American Releases Q4 Investor Update
American Airlines’s investor update from the final quarter of 2021 is out, and the airline announced it expects revenue for Q4 to be down 17% from Q4 2019 – but that’s actually good news, as it expected it to be down 20% previously.
AA paid about $2.36 per gallon for jet fuel – a figure that would have been significantly more, but it saved up all its grocery points for the year to use during Q4, earning a significant savings at the pump. American says it paid a 22% tax rate for the quarter, a figure which would have been much higher had not been able to write off the refunds it sent for its multiple operational meltdowns during the year’s final months.
The airline ended the quarter with about $15.8 billion available in total liquidity. At one point, it was closer to $16 billion, but it’s planning a lavish going-away party for outgoing CEO Doug Parker, and supply chain shortages are causing the price of Texas-sized shrimp cocktail to skyrocket.
BA Takes a Swing at ITA
It’s not enough that Lufthansa has made ITA the apple of its eye, as now British Airways and its parent IAG are interested in lighting money on fire making a bid for the reborn Italian carrier.
Reports over the weekend said that Lufthansa Group was interested in a stake as large as 40%, and it’s considered the leading contender to acquire the airline. But reports in Italy say ITA CEO Alfredo “Sauce Me” Altavilla is in discussions with IAG, which is still reeling after its purchase of Air Europa fell apart late last year.
With the Air Europa purchase in the crapper, IAG has the billion dollars it planned to spend burning a hole in its pocket. Just like Lufthansa’s interest in ITA might be about keeping it away from the competition as much as actually wanting the airline and its assets, BA and IAG could be thinking the same thing.
Garuda Indonesia in a Financial Mess
SkyTeam carrier Garuda Indonesia finds itself owing about $4 billion more than it thought it did to creditors while it tries to extend its debt security another ten years before expiring next year.
Creditors of the beleaguered carrier reported $13.85 billion in claims, significantly higher than the $9.8 billion Garuda publicly admitted to owing earlier this month. A billion here, a billion there, it eventually adds up to more than the airline can afford to pay back. To raise capital, it’s looking to extend its $500 million sukuk – a fancy word for Islamic debt securities – from 2023 to 2033.
If successful, Garuda then plans to offer the holders of the sukuk about $0.19 cents on the dollar to convert one-third of the deal to equity in the airline. Unfortunately, that equity isn’t worth very much, and neither is the sukuk, after the carrier defaulted on payments in June 2020 – when it was originally due – and then extended its life to 2023. In Garuda’s defense, it’s possible if it can keep kicking the can down the road on the payments that an asteroid could hit earth and save it from having to ever repay.
- Air Greenland is temporarily suspending ticket sales.
- AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes believes international travel will bounce back. He also believes ancillary fees are customer-friendly, jet fuel is too expensive, taxes are too high, soup is rarely hot enough, banks should be open longer hours, and cab lines should move more quickly at major international airports.
- Alaska awards are now available for redemption on Royal Air Maroc.
- American and Aer Lingus launch their new codeshare agreement this week.
- Asian Express — the Tajik LCC, not the Chinese food place at your local mall’s food court — plans to restart flying with a wet-leased A320. It will begin selling tickets as soon as it finds enough towels to dry the plane.
- Azorra purchased 22 A220 family aircraft.
- Cathay Pacific will relaunch its Marco Polo loyalty program to the cleverly-named “Cathay” this July.
- EGO Airways was knocked down a peg or two this week when the Italian government suspended its permit to operate in the country.
- Jazz Air retired its final Dash 8-300 on Sunday.
- Lion Air plans to roar back into B737 MAX ops later this year.
- Turkish Air Cargo successfully flew 63 horses from Chicago to Istanbul last week, but the flight was not a comfortable one as all 63 passengers arrived in Istanbul with long faces.
- United is offering a $15,000 signing bonus for new ramp agents in Denver. To claim the cash, employees must be employed by United for at least one year and not be vaporized by the ghosts living under the Denver airport.
Waiter: “I see your glass is empty, can I get you another?”
Me: “What the hell am I gonna do with two empty glasses?”