Brtish Airways results and passenger figures for March 2009

15.4.2009     (British Airways Press release)

Summary of the headline figures

In March 2009, passenger capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres, was
0.9% above March 2008.    Traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres, fell by 7.3%.  

This resulted in a passenger load factor decrease of 6.4%, versus last year, to 72.7%.   Traffic comprised a 13.0% decrease in premium traffic and a 6.0% fall in non-premium
traffic.    

Comparisons between March 2008 and March 2009 are complicated by the timing of
Easter, which fell in March in 2008 and will be in April this year.    The effect
in March 2009 is to increase premium and reduce non-premium volumes.

Cargo, measured in Cargo Tonne Kilometres, fell by 10.0%.      

Market conditions

Market conditions remain challenging, with both volume and yield under pressure
in all markets.

At Investor Day we indicated that the full year result would be impacted by one-off
items: the significant snowfall in early February, which severely restricted operations
for several days, and any additional severance costs through to the end of March
as we continue to restructure the business.    These are expected to be some £20
million and £35 million respectively.    

The revenue outlook for the full year will be impacted by some £20- £25 million
due to the weakness in volume and yield, particularly in US traffic.

Including the impact of weaker revenue for the year we anticipate that we will
report a full year operating loss of some £150 million before total severance
costs of £75 million.

Strategic Developments



The airline won five top accolades from the Chartered Institute of Marketing
Travel Marketing Awards for its ‘Terminal 5 is working’ campaign.

British Airways has invested £5 million to become the first commercial airline
to introduce onboard Microwave Landing System technology. The system increases
the safe landing rate during low visibility at Heathrow by more than 20 per cent,
reducing delays and disruption caused by fog.

Flights to Atlanta and Toulouse moved from Gatwick to Heathrow at the start of the summer season on March 29,
2009. Services from Heathrow to Dhaka and Kolkata and from Gatwick to Dublin, Geneva (summer only) and Zurich were suspended.    At Heathrow, Nice flights moved from Terminal 3 to Terminal
5 and flights to Malaga and Vienna moved from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3.


  
  
 
BRITISH AIRWAYS SCHEDULED SERVICES

 

 

 

 

Financial year

 

 

 

Month of March

 

 

April to March

 

 

 

 

 

Change

 

 

 

 

Change

 

 

 

2009

 

2008

 

(%)

 

 

 

2009

 

2008

 

(%)

 

 

Passengers carried (000)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UK/Europe

 

1,570

 

1,719

 

 -8.7

 

 

20,113

 

21,112

 

 -4.7

 

 


Americas

 

580

 

640

 

 -9.5

 

 

7,593

 

7,856

 

 -3.4

 

 

Asia Pacific

 

142

 

161

 

 -11.9

 

 

1,804

 

1,920

 

 -6.0

 

 

Africa and Middle East

 

319

 

321

 

 -0.7

 

 

3,589

 

3,685

 

 -2.6

 

 

Total

 

2,610

 

2,841

 

 -8.2

 

 

33,097

 

34,573

 

 -4.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue passenger km (m)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UK/Europe

 

1,577

 

1,684

 

 -6.3

 

 

20,711

 

20,857

 

 -0.7

 

 


Americas

 

3,962

 

4,347

 

 -8.9

 

 

51,294

 

52,956

 

 -3.1

 

 

Asia Pacific

 

1,472

 

1,658

 

 -11.2

 

 

18,555

 

19,713

 

 -5.9

 

 

Africa and Middle East

 

2,129

 

2,171

 

 -1.9

 

 

23,742

 

24,811

 

 -4.3

 

 

Total

 

9,141

 

9,859

 

 -7.3

 

 

114,301

 

118,337

 

 -3.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available seat km (m)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UK/Europe

 

2,461

 

2,399

 

+2.6

 

 

30,063

 

29,084

 

+3.4

 

 


Americas

 

5,523

 

5,382

 

+2.6

 

 

65,353

 

65,941

 

 -0.9

 

 

Asia Pacific

 

1,778

 

1,914

 

 -7.1

 

 

22,421

 

23,256

 

 -3.6

 

 

Africa and Middle East

 

2,814

 

2,771

 

+1.6

 

 

30,606

 

31,206

 

 -1.9

 

 

Total

 

12,576

 

12,466

 

+0.9

 

 

148,443

 

149,488

 

 -0.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passenger load factor (%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UK/Europe

 

64.1

 

70.2

 

 -6.1

 

pts

 

68.9

 

71.7

 

 -2.8

 

pts

 


Americas

 

71.7

 

80.8

 

 -9.1

 

pts

 

78.5

 

80.3

 

 -1.8

 

pts

 

Asia Pacific

 

82.8

 

86.6

 

 -3.8

 

pts

 

82.8

 

84.8

 

 -2.0

 

pts

 

Africa and Middle East

 

75.7

 

78.3

 

 -2.6

 

pts

 

77.6

 

79.5

 

 -1.9

 

pts

 

Total

 

72.7

 

79.1

 

 -6.4

 

pts

 

77.0

 

79.2

 

 -2.2

 

pts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue tonne km (RTK) (m)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cargo tonne km (CTK)

 

390

 

434

 

 -10.0

 

 

4,638

 

4,892

 

 -5.2

 

 

Total RTK

 

1,304

 

1,415

 

 -7.8

 

 

16,063

 

16,792

 

 -4.3

 

 

Available tonne km (m)

 

1,894

 

1,905

 

 -0.6

 

 

22,277

 

22,863

 

 -2.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall load factor (%)

 

68.8

 

74.3

 

 -5.5

 

pts

 

72.1

 

73.4

 

 -1.3

 

pts