FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd V.FLY

management commentary from the Q4/FY2023 email

[CF105]

(It contains a table that I think will simply scramble in a copy-and-paste, so I put it last.)

Management Commentary

“FLYHT finished 2023 with performance in-line with our expectations. We reported over $20 million in revenue for the full year driven by record SaaS revenue of nearly $10.7 million, a 31% increase compared to 2022. This included an all-time quarterly high of over $2.8 million in SaaS revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023. As expected, we did not report positive EBITDA in 2023 due to a large high margin OEM licensing order that did not repeat this year, but also because we are reinvesting our positive cash flow to fund R&D and commercialization of our emerging 5G solutions and weather businesses,” said Kent Jacobs, President and Interim CEO of FLYHT.

Continued Jacobs, “We continue to make significant progress on our two main strategic growth initiatives, 5G aviation solutions and weather. Less than two months after being issued the Supplemental Type Certificate (“STC”) for the AFIRS Edge^TM on Airbus A320 aircraft, the flange version Edge is now being installed on our first customer’s fleet, where we will operate WQAR functions through the 5G network. We are underway with efforts to familiarize this STC into other jurisdictions, starting with the U.S. and Europe. We are also on track to deploy the FLYHT-WVSS-II sensor, Edge, and Certus-100 satcom solution with a North American airline as part of NOAA’s FY2023 budget. As expected, NOAA was allocated FY2024 budget to purchase additional FLYHT-WVSS-II, Edge and satcom systems.”

Concluded Jacobs, “As we enter 2024, we have a higher cash and investments balance at December 31, 2023 as compared to the ending cash balance at Q3 2023, reflecting our disciplined allocation of resources. We are focused on the multiple opportunities for growth across our 5G solutions and weather businesses. We expect 2024 to be a milestone year as we commercialize these business opportunities.”

Fourth Quarter 2023 Results
Revenue decreased by 41% to $4,244,787 in Q4 2023 compared to Q4 2022. Excluding Licensing, revenue would have increased by 0.2% during the quarter.

SaaS revenue increased by 24% to $2,801,661, driven by the recovery of the Company’s customer base, as well as growth in weather-related software services. Licensing revenue decreased by 99% to $25,649 due to a large 2022 order from a long-term OEM customer that was not replicated in Q4 2023. Hardware revenue decreased by 73% to $327,941, with a total of 4 installation kits shipped in Q4 2023 compared to 16 kits shipped in Q4 2022. Technical Services revenue increased by 47% to $1,089,536 as a result of data migration work delivered and an increase in customer requests for certification services.
Gross margin was 59.1% of revenue in Q4 2023 compared to 67.1% in Q4 2022. The decrease in gross margin was due primarily to changes in the mix of revenue sources during the quarter. 

Operating expenses increased by 1.2% from Q4 2022, driven by a 24% increase in Research and Development and certification engineering expenses, specifically an increase in Contract Labour. This was offset by a 15% decrease in Administration expenses and an 8% decrease in Distribution expenses.

EBITDA[1] loss totaled $1,226,783 in Q4 2023 compared to positive EBITDA of $1,170,183 in Q4 2022.

Net loss was $1,494,795 in Q4 2023 compared to a Net Income of $718,689 in Q4 2022.

Full Year 2023 Results
Revenue decreased by 16% to $20,144,579 in 2023 compared to 2022. Excluding Licensing, revenue would have increased by 23% compared to 2022.
SaaS revenue increased by 31% to $10,693,098, driven by an increase in customers’ flights and flight hours as well as growth in weather-related software services. Licensing revenue decreased by 78% to $1,962,223 due to a large 2022 order from a long-term OEM customer that was not replicated in 2023. Hardware revenue decreased by 9% to $4,372,464, with a total of 69 installation kits shipped in 2023 matching the 69 installation kits shipped in 2022. Technical Services revenue increased by 69% to $3,215,794 as a result of data migration work delivered and an increase in customer requests for certification services. CrossConsense revenues were also a significant factor in this YTD increase.

