenue, or 22.3%, respectively, of our consolidated revenue for such periods. As a result of the substantial contribution to our revenue from the Ezeiza Airport (as defined below), any event or condition affecting this airport (in addition to any potential termination or buyout of the AA2000 Concession Agreement) could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. For example, an economic recession in Argentina, a reduction in the operations of Ezeiza Airport, competition from other airports or a decrease in the number of passengers traveling to Buenos Aires as tourists could cause a decrease in our revenue at this airport which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Increases in international fuel prices could reduce demand for air travel.
International fuel prices in 2022 increased compared to 2021 particularly, following Russia’s invasion in Ukraine in February 2022. The price of fuel may be subject to further fluctuations resulting from a reduction or increase in output of petroleum, voluntary or otherwise, by oil producing countries, other market forces, a general increase in international hostilities, or any future terrorist attacks. In the past, increased fuel costs were among the factors leading to cancellations of routes, decreases in frequencies of flights and, in some cases, even contributed to filings for bankruptcy by some airlines. Although fuel is a widely traded global commodity, in the event of a significant increase in fuel prices in one or more of the countries in which we operate, or in one or more countries that provide significant numbers of international air passengers to the countries in which we operate, the effects of a localized price increase may be more significant than a general, worldwide increase in fuel prices. Significant fluctuations may result in higher airline ticket prices and in a decrease in demand for air travel generally, both of which could have an adverse effect on our revenues and results of operations.
Extended interruptions or disruptions at the airports where we operate due to natural disasters, prolonged weather conditions and other adverse incidents could affect our business and results of operations.
A significant extended interruption or disruption in service at the airports where we operate could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Our results of operations could be impacted by flight cancellations and airport closures caused by weather and natural disasters. Severe weather conditions, particularly heavy snowfall, increases in the frequency, severity, and duration of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic activity, earthquakes, and tsunamis, can significantly disrupt service, cause cancellation of flights and negatively affect passenger traffic at airports, which may result in decreased revenues and increased costs. The disaster recovery and business continuity plans we have in place may prove inadequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event. We may incur substantial expenses as a result of the limited nature of our disaster recovery and business continuity plans, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Competition from other destinations could adversely affect our business.
The principal factor affecting our business is the number of passengers that use our airports. Our passenger traffic volume may be adversely affected by the attractiveness, affordability, and accessibility of competing destinations. In addition, our passenger traffic volume may be adversely affected by the level of business activity in each destination or the likelihood of airlines using any of those destinations as a hub or base for their operations. If business activity and tourism levels, and therefore, the number of passengers using our airports, is negatively impacted by competing airports and hubs in the geographic regions in which we operate, such development could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We are subject to the risk of union disputes and work stoppages at our locations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Some of our employees are members of labor unions. For example, as of December 31, 2022, approximately 64.8% and 48.9% of our employees in AA2000 and Italy, respectively, were members of labor unions (66.1% and 50.4%, respectively, as of December 31, 2021). Negotiating labor contracts, either for new locations or to replace expiring contracts, is time consuming or may not be accomplished on a timely basis. In addition, we negotiate some of our collective bargaining agreements on an annual basis. If we are unable to satisfactorily negotiate those labor contracts with the labor unions on terms acceptable to us or without a strike or work stoppage, the effects on our business could be materially adverse. Any strike or work stoppage could disrupt our business, adversely affecting our results of operations and our public image could be materially adversely affected by such labor disputes. In addition, existing labor contracts may not prevent a strike or work stoppage, and any such work stoppage could have a material adverse effect on our business.
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The operations of our airports may be affected by actions or inactions of third parties that are beyond our control.
In most of our airports, our operations are largely dependent on the services provided by governments and other third parties who render services to passengers and airlines, such as meteorology, air traffic control, security, electricity, and immigration and customs services. In addition, in some of our airports we are dependent on third-party providers of certain complementary services such as baggage handling, fuel services, catering and aircraft maintenance and repair. While we are responsible for adopting security measures at some of our airports, we do not control the management or operation of security, which is controlled by government agencies or third parties. We are not responsible for, and cannot control, any of these services. Any disruption in, or adverse consequence resulting from, such services, including work strikes or other similar events, could cause the cancellation of flights and negatively affect passenger traffic at our airports, which may ultimately result in decreased revenues and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
The loss of one or more of our aeronautical customers or the interruption of their operations could result in a loss of a significant amount of our passenger traffic.
None of our agreements with our aeronautical customers obligates them to provide service at or to our airports. If any of our aeronautical customers were to reduce their use of our airports or cease to operate at them for any reason, including merger, bankruptcy or due to regulatory restrictions or the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors, the remaining airlines may not increase their flight frequency to replace the flights that our aeronautical customers could no longer operate. Our business and revenue, and our ability to recover receivables, could be adversely affected if we are unable to replace the business of our main aeronautical customers.
