“As we battle the high price of fuel, cost efficiency will continue to be a top priority not only for airlines but for every partner in the value chain including airports and air navigation service providers.”
“We will only see profitability in 2007 when we expect a return of US$6.2 billion. This is a net profit margin of 1.5%, not even enough to cover the cost of capital and nowhere near recovering the billions lost since 2001. A long and difficult agenda for change involving all partners is still ahead of us.”
“We are working on four core projects: 100 percent e-ticketing globally by the end of 2007; bar-coded boarding passes; common use of self-service check-in kiosks; and radio-frequency identification for baggage management.”
“The European discussion of airline blacklists to improve airline safety is a cause for concern, ... While blacklists may be an opportunistic political response to human tragedies, they are not the solution to further improving airline safety.”
“Oil is once again robbing the industry of a return to profitability, ... Each dollar added to the price of a barrel adds $US1 billion in costs to the industry.”
“The European discussion of airline blacklists to improve airline safety is a cause for concern. While blacklists may be an opportunistic political response to human tragedies, they are not the solution to further improving airline safety.”
“Efficiency and cost reduction are a matter of survival for airlines. Charles de Gaulle Airport is already the second most expensive airport in Europe. It should be focusing on cost decreases not increases. This short-sighted decision will have long-term effects on the competitive position of Paris as a major hub.”
“The approach of the French Government to air transport is from another age. There was little or no financial transparency. And a result that ignores the recommendation of an independent commission makes a total mockery of the consultation process. The government should support greater efficiency rather than shirking its regulatory responsibilities.”