Gross margin was 58.7% of revenue in 2023 compared to 63.7% in 2022. The decrease in gross margin was due primarily to changes in the mix of revenue sources during the year. 
Operating expenses decreased by 2% from 2022, driven by a 20% decrease in Administrative expenses offset by a 9% increase in Distribution expenses and a 5% increase in Research and Development and certification engineering expenses.
EBITDA[2] loss totaled $2,833,517 in 2023 compared to positive EBITDA of $251,453 in 2022.

Net loss was $4,049,371 in 2023 compared to a Net loss of $1,003,033 in 2022.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity                            
Cash and equivalents plus GICs totalled $2,042,203 at December 31, 2023, compared to $2,647,650 at December 31, 2022. When compared to Q3 2023 balances of $1,939,959, our cash position increased by $102,244 quarter-over-quarter.

Trade and other receivables decreased by 44% to $2,896,200 compared to YE 2022, and Trade payables and accrued liabilities increased by 13% to $3,097,494 compared to YE 2022.

During the quarter, Western Economic Diversification Canada granted FLYHT an amendment to the contribution agreements for the two government loans that are in the repayment phase. The amendment reduces payments required from April 2024 to March 2025, with the resulting difference of $750,204 added to the scheduled monthly payments remaining on the loans from April 2025 to October 2028. There were no costs, nor other changes to terms associated with this favorable amendment.

Conference Call Information
FLYHT will host a conference call to discuss the financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2023 on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 7:30 a.m. MT (9:30 a.m. ET). The conference call will include prepared remarks followed by a question-and-answer session with FLYHT’s President & Interim CEO Kent Jacobs and CFO Alana Forbes. To access the conference call by phone within Canada and the U.S., the toll-free number is 1-800-319-4610. Outside Canada and the U.S., dial 1-604-638-5340.
 
Management will accept questions by telephone and e-mail. Individuals wishing to ask a question during the call can do so by pressing *1. Questions can be emailed in advance or during the conference call to [e-mail]. An archive of the conference call will be posted on the Investor Communications section of FLYHT’s website following the meeting.


Here goes...

	Three Months Ended Dec. 31				Twelve Months Ended Dec. 31
	2023	2022	Inc./ Dec.		2023	2022	Inc./ Dec.
Revenue	4,244,787	7,241,758	-41.4%		20,144,579	23,879,160	-15.6%
SaaS	2,801,661	2,253,618	24.3%		10,693,098	8,157,886	31.1%
Hardware	327,941	1,217,860	-73.1%		4,273,464	4,720,204	-9.5%
Licensing	25,649	3,030,368	-99.2%		1,962,223	9,101,130	-78.4%
Technical Services	1,089,536	739,912	47.3%		3,215,794	1,899,940	69.3%
Gross Margin	59.1%	67.1%	-800 bps		58.7%	63.7%	-500 bps
EBITDA	(1,226,783)	1,170,183	NM		(2,833,517)	251,453	NM
Net Income (Loss)	(1,494,795)	718,689	NM		(4,049,371)	(1,003,033)	NM
EPS – Basic & Diluted	(0.04)	0.01	(0.05)		(0.10)	(0.03)	(0.07)

	Three Months Ended December 31				Twelve Months Ended December 31
	2023	2022	Inc./ Dec.		2023	2022	Inc./ Dec.
Revenue	4,244,787	7,241,758	-41.4%		20,144,579	23,879,160	-15.6%
SaaS	2,801,661	2,253,618	24.3%		10,693,098	8,157,886	31.1%
Hardware	327,941	1,217,860	-73.1%		4,273,464	4,720,204	-9.5%
Licensing	25,649	3,030,368	-99.2%		1,962,223	9,101,130	-78.4%
Technical Services	1,089,536	739,912	47.3%		3,215,794	1,899,940	69.3%
Gross Margin	59.1%	67.1%	-800 bps		58.7%	63.7%	-500 bps
EBITDA	(1,226,783)	1,170,183	NM		(2,833,517)	251,453	NM
Net Income (Loss)	(1,494,795)	718,689	NM		(4,049,371)	(1,003,033)	NM
EPS – Basic & Diluted	(0.04)	0.01	(0.05)		(0.10)	(0.03)	(0.07)