Additionally, we have a significant concentration of aeronautical customers, which may expose us to a material adverse effect if one or more of our large aeronautical customers were to significantly suspend or interrupt payments to us for any reason. Furthermore, a delay in payment or non-payment by a major aeronautical customer could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.
For instance, during 2020, Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A. and Austral Lineas Aéreas (Cielos del Sur S.A) (both state-owned entities) suspended payments and owed AA2000, in aggregate, approximately AR$308 million and U.S.$49 million. Considering this situation and in accordance with IFRS 15, as from October 1, 2019, only revenue from passenger fees related to Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A. is being recognized. As of December 31, 2022, Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A and Austral Lineas Aéreas owed AA2000 approximately AR$1.022.824.609 million and U.S.$19.478.814 million. These debts were registered as an allowance (provisión) in the financial statements of AA2000 as of December 31, 2022. See “Item 8 Financial Information—Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings—Argentine Proceedings—Conflicts with Aerolíneas Argentinas.”
Our main aeronautical customers are Aerolíneas Argentinas Group and LATAM Group. For the year ended December 31, 2022, Aerolíneas Argentinas Group and LATAM Group accounted for 15.8% and 10.8% of our consolidated aeronautical revenue, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2021, Aerolíneas Argentinas Group and LATAM Group accounted for 8.7% and 10.1% of our consolidated aeronautical revenue, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Aerolíneas Argentinas Group and LATAM Group accounted for 13.4% and 18.9% of our consolidated aeronautical revenue, respectively. On May 26, 2020, LATAM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections and sought emergency reorganization. LATAM Argentina ceased its operations in June, while LATAM Brazil filed for bankruptcy in early July 2020.
An aircraft accident or other material factors beyond our control may affect the operation of our runways.
Our runways may require unscheduled repair due to natural disasters, aircraft accidents and other factors beyond our control. The closure of any runway for a significant period of time could have a material adverse effect on the number of passengers that use our airports, and therefore, a material adverse effect on our operations and financial results.
Ongoing and proposed construction, renovation or repair work at our airports could have a negative impact on our revenues.
At any time, we may be in the process of constructing, renovating and/or repairing a number of our airports. These works may sometimes affect the passenger experience, which may ultimately adversely affect our commercial revenue. The operations of our other airports may decrease or be adversely affected by future construction, renovations, or repairs, and this could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
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We are exposed to certain risks in connection with the use of certain spaces by subconcessionaires at our airports.
We are exposed to risks related to the spaces subconcessioned to third parties, such as non-payment by subconcessionaires of certain fees and other lease arrangements or a weakening demand for the use of the spaces allocated to subconcessionaires. For example, many of our subconcessionaires’ locations are situated beyond the security checkpoints at airports, and they rely heavily on their customers spending a significant amount of time in the terminal and waiting areas of the airport terminals in which they have subconcessioned space. Changes in customers’ travel habits prior to departure, including an increase in the availability or popularity of airline business and first-class lounges, or an increase in the efficiency of ticketing, transportation safety procedures and air traffic control systems could reduce the amount of time that customers spend at such subconcessioned locations, which could materially reduce the revenue they are able to generate and which, in turn, could reduce the amount of fees and rent we can collect from our subconcessionaires. Any material reduction in the fees and lease payments that we are able to charge to our subconcessionaires could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our insurance policies may not provide sufficient coverage against all liabilities.
We are required to maintain insurance under all our concession agreements, and we seek to ensure all risks for which insurance coverage is available on commercially reasonable terms. We can offer no assurance that our insurance policies will cover all our liabilities in the event of an accident, natural disaster, terrorist attack or other incident. The insurance market for airport liability coverage generally, and for airport construction in particular, is limited and a change in the coverage policy by the insurance companies involved could reduce our ability to obtain and maintain adequate or cost-effective coverage. For example, insurance alternatives in Armenia are limited, therefore, we could incur in higher costs in obtaining insurance policies as required under the concession.
Similarly, for some of our airports, we do not currently carry business interruption insurance or property insurance against terrorism and related risks. Consequently, any substantial interruption of our business or terrorist attacks could have a material adverse effect in our results of operations and our financial condition.
We are exposed to liability to third parties for injuries or damages.
We are obligated to protect the public and to reduce the risk of accidents at our airports. As with any company dealing with the security of individuals, we must implement measures for the protection of the public, such as hiring private security services, maintaining our airports’ infrastructure and fire safety in public spaces, and providing emergency medical services. These obligations could expose us to liability to third parties for personal injury or property damage and, to the extent not adequately covered by insurance, could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Most of our operations are in emerging markets.
