Ecco un report più ampio sulla trimestrale di Air France - KLM... anche qui, come già accenato da Lorenzo, ancora tagli, con l'obiettivo del ritorno all'utile operativo nell'aprile 2010. L'obiettivo pare alla portata, giacché la perdita operativa del trimestre si è attestata a 47 mln euro.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2009, 1:12 P.M. ET
2nd UPDATE: Air France-KLM Had Quarterly Net Loss Of EUR147M
(Adds company comment)
By David Pearson
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
PARIS (Dow Jones)--Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM (AF.FR) Wednesday reported a wider-than-expected net loss of EUR147 million for the three months ended Sept. 30, reflecting weak cargo and passenger traffic and a EUR179 million charge related to fuel hedging.
The loss, for the second quarter of Air France-KLM's fiscal year ending March 31, 2010, came in above an average estimate of EUR102 million from a panel of nine analysts polled by the airline.
Second-quarter revenue fell 19% to EUR5.61 billion from EUR6.94 billion a year earlier, while the company delivered an operating loss of EUR47 million compared with profit of EUR391 million a year ago.
The airline said it will pursue its cost-cutting efforts in an effort to return to break even at the operating level, excluding the impact of fuel hedges, by the beginning of its next financial year starting April 1, 2010.
"Lack of visibility over the timing and strength of the economic recovery means we must pursue our efforts in terms of cost reduction," the airline quoted Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon as saying.
He said Air France-KLM is stabilizing its activity levels, and plans to reduce headcount through the voluntary departure of 1,700 employees in 2010. Headcount is expected to fall by 4.1% over the year to March 31, 2010, to 105,735 employees, and will be trimmed by a further 3% to 5% one year after that, Gourgeon said.
Air France-KLM has sharply cut its passenger and cargo capacity to reflect the drop in traffic stemming from the global economic slowdown. The group's cost-cutting program has been increased by EUR100 million to EUR700 million.
The cost-cutting and capacity adaptation measures are bearing fruit, the company said. Air France-KLM was much deeper in the red in the first quarter of its current financial year than in the second.
It trimmed passenger capacity by 4.4% in the second quarter, more than the 3.3% decline in traffic in the period. Cargo capacity was slashed by 18% versus a 17% traffic fall.
Operating expenses were slashed by 14% in the second quarter to EUR5.65 billion due to EUR202 million in cost savings under the airline's Challenge 12 program.
Air France-KLM said its fuel bill fell EUR438 million in the second quarter to EUR1.3 billion, reflecting a 9% drop in fuel volumes, the weaker dollar and lower fuel prices. The fuel bill for the third quarter is estimated at $1.8 billion and $1.6 billion for the last quarter of the year.
For the six months through Sept. 30, Air France-KLM had a net loss of EUR573 million, compared to a net year-ago profit of EUR176 million. It showed a EUR543 million first-half operating loss, compared to a EUR592 million year-earlier operating profit, while revenue was 19% lower at EUR10.78 billion.
Gourgeon told a press conference that the sharp reduction in cargo capacity and a rationalization of existing cargo assets should bring the cargo division back to break-even during the 2011-2012 financial year.
The reduction in cargo capacity is continuing, and the airline will reduce its passenger capacity by a further 2% for the coming winter season.