ANA Posts Biggest Deficit

All Nippon Airways (ANA, Tokyo Stock Exchange stock code #9202) has announced its latest consolidated financial closing with a loss of 57.3 billion yen (about 0.6 billion US dollars), surpassing 4.2 billion yen deficit at a year ago as its biggest deficit in a single year.

 The deficit should be attributed to sluggish growth of passenger revenue which came from fewer passengers by bad economy as well as new type of flu last year. Fewer business class passengers as well as intensive competition lowered average price of seat in every flight; domestic seat price was reduced by 3.3% from previous year while 30.1% drop was seen in international flights.

As for the coming year ending March 2011, ANA expects gross sales revenue of 1,360 billion yen or 10.7% higher than this year with final profit of 5 billion. ANA counts on recovery of traffic demand and more revenue as expansion of its slots at Tokyo's two international airports at Haneda and Narita.

Its rival Japan Airlines will withdraw from 45 air routes in this year in both domestic and international market. ANA does not think it will benefit from JAL restructuring. Volcanic effect of Iceland in April is believed to lower ANA passenger revenue by 1 billion yen and 0.5 billion yen in profit.