The total net profit of world airline companies on the basis of 2015 will increase almost twice, to $ 29.3 billion. Growth factors are the cheap oil and expensive US dollar. The best indicators will demonstrate the airlines from the United States. Russian airlines have meanwhile accumulated losses.
World airlines will receive for the year of 2015 a record net profit of $ 29.3 billion, which is almost twice higher than last year's level of $ 16.4 billion. Such data are contained in the annual forecast of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As expected, total revenue will be $ 727 billion. The two main factors causing such a growth for the aviation industry are the lower prices for jet fuel and the high rate of the US dollar on the world currency market.
There will also be improved the indicator of passenger load factor: it will be 80.2% in 2015. The head of IATA called the index of return on invested capital at 7.5%. For the first time, this figure will exceed the cost of capital which fell to 6.8%. The number of passengers will increase by 6.5% - to 3.5 million people.
Low oil prices and jet fuel will reduce fuel costs up to $ 191 billion. This is 15.5% less than in 2014. At the same time, fuel consumption will increase by 4% - from 350 billion to 363.7 billion liters.
More than half of the earned income will be in the possession of airlines based in North America. Their share in the global profit in 2015 will reach $ 15.7 billion, while the margin on earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) is to exceed 12% in comparison with the average margin level - 4%. American Airlines will demonstrate the highest profit per passenger - $ 18.12. Second and third places in the list of the most profitable regions will go for Europe ($ 5.8 billion) and Asian Pacific region ($ 5.1 billion). If we compare in terms of income per passenger, the second place belongs to the Middle Eastern carriers ($ 9.6), while the third – to the European ($ 6.3).
According to experts of IATA, the airline industry in all regions of the world will know an improvement in profitability. However, "the fate of this sector is far from uniform. Many airlines continue to face enormous challenges”, said Tony Tyler, CEO of IATA.
Thus, the European aviation industry will experience a negative impact due to the stagnation of economic growth in some countries, the conflict in Ukraine, and foreign exchange risks. In particular, the segment of passenger traffic in Russia over the past year and a half was badly damaged due to a drop in prices of the ruble against the US dollar and the euro. The purchasing power got reduced.