• Sweden edition
Business & Money

SAS narrows loss in Q2, hurt by ash cloud

Published: 18 Aug 10 11:47 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/28434/20100818/

Beleaguered airline SAS announced it narrowed its losses in the second quarter, but remained deep in the red due to the flight chaos caused by a cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland in April and May.

"Adjusted for ash-cloud effects, SAS generated a profit for the second quarter of 2010," departing President and CEO Mats Jansson said in a statement.

Between April and June, SAS, in which Norway, Denmark and Sweden together hold half the stock, said it suffered a net loss of 502 million kronor ($68.5 million) compared with a loss of 1.05 billion kronor a year earlier.

Excluding exceptional items and the volcanic ash cloud disruptions, which alone cost SAS around 700 million kronor, the airline registered a profit of 464 million kronor during the quarter.

Although sales were better than during the first quarter, they remained 19 percent lower than during the April-June period a year ago at 9.98 billion kronor from 12.22 billion kronor.

The market responded favourably to Wednesday's report, with SAS shares
trading 3.07 percent higher at 26.90 kronor on the Stockholm stock exchange,
which was up 0.16 percent.

SAS, which has been hard-hit by the rise of low-cost airline Norwegian and by plunging passenger traffic numbers in the wake of the global economic crisis, saw its second quarter passenger numbers slip 8.3 percent year-on-year
to 6.3 million.

The Scandinavian airline launched a major restructuring plan, Core SAS, last year aimed at saving nearly 8 billion kronor, entailing more than 5,000 layoffs.

The company added that the IATA industry body anticipates continued losses totaling $2.8 billion (20.57 billion kronor) for European airlines in 2010.

The company, which claims it has 3 million members in its loyalty program, also announced its largest-ever low-fare campaign on Wednesday, offering 1 million low-price tickets.

The company announced last week that Jansson, who spearheaded the restructuring plan, would leave the company in the fall and that it had yet to find a suitable replacement for him.

AFP/The Local (news@thelocal.se)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Fark It! Digg This  Share everywhere
Send to a friend Printable version Twitter This

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Business & Money headlines
Swedish recruiters check jobseekers on the net

Swedish recruiters check jobseekers on the net

40 percent of recruiters are checking potential employee’s social networking pages during the hiring process, a figure which has shot up from last year, according to a recent report. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

Narcolepsy victims in new compensation bid

Narcolepsy victims in new compensation bid

Families of children in Sweden suffering from narcolepsy caused by vaccination for the swine flu can expect some form of compensation, Swedish health minister Göran Hägglund said on Sunday in response to new calls for help from parents. READ (1 COMMENT) »

Saab shares dive despite strong 2011 report

Saab shares dive despite strong 2011 report

Swedish defence group Saab on Friday reported a major boost in earnings for 2011 thanks to winning several major contracts, but a drop in orders left investors jittery, sending Saab's stock price down nearly 10 percent. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

Mats Sundin in massive kid's health research gift

Mats Sundin in massive kid's health research gift

Mats Sundin, the ex-Swedish hockey great, has made a donation supporting research into children's health at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and the University of Toronto. READ (5 COMMENTS) »

H&M under fire over Cambodia mass faintings

H&M under fire over Cambodia mass faintings

H&M has been criticized for choosing not to attend a hearing to highlight poor conditions for textile workers in Cambodia, where hundreds of employees at a plant run by the Swedish fashion giant mysteriously passed out in August. READ (6 COMMENTS) »

SAS earnings hit by Spanair bankruptcy

SAS earnings hit by Spanair bankruptcy

The bankruptcy of Spanair pulled SAS into the red for 2011, despite improved operating profits, the Scandinavian airline reported on Wednesday. READ (2 COMMENTS) »

Saab to cut Swiss Gripen fighter price: report

Saab to cut Swiss Gripen fighter price: report

Swedish defence group Saab have announced that it will cut the price on its Gripen fighter jet to secure its Swiss order after a threat by French planemaker Dassault to undercut them. READ (6 COMMENTS) »

A file image of a worker at a Volvo Cars assembly plant

Few Swedes ready to work until they're 75: poll

An overwhelming majority of Swedes disagree with Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's suggestion that workers should be ready to stay on the job until they are 75, a new poll shows. READ (34 COMMENTS) »

SAAB BANKRUPT
Several bids for Saab: administrator

Several bids for Saab: administrator

Several companies are interested in buying Saab, confirmed the bankrupt Swedish carmaker's administrators on Tuesday, while currently unwilling to disclose the identities of the bidders. READ (2 COMMENTS) »

US ISPs block hacker probes: Swedish police

US ISPs block hacker probes: Swedish police

The Swedish National Police Board has called for new international laws to catch hackers on the internet, after US internet service providers refused to divulge information on the weekend's attack on government websites. READ (5 COMMENTS) »

More Business & Money

Highlights from Follow Sweden

20 things to know before moving to Sweden

As diverse as Sweden is, there are a few societal norms that are distinctly Swedish. Understanding a handful of them will hopefully prepare you culturally before you relocate. When you're invited home to a Swede, you better be on time and take your shoes off, writes expat Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Read more »

How far can English take you in Sweden?

Sweden is a country where almost everyone can speak English. So why bother to learn Swedish? Edina Varnagy from Hungary managed with English for a whole year but then found that Swedish could open doors – to a job, a social life and greater understanding. Read more »


Find a new job in Sweden now
14/02 UX Engineer
Monster
Prague
14/02 Software Engineer (.NET) - Limited Contract
Monster
Prague
14/02 Regulatory Affairs Associate
Poolia AB
Göteborg
14/02 Baseband testers to telecom job in Mid Sweden
Qwork AB
Karlstad
14/02 Baseband testers to telecom job in Mid Sweden
Qwork AB
Karlstad
14/02 Market Research Analyst
Cegedim
Göteborg
14/02 Business oriented Legal Counsel to Klarna
Klarna AB
Stockholm
14/02 Operations Live Maintenance Engineer
EA DICE
Stockholm
14/02 Surveillance Advisor, Sweden
NASDAQ OMX
stockholm
14/02 Software Engineer - Anti Cheat
EA DICE
Stockholm

ALL JOBS »


Latest Business & Money news from Germany
Counseling in English
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Doctor of Psychology
Therapy in English in Stockholm Trained in California Individuals & Couples (08) 93 81 48 FREE phone consultation
Visit anxiousorblue.se
Get on the Tennis Court with www.babolatshop.se
The new Online Tennis Store with the largest selection of Babolat Products in Sweden
http://www.babolatshop.se
Turning Point Counseling
Turning Point Counselling centre offers the international community of Stockholm a safe space for personal development, counselling and coaching.
http://www.turning-point.se/show.asp
Swedish Down Town
Swedish Down Town PR Consulting and Productions is an innovative business company which provides valuable assistance with Public Relations and Communications in the swedish and the international market.
www.swedishdowntown.com
The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
English Speaking Therapist Stockholm
British-Australian Male Counsellor. Counselling Therapy for Depression, Mental Health, Sex, Relationship & Expat Issues
08-559 22 636 or CLICK HERE