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BA: Strong full year results in challenging conditions

 
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Jim Mason
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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2007 6:24 pm    Post subject: BA: Strong full year results in challenging conditions Reply with quote



Financial highlights:

· Revenue up 3.4 per cent to £8,492 million (2006: £8,213 million)

· Operating profit £602 million despite fuel up £350 million (2006: £694
million)

· Pre-tax profit of £611 million (2006: £616 million)

· Operating margin 7.1 per cent (2006: 8.5 per cent)

· Provision of £350 million for competition investigation

· Earnings per share 25.5 pence (2006: 40.4 pence)

Operational highlights:

· Traffic volumes up 2.9 per cent

· Seat factor flat at 76.1 per cent

· Capacity up 2.9 per cent

· Yield up 2.1 per cent


British Airways today (Friday May 1Cool reported an operating profit of £602
million for the year ending March 31, 2007 (2006: £694 million). The operating
margin was 7.1 per cent (2006: 8.5 per cent). For the quarter, the operating
profit was £31 million (2006: £98 million) giving an operating margin of 1.6
per cent. The pre tax profit was £611 million (2006: £616 million) for the
year and £27 million (2006: £98 million) for the quarter.

Group turnover for the year was £8,492 million (2006: £8,213 million), up 3.4
per cent on a flying programme up 0.7 per cent, measured in Available Tonne
Kilometres (ATKs). For the quarter, Group turnover was significantly impacted
by the threat of a strike and was down 5.9 per cent to £1,932 million, on a
flying programme 1.5 per cent lower in ATKs.

Operating cash flow for the year was £756 million (2006: £1,339 million).
Including current interest bearing deposits, the cash position at March 31,
2007, was £2,355 million, down £85 million compared with March 31, 2006.

Net debt was £991 million, a reduction of £650 million since the start of the
financial year. The second installment of £560 million from the company's £800
million cash injection was paid into the New Airways Pensions Scheme (NAPS) on
April 2, 2007. This reduced the cash balances immediately after the balance
sheet date to around £1,800 million.

Traffic volumes, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), were up 2..9
per cent for the year and down 1.3 per cent for the quarter. Seat factor was
flat for the year at 76.1 per cent on capacity 2.9 per cent higher in Available
Seat Kilometres (ASKs) and down 2.0 percentage points in the quarter to 71.4
per cent. Yield measured in pence per RPK was up 2.1 per cent for the year and
down 3.4 per cent for the quarter. Total costs, excluding one off items, were
up 5.5 per cent, driven mainly by a 22 per cent increase in fuel costs to £1.93
billion. Non-fuel costs were up 1.1 per cent.

Cargo volumes for the year, measured in Cargo Tonne Kilometres (CTKs) were down
4.7 per cent compared with the prior year, with yields up 1.7 per cent. For the
quarter, cargo volumes were down 12.4 per cent compared to last year. Cargo
performance during the second half was impacted by operational and security
related issues.

The results include a £396 million credit as a result of a change to the New
Airways Pension Scheme (NAPS).

The investigations by the US Department of Justice, the European Commission and
the UK Office of Fair Trading and others into anti-competitive activity on long
haul passenger and cargo fuel surcharges are continuing. However, British
Airways has now responded to the subpoenas and other statutory requests for
information from these authorities.

British Airways has a long-standing, clear and comprehensive competition
compliance policy. This policy requires all staff to comply with the law at all
times. It has become apparent that there have been breaches of this policy in
relation to discussions about these surcharges with competitors. As a result,
it is now appropriate for the company to make a provision, under IAS 37, of
£350 million in its full year accounts. The provision represents the best
estimate of the amount to settle all competition authority and civil claims at
the Balance Sheet date, but recognises that the final amount is subject to
uncertainty.

Willie Walsh, British Airways' chief executive, said:

"These are strong results despite a challenging year. We know at times it has
been a frustrating year for our customers, caused by disruption and overly
restrictive UK government security measures on hand baggage.