Our existing concessions are mostly in countries with emerging economies and investing in developing economies generally involves risks. These risks include political, social, and economic events, any of which could impact our operations or the market value of our common shares and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. These risks and instability are caused by many different factors, including the following:
| ● | adverse external economic factors; |
| ● | inconsistent fiscal and monetary policies (including currency devaluation); |
| ● | dependence on external financing; |
| ● | changes in governmental economic and tax policies and regulations; |
| ● | high levels of inflation; |
| ● | fluctuations in currency values; |
| ● | high interest rates; |
| ● | wage increases and price controls; |
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| ● | limitation on imports; |
| ● | exchange rates and capital controls; |
| ● | political and social tensions; |
| ● | fluctuations in central bank reserves; and |
| ● | trade barriers. |
Emerging markets have historically experienced uneven periods of economic growth, as well as recession, periods of high inflation and economic instability. Adverse economic conditions in any of these countries could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Some of the countries in which we operate have experienced, or are currently experiencing, high rates of inflation. In an effort to control inflation, governments of these countries often maintain a tight monetary policy with high interest rates, thereby restricting the availability of credit and retarding economic growth. Inflation, measures to combat inflation and public speculation about possible additional actions have also contributed significantly to economic uncertainty in many of these countries and to heightened volatility in their securities markets. Periods of higher inflation may also slow the growth rate of local economies. Inflation is also likely to increase some of our costs and expenses, which we may not be able to fully transfer to our clients, which could adversely affect our operating margins and operating income in some of the emerging markets in which we operate.
Depreciation or fluctuation of the currencies of the countries where we operate could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Many of the countries where we operate have experienced volatility in the exchange rate of their currency against the U.S. dollar. Because we present our financial statements in U.S. dollars, this volatility may reduce the revenues we report or increase the expenses we report in any given period. These effects may in turn have an adverse effect on the market of our common shares. In addition, because we have a substantial amount of dollar-denominated indebtedness, exchange rate volatility may result in increased debt service costs. Finally, in some instances we receive revenues in a currency different from that in which we pay expenses, in which case currency volatility can affect the profitability of our operations.
We are subject to various environmental laws, regulations and authorizations that affect our operations and may expose us to significant costs, liabilities, obligations, or restrictions.
We, our subconcessionaires and our aeronautical customers are subject to various environmental laws, regulations and authorizations governing, among other things, the generation, use, transportation, management and disposal of hazardous materials, the emission and discharge of hazardous materials into the ground, air or water, and human health and safety. Failure to comply with these environmental requirements, including the terms of our concession agreements, could result in our being subject to litigation, fines, or other sanctions. We could also incur significant capital or other compliance costs relating to such requirements. We could also be held responsible for contamination, human exposure to hazardous materials or other environmental damage at our airports or otherwise related to our operations. Environmental claims have been asserted against us, and additional claims may be asserted against us in the future. See “Item 8 Financial Information—Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings—Argentine Proceedings—Environmental Proceedings.” We are unable to determine our potential liability under these pending or possible future claims. We only have environmental insurance coverage for environmental damages at a limited number of our airports.
These environmental requirements, and the enforcement and interpretation thereof, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time. Future environmental laws, regulations and authorizations may require us to incur additional costs in order to bring our airports into, and maintain, compliance. Our costs, liabilities, obligations, and restrictions relating to environmental matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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We are subject to review by taxing authorities, and an incorrect interpretation by us of tax laws and regulations may have a material adverse effect on us.
Taxes payable by companies in many of the countries in which we operate are substantial and include value-added tax, excise duties, profit taxes, payroll related taxes, property taxes, and other taxes. In certain countries in which we operate, such as Brazil or Argentina, the tax system is highly complex and the interpretation of the tax laws and regulations is commonly controversial, leading to disputes which are sometimes subject to prolonged evaluation periods until a final resolution is reached. In addition, there may be changes that result from enactment of additional tax reforms or changes to the manner in which current tax laws are applied that cannot be quantified and there can be no assurance that any such reforms or changes would not have an adverse effect upon our revenues. For instance, most jurisdictions in which we operate have recently adopted new transfer pricing measures. If tax authorities impose significant additional tax liabilities as a result of transfer pricing adjustments, it could have an adverse effect on us.
Over the past few years, tax administrations around the world have put in place a number of initiatives to facilitate communication and information exchange among each other, become more rigid in exercising any discretion they may have, and increased their scrutiny of company tax filings. In this regard, the G20 / OECD Inclusive Framework has been working on addressing a number of tax challenges such as transparency, exchange of information, coherence, and substance, and to this end has proposed numerous tax law changes under its Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plans. Particularly, in December 2021, the OECD released the Pillar Two model rules (the Global Anti-Base Erosion Proposal, or ‘GloBE’ rules) for a new global minimum tax framework introducing a minimum tax regime for multinationals. At the EU level, the European Council formally adopted the directive implementing Pillar Two and Member States will now have to transpose the directive into national laws before 31 December 2023. The EU has also adopted a number of Directives (namely, the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directives, or ATAD), which seek to prevent tax avoidance by companies and to ensure that companies pay appropriate taxes in the markets where profits are effectively made, and business is effectively performed.
