Perdite record per BA
BA Reveals Record Annual Loss Of £531m
From
http://news.sky.com/
British Airways has revealed it made a record annual pre-tax loss of £531m as it prepares to take a further hit from a looming cabin crew walkout.
The latest results, which cover a 12-month period to the end of March, include an estimated £40-45m loss from the first round of cabin crew strikes earlier this year.
But they do not reflect the fall in revenue caused by the volcanic ash cloud disruption in April nor the bookings slide that occurred as the industrial row deepened.
BA's loss over the year to March is its worst performance since it was privatised in 1987 and follows a £401m loss last year.
However, chief executive Willie Walsh told Sky News the figures were "reasonable given the circumstances".
"If it wasn't for the decisive action we took this year, I think the losses would have been far greater," he told Sky News.
The airline reported its annual results as cabin crew prepare to go ahead with a five-day strike from Monday after the Court of Appeal overturned an injunction blocking the action.
Mr Walsh said he was hopeful that an agreement could be reached to call off the walkout, but maintained that permanent change was needed to secure BA's future.
"What you've got at BA is a boss who has finally stood up to the need to address the issues that should have been tackled years ago," he told Sky News.
"Anyone who examines what's going on will recognise that we have working practices that are completely out of line with our industry and competitors."
He went on: "We can face up to any competition. What we can't deal with is a trade union that wants to destroy the business."
Mr Walsh said he had managed to reach an agreement with Unite leaders Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley that addressed the "substantive issues".
Yet he said the Bassa branch of the union, which represents the cabin crew, had "trashed" the proposal.
BA could face a £100m bill from the next wave of industrial action, in addition to a potentially devastating fall in ticket sales if passengers, particularly business travellers, choose to take their custom elsewhere.
Nevertheless, the airline said market conditions were showing improvement and said it expected to break even this year.
Its most recent slide into the red was slightly less than the £600m feared.
BA said its revenues for the year to the end of March fell 11% to £7.9bn but that its costs had come down by around £1bn.
Commenting on the figures, airline industry analyst John Strickland told Sky News: "BA can carry on - the company has financial reserves to withstand it.
"However, these resources are to tide the airline through these difficult economic times, not to deal with problems of staff disputes.
"Every day the strike threat happens, competitors will take advantage to capture those passengers."