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SEC Comment Letter for American Airlines Group (AAL) — May 19, 2016

American Airlines Group Inc.
Date: May 19, 2016 · CIK: 0000006201 · Accession: 0000000000-16-077143

Financial Reporting Regulatory Compliance Internal Controls

AI Filing Summary & Sentiment

Sentiment
Urgency
Document Type
Confidence
SEC Posture
Company Posture

Summary

Reasoning

Date
May 19, 2016
Author
/s/ Andrew Mew
Form
UPLOAD
Company
American Airlines Group Inc.

Letter

Mail Stop 3561 May 19, 2016 Derek J. Kerr Chief Financial Officer 4333 Amon Carter Boulevard Fort Worth, Texas 76155

Re: American Airlines Group Inc. Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2015 Filed February 24, 2016 File No. 001 -08400

Dear Mr. Kerr :

We have limited our review of your filing to the financial statements and related disclosures and have the following comments. In some of our comments, we may ask you to provide us with information so we may better understand your disclosure.

Please respond to these comments within ten busine ss days by providing the requested information or advis e us as soon as possible when you will respond. If you do not believe our comments apply to your facts and circumstances, please tell us why in your response.

After reviewing your response to these comments, we may have additional comments.

Form 10 -K for the Year Ended December 31, 2015

Financial Statements

Notes to Co nsolidated Financial Statements of American Airlines Group Inc.

10. Income Taxes, page 137

1. Based upon your disclosures on page 9 and 23 , we note you derive approximately 30% of your total operating revenues in 2015 from foreign operations. Please be ad vised that Rule 4 -08(h) of Regulation S -X requires the components of income (loss) before income tax expense and income tax expense be disclosed as either domestic or foreign in the income statement or notes to the consolidated financial statements. Pleas e revise to comply or advise us of why you are not required to do so.

2. We note from your disclosure on page 138 that after considering all positive and negative evidence , including the completion of certain critical merger integration milestones as

Derek J. Kerr American Airlines Group Inc. May 19, 2016 Page 2

well as your financial performance, you concluded that substantially all of your deferred income tax assets were more likely than not to be realized. This resulted in a $3 billion non-cash tax benefit recorded in your income statement for 2015. Given the sig nificance of the reversal, please tell us and revise the critical accounting policy related to income taxes in MD&A to discuss in greater detail the nature of the positive and negative evidence considered by management in determining the likelihood the def erred tax asset will be realized in these circumstances. The enhanced disclosure should provide sufficient information to enable a reader to evaluate the quality of the deferred tax asset. Such information may include use of tax planning strategies, expe ctations for future income, etc.

We urge all persons who are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the disclosure in the filing to be certain that the filing includes the information the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and all applicable Exchan ge Act rules require. Since the company and its management are in possession of all facts relating to a company’s disclosure, they are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the disclosures they have made.

In responding to our comments, please p rovide a written statement from the company acknowledging that:

 the company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;

 staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and

 the company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.

You may contact Heather Clark at 202 -551-3624 or Jean Yu at 202 -551-3305 if you have questions regarding comments on the financial statements and related matters. P lease contact me at 202 -551-3377 with any other questions.

Sincerely,
/s/ Andrew Mew

Show Raw Text
Mail Stop 3561
May 19, 2016

Derek J. Kerr
Chief Financial Officer
4333 Amon Carter Boulevard
Fort Worth, Texas 76155

Re: American Airlines Group Inc.
 Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2015
Filed February 24, 2016
File No. 001 -08400

Dear Mr. Kerr :

We have limited our review  of your filing  to the financial statements and related
disclosures and have the following comments.  In some of our comments, we may ask you to
provide  us with information so we may better understand your disclosure.

Please respond to these comments  within ten busine ss days by providing the requested
information or advis e us as soon as possible when you will respond.  If you do not believe our
comments apply to your facts and circumstances, please tell us why in your response.

After reviewing your response to these  comments, we may have  additional comments.

Form 10 -K for the Year Ended December 31, 2015

Financial Statements

Notes to Co nsolidated Financial Statements of American Airlines Group Inc.

10.  Income Taxes, page 137

1. Based upon your disclosures on page 9 and 23 , we note you derive approximately 30% of
your total operating revenues in 2015 from foreign operations.  Please be ad vised that
Rule 4 -08(h) of Regulation S -X requires the components of income (loss) before income
tax expense and income tax expense be disclosed as either domestic or foreign in the
income  statement or notes to the consolidated financial statements.  Pleas e revise to
comply or advise us of why  you are not required to do so.

2. We note from your disclosure on page 138 that after considering all positive and negative
evidence , including the completion of certain critical merger integration milestones as

Derek J. Kerr
American Airlines Group Inc.
May 19, 2016
Page 2

 well as your financial performance, you concluded that substantially all of your deferred
income tax assets were more likely than not to be realized.  This resulted in a $3 billion
non-cash tax benefit recorded in your income statement for 2015.  Given the sig nificance
of the reversal, please tell us and revise the critical accounting policy related to income
taxes in MD&A to discuss in greater detail the nature of the positive and negative
evidence considered by management in determining the likelihood the def erred tax asset
will be realized in these circumstances.  The enhanced disclosure should provide
sufficient information to enable a reader to evaluate the quality of the deferred tax asset.
Such information may include use of tax planning strategies, expe ctations for future
income, etc.

We urge all persons who are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the disclosure
in the filing to be certain that the filing includes the information the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and all applicable Exchan ge Act rules require.   Since the company and its management are
in possession of all facts relating to a company’s disclosure, they are responsible for the accuracy
and adequacy of the disclosures they have made.

 In responding to our comments, please p rovide  a written statement from the company
acknowledging that:

 the company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;

 staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose
the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and

 the company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by
the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.

You may contact Heather Clark at 202 -551-3624 or Jean Yu  at 202 -551-3305 if you have
questions regarding comments on the financial statements and related matters.  P lease contact me
at 202 -551-3377  with any other questions.

Sincerely,

 /s/ Andrew Mew

Andrew Mew
Senior Assistant Chief Accountant
Office of Transportation and Leisure