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US Dept. of Transportation gave final approval for antitrust immunity to oneworld members American Airlines and Japan Airlines and, separately, to Star Alliance members United Airlines, Continental Airlines and All Nippon Airways to operate their respective transpacific joint ventures. DOT's official clearance of both JVs enables implementation of the US-Japan "open skies" accord to which the two nations agreed late last year. The Japanese government earlier approved both partnerships.
ANA Group reported net income of Yen 18.5 billion ($221 million) in its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, improved over earnings of Yen 3.8 billion in the year-ago period. It cited "tight cost controls and rising passenger demand" for the stronger result. Operating revenues climbed 10.1% to Yen 372.2 billion while operating expenses rose just 1.4% to Yen 323.4 billion, creating an operating profit of Yen 53.8 billion compared to Yen 14.1 billion for the 2009 period. Results would have been even better but for the need to record an extraordinary charge of Yen 14.1 billion linked to antitrust investigations into airline price-fixing.
For the fiscal first half, ANA posted net income of Yen 13.2 billion, reversing last year's loss of Yen 25.3 billion, on an 11.8% rise in sales to Yen 684.1 billion.
Singapore Airlines parent SIA Group reported net income for its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30 of S$380.2 million ($295.6 million), turned around from a S$158.8 million deficit in the prior-year period, as revenue jumped 17.9% to S$3.63 billion. Expenses increased just...