Alitalia posts €273 million half-year operating loss

Alitalia released select financial and operating data for the period from Jan. 13, when it re-launched under new ownership as a merged company with Air One, to June 30 (ATWOnline, March 4). It posted an operating loss of €273 million ($385.5 million), comprising a €210 million first-quarter loss and a €63 million second-quarter deficit. Revenue was €1.3 billion over the six-month period and AZ carried 10 million passengers at a load factor of 59% (51% in the first quarter, 65% in the second). "The results. . .although slightly lower than forecast, are actually better than expected, considering the actual critical scenario which has affected the aviation sector on a global scale," Chairman Roberto Colaninno said.

AZ expects further improvement in the current quarter. It will transport around 2.2 million passengers this month with load factor averaging 72%. It canceled fewer than 1% of its scheduled flights in the second quarter, although a "general scenario of poor punctuality remains on the whole network. In the first semester the average performance was slightly above 70%, still far from the company goal of 80%." Most of the problems are at Rome Fiumicino. It said it launched "an important" effort to integrate and renew FCO operations logistics, processes and systems in order to improve the situation. AZ plans to introduce 75 new Airbus aircraft by the end of 2013, with six A320s already delivered this year (ATWOnline, June 3). It said its partnership with Air France KLM is "positive" and that it expects to break even within three years.