non-GAAP reconciliation table at the end of this press release for additional details on adjusted Net Income and adjusted diluted earnings per share.
Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2022 was $29.9 million, or 24.4% of sales, compared to $16.5 million, or 28.3% of sales in the first quarter of 2021. Higher adjusted EBITDA reflected higher contributions from flight equipment sales during the current quarter, partially offset by $6.4 million in Payroll Support Program proceeds recognized during the first quarter of 2021. There were no corresponding proceeds in the current quarter. Please see the non-GAAP reconciliation table at the end of this press release for additional details on adjusted EBITDA.
Cash flows from operating activities were $43.0 million in the first quarter of 2022 primarily due to strong GAAP net income results and $28.2 million of cashflow related to monetization of inventory. The Company ended the quarter with $171.7 million of cash and has an undrawn $150 million credit facility.
Nicolas Finazzo, AerSale’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are off to a great start in 2022 and our continued achievements are evidence of the success of our purpose-built, integrated, multi-dimensional adaptive business model. This is underscored by revenue that more than doubled compared to the prior year period, coupled with adjusted EBITDA margins approaching 25%. We continue to direct our resources toward the highest generating rates of return for our shareholders, as demonstrated by our resource allocation to in-house work on our Boeing 757 program, which has yielded strong margin improvement on record company sales.
Finazzo added, “Over the past few months, we have noted a sharp improvement in the feedstock market and our team has identified significant asset acquisition opportunities at attractive prices. Feedstock is a cornerstone of our strategy, and we are extremely well positioned to take advantage of the current market dynamic with over $171 million in cash as of quarter-end, no debt, and a $150 million undrawn revolver.”
First Quarter 2022 Results of Operations
AerSale reported revenue of $122.8 million in the first quarter of 2022, which included $75.9 million of flight equipment sales. The Company’s revenue for the first quarter of 2021 was $58.4 million and included $13.8 million of flight equipment sales. As a reminder to investors, flight equipment sales may significantly vary quarter-to-quarter, and AerSale believes full-year analysis, rather than year-over-year quarterly comparisons is a more appropriate measurement of Company progress.
Asset Management Solutions (AMS) revenue increased by 154.8% to $74.5 million in the first quarter of 2022 primarily due to the above-mentioned flight equipment sales. USM parts sales were higher in the first quarter of 2022, driven by an increase in feedstock acquisitions and greater demand for USM parts related to the recovery in passenger travel as compared to the prior year period. In addition, leasing revenue was up in the first quarter of 2022 as compared to the first quarter of 2021, as volume and utilization of the Company’s leased assets was stronger. Due to sanctions resulting from the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, two aircraft and one engine lease was terminated during the first quarter of 2022 with such flight equipment being actively remarketed.
Revenue from TechOps was up 65.4% to $48.3 million in the first quarter of 2022, mainly from the sale of a Boeing 737NG which was highly modified for a US governmental agency and previously used for AerAware flight testing. This increase was offset in part by lower revenue from MRO activities at AerSale’s Goodyear facility, following the previously mentioned reallocation of resources to the Company’s passenger-to-cargo conversion line for its Boeing 757 aircraft and at AerSale’s Roswell facility due to a decline in maintenance related activities as aircraft are returned to service.
Gross margin was 38.0% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 33.9% in the year ago period as a result of higher margin flight equipment sales and improved leasing margins.
Selling, general and administrative expenses net of Payroll Support Program proceeds were $23.8 million in the first quarter of 2022 compared to $6.9 million in the first quarter of 2021. AerSale received $6.4 million in Payroll Support Program proceeds during the first quarter of 2021 and did not receive any Payroll Support Program