Air France-KLM launches a €2.256 billion rights issue to be subscribed in cash and/or by offsetting claims

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AIR FRANCE - KLM
AIR FRANCE - KLM

Roissy, 24 May 2022

Air France-KLM launches a €2.256 billion rights issue to be subscribed in cash and/or by offsetting claims

The Company is continuing to strengthen its balance sheet and accelerates the repayment of state aids, increasing its strategic flexibility

Air France-KLM S.A. (“Air France-KLM”, the “Company”) announces today the launch of a capital increase with preferential subscription rights (the "Rights") to existing shareholders maintained to raise gross proceeds of €2.256 billion (the “Rights Issue”) through the issuance of 1,928 million new shares in Air France-KLM (the “New Shares”), to be subscribed in cash and/or by offsetting claims.

This transaction, which aims to strengthen the company’s equity and balance sheet, follows the 2021 capital increase and comes after new recapitalization measures were announced on February 17th.

  • The net proceeds of the issue will be allocated to repaying the deeply subordinated bonds issued in April 2021 and held by the French State as well as strengthening the Company’s equity. As announced at full-year results on February 17th 2022, the Company intends to free itself from the conditions set by the European Commission’s temporary framework and will therefore allocate circa 1.7 billion euros to the repayment of the "Covid-19 recapitalization aid" granted in the form of undated subordinated notes (the "TSS État") issued in April 2021. The remainder will be allocated to reduce the Company’s net indebtedness.

  • This operation, together with the other contemplated measures to strengthen the balance sheet and the expected EBITDA recovery, will enable the Company to strengthen its financial trajectory. The Company’s sound financial liquidity position (€10.8 billion of cash at hand as of March 31st 2022) in a better oriented operational context for the Company, will enable the Company to further repay the French State Aid over the next quarters. The repayment of the State Aid will also improve the financing costs of the Company.

  • The Company confirms its objective to reduce its Net debt / EBITDA ratio, to reach circa 2.0x to 2.5x by 2023.

  • The French State, Air France-KLM’s largest shareholder (28.6%), has informed the Company of its intention to participate in the Rights Issue, so that its post-transaction shareholding remains unchanged. This subscription, should it occur, would be completed through offsetting claims held by the French State in respect of the deeply subordinated notes (TSS Etat) issued in April 2021 for an amount of circa 645 million euro.

  • The Dutch State has informed the Company that it intends to exercise its rights in proportion to its current shareholding in order for its shareholding to remain unchanged post Rights Issue, subject to obtaining the necessary approvals from the Dutch Parliament. In order to receive these necessary approvals in a timely manner, the Dutch State is also dependent on the timetable of the Dutch parliament.

  • The transaction will enable CMA CGM to become a new reference shareholder and an exclusive strategic partner for the cargo business, as announced on May 18th. CMA CGM has committed to subscribe to the transaction for a maximum amount of €400 million (including the acquisition of Rights) and in such a way that its total shareholding does not exceed 9% of the Company’s resulting share capital.

  • China Eastern Airlines and Delta Air Lines have committed to participate in the Rights Issue on a cash neutral basis by subscribing to new shares through the sale of part of their Rights, using the net proceeds from selling Rights to CMA CGM.