Aer Lingus has reported a 3.3% increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2013 to €259.7 million, although the airline’s operating loss grew by €9.4 million to €45.5 million compared with the first three months of 2012.
Aer Lingus attributed the loss to the start-up costs for the “wet-lease” arrangement with Virgin in the UK, planned changes to the long haul fleet, and slightly weaker trading on UK routes. Higher fuel prices, airport charges and one-off costs also impacted profits, says the airline.
Aer Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller noted that the rising operating losses “highlights the need to continue to review our cost base to protect profitability for the rest of 2013 and beyond”.
“While there are challenges ahead, we are committed to continuing the profitable growth of our business,” he said. “In line with the ongoing requirement to streamline our organisation structure and identify cost saving initiatives, we are launching a voluntary severance programme, with a goal of reducing headcount by approximately 100 staff by year end.”
Aer Lingus carried 2.2% more passengers in the first three months of the year compared to 2012. Revenue per seat was 6.5% cent higher, with overall yield per passenger increasing by 3.7%. Long haul yields were up by 5.6%.
The airline expects full year profits this year to be similar to 2012, which amounted to €69.1 million before exceptional items.
Aer Lingus operating loss increases in Q1