In establishing a provision for income tax expense and filing returns, we must make judgments and interpretations about the application of these inherently complex tax laws that may be interpreted differently by the competent tax authorities and courts. For example, applying the GloBE rules and determining the impact are likely to be very complex and pose a number of practical challenges. While disclosing quantitatively the precise effect is realistically not possible at this stage, we believe that new taxes or reporting obligations could result in additional costs necessary to collect the data required to assess these taxes and to remit them to the relevant tax authorities or to comply with these reporting obligations.
In addition, in some jurisdictions where we operate, the interpretations of tax laws by the taxing authorities are sometimes unpredictable and frequently involve litigation, introducing further uncertainty and risk as to our tax liability. It is also possible that tax authorities in the countries in which we operate will introduce additional revenue raising measures. If the judgment, estimates and assumptions we use in preparing our tax returns are subsequently determined to be incorrect, there could be a material adverse effect on us, which may ultimately affect our revenues. See “Item 8 Financial Information—Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings” and “Item 8 Financial Information—Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings—Argentine Proceedings— Tax Proceedings Related to Technical Assistance Agreements.”
Any of these events occurring, alone or in combination, could lead to an increase of our tax burden and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our acquisition strategy could involve additional risks to us, many of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We continue to examine opportunities to acquire or invest in existing or new concessions that complement or expand our business. These opportunities may involve government-owned entities as well as private sector companies. Any future acquisitions may result in a dilutive issuance of equity securities, incurrence of additional debt, reduction of existing cash balances, amortization of expenses related to goodwill and other intangible assets or other charges to operations. Additional leverage could require us to dedicate cash flow to fund debt service requirements, thus decreasing the funds available to us to finance working capital and business operations generally. All of the foregoing factors could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
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Future concession or acquisitions could involve numerous risks, including that we may recognize lower relative operating margins associated with such acquisitions, and we may recognize impairment charges with respect to future acquired assets due to the performance of such assets. Our results of operations may also be affected by the timing of acquisitions, the timing and amount of integration costs related to such acquisitions and the degree to and the rate at which the economic benefits of integration are realized.
Future growth may also place additional demands on our personnel and other resources, including an increased level of responsibility for management. Our ability to manage growth effectively will require us to continue to improve our operational, management and financial systems and controls and to successfully train, motivate and manage our employees. If our management is unable to manage growth effectively, our business could be adversely affected.
Our inability to raise additional financing may limit our operations.
We may have limited ability to incur additional financing for some of our concession agreements, which may entail important consequences for investors, among them (i) limiting our capacity to satisfy our future investment obligations with respect to the airports we operate pursuant to the terms and conditions of our concession agreements, or other capital expenditures required for the operation of such airports; and (ii) limiting our flexibility to take advantage of opportunities for new business within the markets we operate or potential new markets. Any of these situations may ultimately affect our operations and financial results.
Many of our most significant subsidiaries have substantial minority interests owned by third-parties, and any substantial conflict with minority shareholders may have an adverse effect on our business.
We indirectly own 82.7%, and 51.0% of our principal Argentina and Brazil operating subsidiaries, respectively, which are namely Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S.A. (“AA2000”) and ICAB. Likewise, we indirectly own 75.0% of Corporación América Italia S.p.A. (“CA Italy”) who owns 62.3% of our principal Italy operating subsidiary, Toscana Aeroporti S.p.A. (“TA”). Because we control these entities, we record all their revenues and expenses and then allocate net income between controlling and non-controlling interest. The other shareholders of these entities, including, in the case of Italy, public shareholders, may have interests different from ours, and any substantial conflict with minority shareholders may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We may have conflicts of interest with ACI Airports S.à r.l., our majority shareholder, and we may not be able to resolve such conflicts on terms favorable to us.
We are currently controlled by ACI Airports S.à r.l., a holding company incorporated in Luxembourg (the “Majority Shareholder”). Conflicts of interest may arise between our Majority Shareholder and us in a number of areas relating to our past and ongoing relationships. Potential conflicts of interest that we have identified include, among others, allocation of business and investment opportunities and/or the acquisition of airport assets outside of our existing corporate structure. Generally, the Majority Shareholder may from time to time make strategic decisions that it believes are in the best interest of the business as a whole, including its ownership interest in our business. These decisions may be different from the decisions that we would have made on our own and may not be aligned with your interests. We may not be able to resolve any potential conflicts and, even if we do, the resolution may be less favorable to us than if we were dealing with an unaffiliated party.
We have been advised by the Southern Cone Foundation (“SCF”), our ultimate controlling shareholder, that it does not intend to participate in any significant future acquisitions of airport concession assets or airport-related companies, except through us.
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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration or another regulatory agency could downgrade the aviation safety rating of any of the countries in which we operate, which could have a negative impact on passenger traffic.
