Bmi parent suffers impact of Japan disaster and North African unrest
Catastrophes in Japan, political unrest in North Africa, rising oil prices and a severe winter all took their toll on the Lufthansa Group in the first three months of this year.
The group reported an operating loss of €227 million, compared with a loss of €330 million reported this time last year.
This was despite revenue growth of 11.8% to €6.4 billion.
The group’s passenger airline business, which includes Lufthansa, bmi, Germanwings, Swiss and Austrian Airlines, recorded an operating loss just below last year’s figure at €391 million.
The group said Lufthansa and Germanwings both suffered from the new German air traffic tax that was introduced at the beginning of the year.
Lufthansa passenger airline posted a first-quarter operating loss of €234 million, while Germanwings closed the first quarter with an operating loss of €44 million.
Austrian Airlines reduced its operating loss to €64 and bmi entered an operating result of €63 million.
Swiss was the only airline which did not report a loss, recorded an operating profit of €17 million.
Summing up, the group’s statement said: “Lufthansa does not consider the generally positive development of the current year at risk and the Group’s Executive Board therefore continues to anticipate a year-on-year increase in revenue and operating result for 2011.
“However, the uncertainty surrounding the further developments in Japan and North Africa, as well as their implications with regard to the oil price, do not allow for any further quantification of the full‑year operating result.”
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025