Asiana Airlines has posted a second-quarter net loss of KRW85 .4 billion ($72.4 million), widening the net loss of KRW11.8 billion in the year-ago period. The carrier has attributed the fall to the loss of passengers during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the region confirmed in May, which caused a spike in the number of cancellations of trips by Chinese and Japanese tourists.
Asiana’s second-quarter revenue fell by 8% to KRW1.3 trillion from KRW1.4 trillion, resulting in an operating loss of KRW 61.4 billion, reversed from an operating profit of KRW3 billion a year ago.
Passenger revenue also fell 7.7% from the corresponding period in 2014, while cargo revenue fell 13.5%. The airline attributed poor cargo sales mainly to a slump in European business.