Under the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the aviation safety rating of any of the countries in which we operate could be downgraded. Airlines from such countries could be prevented from expanding or changing their current operations to and from the United States, except under certain limited circumstances, code-sharing arrangements between such airlines and U.S. airlines could be suspended, and operations by such airlines flying to the United States could be subjected to greater administrative oversight. Any such additional regulatory requirements could result in reduced passenger traffic originating in or departing to the United States by non-U.S. airlines operating at our airports or, in some cases, in an increase in that cost of service, which could result in decrease in demand for travel. The Federal Aviation Administration may downgrade the air safety rating of any of the countries in which we operate in the future. The European Aviation Safety Agency and other regulatory agencies may take similar actions, either independently or in response to any such action by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Such actions might reduce our revenues and have a negative impact on passenger traffic.
We are subject to anti-corruption laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate.
We are subject to and bound by U.S. and foreign anti-corruption laws and regulations, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Argentine Anticorruption Law of 2018 (Law No. 27,401), the Italian Corruption Law of 2012 (Law No. 190), the Brazil Clean Company Act of 2014 (Law No. 12,846), the Uruguayan Anticorruption Law of 1998 (Law No. 17.060) and the Armenia Law on the Committee for Preventing Corruption (Law No. HO-96-N). These anti-corruption laws generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to local and foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business and/or other benefits. Many jurisdictions have recently implemented new anti-corruption laws (such as in the case of Argentina and Brazil) or have broadened the scope of existing anti-corruption laws (such as in the case of Italy).
On February 17, 2021, Ecuadorian Organic Law Reformation of the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code on Anti-Corruption was published, incorporating regulatory compliance and good corporate governance systems as well as new criminal figures related to corruption in the private sector.
The Brazilian Clean Company Act holds companies strictly liable for the corrupt acts of their employees and intermediaries, which means that a company may be held liable for such acts, without a finding of fault on the part of the company. See “Item 3 Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Other Principal Operations and Other Principal Markets in Which We Operate—Brazil—The ongoing economic uncertainty and political instability in Brazil may adversely affect our economic and financial condition” and “Item 3 Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Other Principal Operations and Other Principal Markets in Which We Operate—Brazil—We have identified payments made by ICAB that may not have had any proper purpose and that could expose us to fines and sanctions as well as reputational harm and other adverse effects.” Our business requires that we maintain continuous contact with governments and agencies from the initial bid process for any concession and throughout the entire term of any concession we are awarded. Despite the existence of our compliance program together with our ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with anti-corruption laws, there can be no assurance that our employees, agents, and the companies to which we outsource certain of our business operations, will not take actions in violation of our policies, for which we may be ultimately held responsible. If we are not in compliance with anti-corruption laws and other laws governing the conduct of business with government entities (including local laws), we may be subject to criminal and civil penalties and other remedial measures, which could harm our reputation and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Any investigation of any actual or alleged violations of such laws could also harm our reputation or have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Increasing scrutiny from stakeholders on ESG matters, including our ESG reporting, exposes us to reputational and other risks.
In 2022, the SEC also proposed extensive rules aimed at enhancing and standardizing climate-related disclosures in an effort to foster greater consistency, comparability and reliability of climate-related information. The proposal, if adopted, would require domestic registrants and foreign private issuers to include certain climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports, including data regarding greenhouse gas emissions and information regarding climate-related risks and opportunities and related financial impacts, governance, and strategy. Although the ultimate date of effectiveness and the final form and substance of the requirements for the proposed rule is not yet known and the ultimate scope and impact on our business is uncertain, compliance with the proposed rule, if finalized, may result in increased legal, accounting and financial compliance costs and make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly.
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Moreover, the SEC has also announced that it is working on proposals for mandatory disclosure of certain other ESG-related matters, including with respect to board diversity and human capital management. At this time, there is uncertainty regarding the scope of such proposals or when they would become effective. As regulations develop, we will consider the implications for our business of the overlapping global measures, and how they fit together. Compliance with any new laws or regulations increases our regulatory burden and could make compliance more difficult and expensive, increase the risk that we are subject to enforcement, affect the manner in which we or our portfolio companies conduct our businesses and adversely affect our profitability.
Risks Related to Argentina and the AA2000 Concession Agreement
The Argentine Government extended the term of the AA2000 Concession Agreement until 2038 subject to our compliance with certain commitments, which if we fail to comply with, could result in the imposition of fines or the termination or revocation of the AA2000 Concession Agreement.
