Airline per passenger profit less than the price of a sandwich
Airlines make an average of around $4 per person, less than the cost of a sandwich, according to the latest report from IATA.
Tony Tyler, director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association, made the comparison as he unveiled the latest forecast for the industry in Cape Town.
He said airlines’ margins remain weak, even though IATA has upgraded its global outlook for the industry to a $12.7 billion profit in 2013, $2.1 billion better than the $10.6 billion profit projected in March of this year.
"This is a very tough business. The day-to-day challenges of keeping revenues ahead of costs remain monumental. Many airlines are struggling," he said.
While revenues are expected to total $711 billion this year, the net profit margin is expected to be 1.8%.
"(This is) indicative of the characteristically razor thin profits of the airline industry, even this small margin will make 2013 the third strongest year for airlines since September 11 2001," said IATA.
Qatar Airways will host the 70th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit.
The event will take place in Doha from June 1-3, 2014.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025