"We have taken steps to ensure the fundamentals of our business are strong,
laying the foundations to deliver our 10 per cent operating margin target by
March 2008. We have addressed the £2.1 billion pension deficit and disposed of
the loss-making regional business, BA Connect. Our total cost control has been
good, with non-fuel costs up just 1.1 per cent.

"We are on the threshold of a new era for our customers. Terminal 5 is only 313
days away and tickets for flights from T5 are now available for sale. Our new
Club World cabin is now on 96 services to New York's JFK airport and we will be
investing in a fantastic new First cabin. We have made progress on Gatwick,
particularly on costs, which has given us the confidence to renew our
commitment to Gatwick and upgrade its fleet. This is a step towards a single
shorthaul fleet.

"Earlier this year we ordered four new widebodied aircraft for delivery in
2009, and we anticipate making a further major order for 34 replacement and
additional growth aircraft in the coming months. Today we have announced an
order for eight Airbus A320 family aircraft for the shorthaul fleet.

"The 'open skies' air treaty agreed recently between the EU and the US has
given us some new and exciting opportunities. We have filed an application
with the US DoT for permission to operate services between any point in the US
and any point in the EU to enable us to grow the most profitable part of our
business."

Martin Broughton, British Airways' chairman, said:

"We are pleased with the progress that Willie and his team have made on many
fronts this year despite all the challenges.

"In terms of current performance, we have seen some weakness in non-premium
segments notably on the North Atlantic. To some degree, complete visibility is
hampered by the ongoing baggage restrictions which impact all cabins but
particularly premium. Our revenue guidance of 5-6 per cent increase is
unchanged but we now expect to be at the lower of end of this range.

"Cost control remains a key focus and full year costs, excluding fuel, are
still expected to be some £50 million higher than the year just reported.

"Our goal to achieve a 10 per cent operating margin by March 2008 remains on
track, although year over year improvements are likely to be delivered
predominantly in the second half as we cycle against record results in the
period to August 10 last year."

The Board has recommended that no final dividend be paid.

ends
May 18, 2007 111/KG/07

Note to Editors:
· The provision in respect of competition investigations relates to potential
Government fines in the following jurisdictions in relation to cargo fuel
surcharges: USA, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa and,
in relation to long haul passenger fuel surcharges: USA and the UK. It also
relates to civil claims in the USA, Australia and Canada. Under IAS 37 the
provision represents the estimate of the amount to settle competition authority
and civil claims at the Balance Sheet date, but recognises that the final
amount required to pay all claims and fines is subject to uncertainty.

· Under IAS 19 accounting rules a change to the New Airways Pension Scheme
(NAPS), capping pensionable pay at RPI, resulted in a one-off credit to the P&L
account.

· See separate RNS statement on short haul aircraft order.

· The current year and prior year results have been restated to reflect the
agreement to dispose of the regional business of BA Connect to Flybe. There is
an accounting requirement under IFRS 5 to reclassify the financial results
between continuing and discontinued operations.

British Airways' presentation to city analysts can be accessed via the internet
www.bashares.com at 9am. A webcast of British Airways' conference call to city
analysts can also be accessed via the internet www.bashares.com at 2pm.

This document is the summary financial statement for the year ended March 31,
2007 of British Airways Plc, whose details are above. Certain statements
included in this edition of Investor may be forward-looking and may involve
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-
looking statements include, without limitation,
projections relating to results of operations and financial conditions and the
company's plans and objectives for future operations, including, without
limitation, discussions of the company's business and financing plans, expected
future revenues and expenditures and divestments. All forward-looking
statements in this report are based upon information known to the company on
the date of this report. The company
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
It is not reasonably possible to itemise all of the many factors and specific
events that could cause the company's forward-looking statements to be
incorrect or that could otherwise have a material adverse effect on the future
operations or results of an airline operating in the
global economy. Fuller information on some of the factors which could result in
a material difference is available in the company's Annual Report and Accounts
for the year ended March 31, 2007, which is available on
www.bashareholders.com.

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