Pursuant to the Technical Conditions of the Extension approved by Decree No. 1009/2020 (“Technical Conditions of the Extension”), AA2000 is obliged to comply with the following commitments: (i) allocate an amount equal to U.S.$132.0 million (VAT included) as direct investment to complete 2020 and 2021 ongoing works (outstanding amounts from prior works and VAT for works with development trusts, of which around U.S.$55.0 million were already paid by December 31, 2020); (ii) to use its best efforts to obtain the greatest leverage possible, before December 31, 2021, to have an early inflow of up to (a) U.S.$85.0 million in the “Trust Fund for Works of Group A of Airports of the National Airport System” and (b) U.S.$124.0 million in the “Additional Fund for Substantial Investments in Group A of Airports” (iii) to secure, before March 31, 2022, or, provided that there are justified reasons and subject to ORSNA’s approval, before December 2022, certain level of funds available in an aggregate amount of U.S.$406.5 million (VAT included), which shall be applied to: (a) works considered as direct investment, to be carried out preferably during 2022/2023 and (b) the redemption of preferred shares of the Argentine Government to be performed by AA2000 before March 31, 2022; and (iv) to make direct investments for U.S.$200.0 million (VAT included), between the years 2024 and 2027, at an annual average of U.S.$50.0 million (VAT included), in addition to any direct investment balance carried forward from the 2021/2023 period. The financial projection of income and expenses attached to the Technical Conditions of the Extension include the estimated dates in which the referred commitments and capital expenditures would need to be performed.
Pursuant to the Technical Conditions of the Extension, AA2000 agreed to do its best efforts to obtain financing the Development Trust in connection with the investments in the Argentine National Airport System, which are determined by the ORSNA. As of the date of this annual report, AA2000 is conducting the necessary arrangements to obtain the committed leverage for the Development Trust.
On March 30, 2022, AA2000 informed the ORSNA that it had available funds in the amount of U.S.$413.7 million within the framework of its financial program that combines cash availability and commitments. On May 10, 2022, ORSNA issued Note No. NO-2022-46520010-APN-ORSNA through which it confirmed that AA2000 had fulfilled the commitment of availability of funds in the amount of U.S.$406.5 million for its application to the Mandatory Capex Program (including the redemption of the preferred shares performed in March 2022) in compliance with the provisions of the Technical Conditions of the Extension and the ORSNA Resolution No. 60/2021.
Considering the foregoing, AA2000’s capital expenditures under the Technical Conditions of the Extension amounts approximately to U.S.$500 million plus VAT in aggregate, to be performed in two phases: (i) phase 1, approximately U.S.$336 million plus VAT to be performed preferably within 2022 and 2023, and (ii) phase 2, annual investments of approximately U.S.$41 million plus VAT between 2024 and 2027, for an aggregate amount of approximately U.S.$164 million plus VAT. Investments between 2028 and 2038 will be determined based on the operational needs of the airport system and will take into consideration the economic equilibrium of the AA2000 Concession Agreement.
The Company is currently executing the infrastructure works in the terms provided by the Technical Conditions of the Extension and Resolution No. 60/2021. Failure to comply with these commitments could result in the imposition of fines or the termination or revocation of the AA2000 Concession Agreement. Termination of the AA2000 Concession Agreement would constitute a default under the Argentine Notes, the Argentine Additional Notes, the Argentine 2021 Notes and the Credit Facilities.
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Pursuant to the AA2000 Concession Agreement, since February 2018, the Argentine Government may buy out our concession, which would materially affect our revenues and operations.
Pursuant to the AA2000 Concession Agreement, since February 13, 2018, the Argentine Government has the right to “buy-out” (“rescatar”) the AA2000 Concession Agreement for public interest reasons and upon prior notification to us. In the event the Argentine Government were to exercise this option, it would be required to indemnify us in an amount equal to the value of the non-amortized aeronautical investments we have made as of the time of the buy-out, multiplied by 1.10, plus the value of all other investments we made that have not been amortized. The Argentine Government would not be required to indemnify us for investments that were not included in our investment plan or that were not approved by the ORSNA. The Argentine Government would also not be required to indemnify us for lost revenue. The Argentine Government would be required to assume in full any debts incurred by us to acquire goods or services for purposes of providing airport services, except for debts incurred in connection with the investment plan for which we would be compensated as part of the payment made to us by the Argentine Government. Subsequent to such buy-out, we may have other claims against the Argentine Government or the ORSNA, but we may not prevail on these claims.
Furthermore, the buy-out of the AA2000 Concession Agreement would constitute an event of default under (i) our Argentine 2021 Notes and the New Money 2021 Notes, (ii) the 2019 Onshore Credit Facility Agreement (as amended, and as defined below) and the 2019 Offshore Credit Facility Agreement (as amended, and as defined below), both dated August 9, 2019, entered by and among AA2000, Citibank N.A., as administrative agent, the branch of Citibank N.A. established in the Republic of Argentina, as collateral and disbursement agent, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Argentina) S.A.U, Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires S.A.U. and Banco Santander Río S.A., as lenders (together, the “2019 Credit Facilities”) and (iii) the Syndicated Loan granted by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Argentina) S.A., the branch of Citibank N.A. established in the Republic of Argentina, Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires S.A.U. and Banco Santander Río S.A. for the refinancing of the bilateral Pesos credit facilities granted by said banks and the 2019 Credit Facilities (the “Syndicated Loan”) and, (iv) the offshore credit facility dated July 25, 2022 entered by and between AA2000 and Industrial and Commercial Bank of Chine Limited, Dubai (DIFC) Branch, as lender, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Argentina) S.A.U, as onshore custodian agent (“2022 ICBC Loan” and together with the 2019 Credit Facilities, the Syndicated Loan and the 2022 ICBC Loan, the “Credit Facilities”), which will result in automatic acceleration of the notes and the Credit Facilities. As of December 31, 2022, the total amount outstanding under the Argentine Notes, the 2019 Credit Facilities, the Syndicated Loan and the 2022 ICBC Loan is U.S.$ 450.5 million, U.S.$20.2 million AR$ 1.697.5 million ,U.S.$10,2 million, respectively. The Argentine Government’s indemnification obligations in combination with the collateral structure under the notes and the Credit Facilities may not be adequate to repay the holders of such notes. See “Item 5 Operating and Financial review and Prospects—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Indebtedness.”
