Daily Management Review

American and Southwest Airlines report profits for first time since pandemic starts


07/23/2021


US civil aviation market leaders, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, presented their financial reports for the second quarter of this year. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic they ended the quarter with a profit.



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A rebound in tourist traffic in the USA helped American Airlines make a $19 million profit, tiny compared to the multibillion losses the company had suffered throughout the year. However, this was made possible by more than $1 billion in financial aid from the US government. Excluding these payments, the quarter was once again a loss for American, by $1.1 billion.

The carrier's revenue was up markedly from a year ago, from $1.6bn to $7.48bn. However, compared to pre-2019, the current revenue is still far from optimal. Two years ago, the company generated revenue of $12bn.

Southwest Airlines, the third-largest US carrier, grew revenue by almost 300% year-on-year to $4bn, still 32% less than the $5.9bn it generated in the same period in 2019. The airline posted a second-quarter net profit of $348m, compared with a loss of $915m a year earlier.

source: bloomberg.com