PROPOSAL NO. 3—RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The audit committee of our Board has appointed Grant Thornton LLP (“Grant Thornton”), as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2022, and is seeking ratification of this selection by our stockholders at the Annual Meeting. Grant Thornton has audited our financial statements for each of our fiscal years since the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and has audited the financial statements of Wheels Up Partners Holdings LLC (“WUP”), our accounting predecessor, since the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. Representatives of Grant Thornton are expected to be in attendance online at the Annual Meeting. They will have an opportunity to make a statement if they so desire and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
Neither our Bylaws nor other governing documents or law require stockholder ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton as our independent registered public accounting firm. However, the audit committee is submitting the appointment of Grant Thornton to our stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. If our stockholders fail to ratify the appointment, the audit committee will reconsider the selection of Grant Thornton as our independent registered public accounting firm. Even if the appointment is ratified, the audit committee in its discretion may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if they determine that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders.
Change in Auditor
Dismissal of independent registered public accounting firm
On July 13, 2021, the audit committee of the Board dismissed Marcum LLP (“Marcum”), the independent registered public accounting firm of Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle Corp. (“Aspirational”), our legal predecessor, prior to the Business Combination, as our independent registered public accounting firm following completion of our review of the quarter ended June 30, 2021, which consists only of the accounts of Aspirational prior to the Business Combination.
The report of Marcum on the financial statements of Aspirational as of December 31, 2020, and for the period from July 7, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainties, audit scope or accounting principles, except for an explanatory paragraph in such report regarding substantial doubt about Aspirational’s ability to continue as a going concern.
During the period from July 7, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 and the subsequent interim period through July 13, 2021, there were no disagreements between Aspirational and Marcum on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial disclosure or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Marcum, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in its reports on Aspirational’s financial statements for such period.
During the period from July 7, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 and the subsequent interim period through July 13, 2021, there were no “reportable events” (as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), other than the material weakness in internal controls identified by management related to the accounting treatment of (i) the redeemable warrants that were included in the units issued by Aspirational in its initial public offering (the “IPO”) and (ii) the redeemable warrants that were issued to the Sponsor in a private placement that closed concurrently with the closing of the IPO, which resulted in the restatement of Aspirational’s financial statements as set forth in Amendment No. 1 to Aspirational’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC on May 6, 2021.
Disclosures regarding the new independent auditor
On July 13, 2021, the audit committee of the Board approved the engagement of Grant Thornton as our independent registered public accounting firm to audit our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021. Grant Thornton served as independent registered public accounting firm of WUP prior to the Business Combination.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 and the subsequent interim periods through July 13, 2021, neither we, nor any party on our behalf, consulted with Grant Thornton with respect to either (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered with respect to our consolidated financial statements, and no written report or oral advice was provided to us by Grant Thornton that was an important factor considered by us in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue, or (ii) any matter that was subject to any disagreement (as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions) or a reportable event (as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K).