During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the revenue derived from our operation of the airports under the AA2000 Concession Agreement represented 55.0%, 51.2% and 57.4%, respectively, of our total consolidated revenue. If the Argentine Government exercises its right to buy-out the AA2000 Concession Agreement, such buy-out would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The ORSNA may adjust the fees we charge for aeronautical services, the payments we are required to make to the Argentine Government and our investment plan in a way that is detrimental to us or fail to adjust them to restore the AA2000 Concession Agreement’s economic equilibrium.
Under the AA2000 Concession Agreement, the ORSNA is required to review annually AA2000’s financial projections and, if necessary, to re-establish economic equilibrium by adjusting (i) the fees we charge airlines and passengers for aeronautical services, (ii) certain payments we make to the Argentine Government pursuant to the AA2000 Concession Agreement, and/or (iii) our investment obligations. On January 13, 2021, the ORSNA through Resolution No. 4/2021, increased the fees AA2000 may charge to international passengers from U.S.$51.00 to U.S.$57.00. In December 2022, the ORSNA issued Resolution No. 98/2022 by virtue of which a new increase of the fee for the domestic passenger use was approved, establishing a fee of AR$1,100 effective as of January 2023.
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If the ORSNA applies adjustments to the Specific Allocation of Revenues and to the fees we may charge or that we must pay under the Concession Agreement in a way that is detrimental to us, if the ORSNA fails to adjust such fees in order to restore the Concession Agreement’s economic equilibrium, if the ORSNA seeks to modify our rights under the AA2000 Concession Agreement, it may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If the ORSNA does not approve the capital expenditures already made under the AA2000 Concession Agreement, we would be required to make additional capital expenditures, which may affect our cash flows and financial condition.
The ORSNA reviews our capital expenditures to monitor our compliance with the investment plan under the AA2000 Concession Agreement, and to determine whether it can record such expenditures in the registry maintained by the ORSNA. If a capital expenditure is approved by the ORSNA, it is then entered into its registry. The ORSNA only approves investments that are supported by a certificate that reflects the completion of the relevant works and does not approve the investments made in connection with the start of the works.
Accordingly, we may record capital expenditures during a period that has not yet been (and may never be) approved by the ORSNA. If the ORSNA does not approve our capital expenditures under the investment plan of the AA2000 Concession Agreement, we will be required to make additional capital expenditures. This may require us to obtain additional financing, which we may not be able to obtain on terms favorable to us, or at all. Our capital expenditures for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019 are currently under review by the ORSNA.
Federal and provincial upcoming elections in Argentina may generate uncertainty in the Argentine political landscape and economy and consequently, in our business.
Presidential elections take place in Argentina every four years and legislative elections every two years, resulting in the partial renewal of both chambers of Congress. The next presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for October 2023 and the primary elections are scheduled for August 2023. Changes in the local and federal administration may also imply alterations of programs and policies that apply to airports and the infrastructure sector. Argentina’s president and its Congress each have considerable power to determine governmental policies and actions that relate to the Argentine economy. Therefore, we cannot assess the impact of future measures that might be adopted by any future federal administration, or by any future administration at the provincial level, and the effect any such measures might have on the Argentine economy and the ability of Argentina to comply with its financial obligations, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, we cannot assure you that economic, regulatory, social, and political developments in Argentina will not impair our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Our operations in Argentina depend on macroeconomic conditions in Argentina.
Our business and financial results in Argentina depend to a significant degree on macroeconomic, political, regulatory, and social conditions therein. The Argentine economy has experienced significant volatility in recent decades, characterized by periods of low or negative growth, high levels of inflation and currency devaluation, and may experience further volatility in the future.
Over the last years, Argentina experienced a period of severe political, economic, and social crises, which caused a significant economic contraction and led to radical changes in government policies. Among other things, the crises resulted in Argentina defaulting on its sovereign foreign debt obligations, a significant devaluation of the Argentine peso and ensuing inflation, and the introduction of emergency measures that affected many sectors of the economy. Likewise, the decline in international demand for Argentine products, the lack of stability and competitiveness of the Argentine peso against other currencies, the decline in confidence among consumers and foreign and domestic investors, and the higher rate of inflation and future political uncertainties, among other factors, have affected the development of the Argentine economy.
