Airline Finance News - Asia / Pacific.

For more airline finance news, data and analysis, please go to: http://www.airguideonline.com/professional.htm Aug 7, 2006

All Nippon Airways

All Nippon Airways's domestic traffic grew 2.3% to 11 million passengers based on "particularly strong demand" for service to and from Tokyo Haneda, attractive fares and new product lines, such as its Super Seat Premium service. Load factor was 63.1%. International passenger numbers rose 16.2% to 1.1 million thanks to increased business travel to Europe and North America. International load factor was 76.2%. Aug 1, 2006

All Nippon Airways

All Nippon Airways's first-quarter profits more than triple. ANA cited continued economic recovery in Japan and "strong demand for individual and international business travel" for a more than threefold growth in net profit in the first fiscal quarter ended June 30.The carrier earned [yen]7.6 billion ($66.3 million) compared to [yen]2.1 billion in the year-ago period. It said it will not change its full-year forecast of [yen]27 billion in earnings on revenues of [yen]1.42 trillion because of fuel costs, which it said rose [yen]9.5 billion in the first quarter. Aug 1, 2006

All Nippon Airways

All Nippon Airways's revenues climbed 10.5% year-over-year to [yen]345.2 billion against an 8% increase in expenses, which the airline said was due mainly to "cost reduction measures relating to aircraft operations." Operating profit jumped 66.1% to [yen]19.5 billion from [yen]11.7 billion. Aug 1, 2006

China Aviation

China Aviation Oil Supply Corporation (CAOSC), the country's monopoly jet fuel distributor, raised fuel prices by 300 yuan (USD$37.64) a tonne, or 5 percent, to airlines from July 21 under a new pricing mechanism, an industry official said on Tuesday. The move would help trim losses suffered by state-run CAOSC, which is forced to raise imports of costly aviation fuel as state refiners cut back its production to boost diesel, but might prompt airlines to increase fuel surcharges or fares, he said. The new pricing system approved by the National Development & Reform Commission, uses the weighted average of administered domestic ex-refinery prices and import costs, instead of using only ex-refinery rates, the Chinese official said. Prices will be adjusted every three months based on ex-refinery and import rates in the previous quarter, plus a set margin for the distributor. Aug 1, 2006

Hainan Airlines, Hong Kong Express

HNA Group, parent of Hainan Airlines, is negotiating to buy a stake in Hong Kong Express Airways, according to press reports. HKE, formerly Helicopters Hong Kong, was launched in 1997 and provided regular helicopter services between Hong Kong, Macao and the Pearl River Delta region. Last year it re-launched as Hong Kong Express with four Embraer 170s operating to five Chinese mainland cities. The move by HNA follows its ongoing negotiations to acquire up to 60% of Hong Kong's CR Airways. Its strategy is to build its presence in Hong Kong and launch more flights into China and internationally. Based in Xian and Ningbo, Hainan Airlines flies to Brussels, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka and Budapest. Aug 4, 2006

Jet Airways

Losses on international operations hit Jet Airways hard. Heavy losses on its startup international operations dragged Jet Airways to a INR450 million ($9.7 million) loss in the first fiscal quarter ended June 30 from a INR953 million profit in the year-ago period.And the carrier issued a warning on the domestic front as well, saying that it has concern for the industry "in view of irrational pricing by airlines simply seeking to gain market share." Aug 1, 2006

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines doubles first-quarter profit on record revenues, traffic. A one-time gain from the sale of property in Singapore and record traffic helped lift Singapore Airlines Group to a S$575.1 million ($364.3 million) profit in the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, more than double the S$234.6 million earned in the year-ago period. "Demand for air travel got off to a good start in the first quarter, with passenger load factors for all route regions showing gains over the same months last year," the airline said. "The outlook for air travel remains broadly positive for the rest of the financial year, supported by favorable economic conditions, particularly in the Asia/Pacific region and Europe...Fuel costs, however, continue to weigh on the Group's financial performance." Aug 2, 2006

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines' first fiscal quarter ended June 30, operating revenues increased 12.4% to a first-quarter record S$3.42 billion as expenses rose 12.8% to S$3.15 billion, driven by surging fuel costs. Excluding fuel, costs were up 1.3%. Operating profit climbed 8.2% to S$274 million. Turnover was boosted by a $223 million gain from the June sale of the 35-story SIA Building to TSO Investment, a subsidiary of a fund managed by CLSA Capital Partners, for S$343.9 million. The property was not considered a "core asset" and did not house SIA offices. Aug 2, 2006

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines flew 21.19 billion RPKs during its first fiscal quarter ended June 30,, a 9.4% increase over the year-ago period. Capacity rose 3.3% to 28.04 billion ASKs on the same 90 aircraft operated by SIA in the 2005 period. Load factor climbed 4.3 points to 75.6%. Yield was up 2.9% to S$10.6 cents and unit costs increased 7.1% to S$7.5 cents but dropped 7% excluding fuel. Aug 2, 2006

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines group's constituent company operating performance was as follows: The airline earned an operating profit of S$190 million, up 58.8%; SIA Cargo incurred an operating loss of S$5 million; Singapore Airport Terminal Services earned S$48 million, down 9.5%; SIA Engineering Co. earned $33.1 million, up 0.3%. The latter recently signed an MOU with India's Wadia Group to form an MRO joint venture in India. SIA Engineering will hold a 51% stake in the JV, which initially will offer line maintenance at eight airports. Aug 2, 2006