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The former administration adopted several economic and policy reforms aimed to stabilize the economy. For instance, on June 7, 2018, the Argentine Government entered into a U.S.$50 billion, 36-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF, which was approved by the IMF’s Executive Board on June 20, 2018. On September 26, 2018, the Argentine Government agreed with the IMF to increase the total amount available under the Stand-By Agreement from U.S.$50 billion to U.S.$57.1 billion. As of the date of this annual report, the Argentine Government has drawn approximately U.S.$44.1 billion. The Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF was intended to, among other things, halt the significant depreciation of the peso during the first half of 2018. However, between July 2, 2018 and January 1, 2020, the Argentine peso suffered a devaluation against the U.S. dollar of 110% (AR$28.7 per U.S.$ dollar in July 2018 to AR$60.3 per U.S.$ dollar) according to the Argentine Central Bank.
In January 2022, the Argentine Government reached a preliminary understanding with the IMF to refinance the Stand-By Arrangement, The preliminary understanding states that Argentina will be bound by new covenants and certain fiscal and economic goals, and that the IMF will grant Argentina a new loan in several disbursements, in order to repay the outstanding installments of the Stand-By Arrangement. Disbursements under such new loan are conditioned to Argentine performance of the covenants and fiscal and economic goals to be set in the definitive refinancing agreement. As of the date of this annual report, the Argentine Government and the IMF entered into the definitive refinancing agreement, which was approved by the Argentina Congress.
Under such terms, if the Argentine Government fails to comply with the agreed covenants and fiscal and economic goals, Argentina might be in default and, in turn, the country’s financial and economic situation might be adversely affected.
Argentina also has a debt of $19.9 trillion Argentine pesos of which 37% is in the hands of private holders while the rest belongs to the public sector, of which 70% mature between April and May 2023 and are indexed either to the official dollar (dollar-linked bonds), to inflation (CER debt) or to the higher of the two (dual bonds).
Volatility in the Argentine economy and measures taken by the Argentine Government had, and are expected to continue to have, a significant impact on us. A decline in economic growth, increased economic instability or an expansion of economic policies and measures taken by the Argentine Government to control inflation or address other macroeconomic developments that affect private sector entities such as us—all developments over which we have no control—could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Political events and political measures taken in Argentina could affect the country’s economy and the aeronautical sector in particular.
Since the current administration took office, the Argentine Government announced and implemented several economic and political reforms, including, without limitation, the following:
| ● | Restructuring of public debt under Argentine law. During 2020, the Argentine government successfully restructured its bonds governed by foreign law, as well as its bonds governed by Argentine law. In addition, during 2021, the Argentine government reached an agreement with the IMF in connection with the outstanding amounts under the stand-by financings granted by the IMF to Argentina. Under such agreement, the Argentine government agreedto comply with certain milestones on a quarterly basis. The Argentine government approved the first round of assessments performed by the IMF and given the current macroeconomic landscape the IMF and the Argentine government are negotiating adjustments to the milestones. During 2022, the Ministry of Economy successfully closed a new round of restructuring of the bonds subject to Argentine law and denominated in foreign currency. As of the date of this annual report, the Argentine government is carrying a new restructuring in order to postpone the due dates of the bonds denominated in local currency and subject to Argentine law. |
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| ● | Restructuring of public debt under foreign law. On February 12, 2020, the National Congress approved Law No. 27,544 for the Restoration of the Sustainability of Public Debt Issued under Foreign Law, by virtue of which, among other issues, the National Executive Power was authorized to carry out operations aimed at granting sustainability to the debt issued under foreign legislation. On August 4, 2020, the Argentine Government reported having reached a debt restructuring agreement with certain bondholders. On August 28, 2020, the period to express consent to the offer presented by the Argentine Government closed. On August 31, 2020, the Argentine Government announced that the offer obtained 93.55% acceptance, which allowed 99% of the bonds to be restructured. Also, on June 22, 2021, the Argentine Government announced that it had reached an agreement with the Paris Club, through which it was agreed to pay 18% of the debt due on May 31, 2021, in two installments payable during the third quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022, and the extension of the maturity of the remaining 82% to March 31, 2022. In January 2022, the Argentine Government reached a preliminary understanding with the IMF to refinance the Stand-By Arrangement pursuant to which Argentina agreed to be bound by new covenants and certain fiscal and economic goals, and that the IMF will grant Argentina a new loan in several disbursements, in order to repay the outstanding installments of the Stand-By Arrangement. As of the date of this annual report, the Argentine Government and the IMF entered into the definitive refinancing agreement, which was approved by the Argentine Congress. Under such terms, if the Argentine Government fails to comply with the agreed covenants and fiscal and economic goals, Argentina might be in default and, in turn, the country’s financial and economic situation might be adversely affected. As of the date of this annual report, Argentina drawn approximately U.S.$17.500.000 and has passed the third audit of the IMF. |
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