AFKL big drop in 2018 operating results.
Feb 20, 2019, 7:58 am
#1
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AFKL big drop in 2018 operating results.
AFKL published its financial results for 2018.
As usual, the good points are emphasized in the presentation and the stock price went up as results are better than expected.
But the operating results dropped from 1.9billion to 1.3b with a severe drop in operating margin.
Strikes at AF clearly had a serious impact but even KLM had a tiny drop in operating profits. It is striking to see the 1,073m profit at KL compared to 266 at AF..
The AFKL 2018 net income is 409m, better than the 163 m in 2017. But that is mostly explained by one-off exceptional items.
As stated in the presentation, "Excluding these one-offs, the change of Net income - group part FY2018 is -€796 million compared to last year". That is not a brilliant result.
As usual, the good points are emphasized in the presentation and the stock price went up as results are better than expected.
But the operating results dropped from 1.9billion to 1.3b with a severe drop in operating margin.
Strikes at AF clearly had a serious impact but even KLM had a tiny drop in operating profits. It is striking to see the 1,073m profit at KL compared to 266 at AF..
The AFKL 2018 net income is 409m, better than the 163 m in 2017. But that is mostly explained by one-off exceptional items.
As stated in the presentation, "Excluding these one-offs, the change of Net income - group part FY2018 is -€796 million compared to last year". That is not a brilliant result.
Feb 20, 2019, 9:16 am
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Feb 20, 2019, 1:40 pm
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For sure. But not only. I believe the catastrophic summer, operation-wise, had also a big impact for AF. I am referring to the CDG baggage chaos and a large number of flights cancelled or heavily delayed. Those have led, for sure, to a huge amount of money for compensations, hotel nights, meals, reimbursement of pax purchases for clothes, etc.
Feb 21, 2019, 1:24 am
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For sure. But not only. I believe the catastrophic summer, operation-wise, had also a big impact for AF. I am referring to the CDG baggage chaos and a large number of flights cancelled or heavily delayed. Those have led, for sure, to a huge amount of money for compensations, hotel nights, meals, reimbursement of pax purchases for clothes, etc.
Feb 21, 2019, 1:42 am
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For sure. But not only. I believe the catastrophic summer, operation-wise, had also a big impact for AF. I am referring to the CDG baggage chaos and a large number of flights cancelled or heavily delayed. Those have led, for sure, to a huge amount of money for compensations, hotel nights, meals, reimbursement of pax purchases for clothes, etc.
Last edited by Zembla; Feb 21, 2019 at 8:59 am
Feb 21, 2019, 2:15 am
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I cannot take AF seriously anymore as an airline, and I think that reputation has solidified in many of even a casual traveler's minds. I'm pretty sour about KL being stuck in that mess, and the new management seeing it as the primary 'premium' brand. Visionary leadership would acknowledge this, rather than attempt to bring KL into a fold with AF to drag it down along with it. Time for a rebranding of AF.
Feb 21, 2019, 7:38 am
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I cannot take AF seriously anymore as an airline, and I think that reputation has solidified in many of even a casual traveler's minds. I'm pretty sour about KL being stuck in that mess, and the new management seeing it as the primary 'premium' brand. Visionary leadership would acknowledge this, rather than attempt to bring KL into a fold with AF to drag it down along with it. Time for a rebranding of AF.
AF has many many things to improve, but its brand is surely not one
Feb 21, 2019, 9:39 pm
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Brand is a complex concept.
I understand that AF likes to view itself as a premium brand, but that is not the perception in Asia and probably in other overseas markets.
Half the business seats are still antique non-flat.
AF has made huge progress in its F product, primarily on the ground at CDG, but more than half the seats (A380) are still of a very old generation.
And brand is more than hard/soft product in the air. All the various industrial actions in the past few years have given the image of an unreliable airline.
Ben Smith is fully aware that AF is lagging and that its only hope, given the high cost structure, is to build on the premium brand. But AF is far from it and it will take years to achieve.
Feb 22, 2019, 5:13 am
#9
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I don't agree with you.
Brand is a complex concept.
I understand that AF likes to view itself as a premium brand, but that is not the perception in Asia and probably in other overseas markets.
Half the business seats are still antique non-flat.
AF has made huge progress in its F product, primarily on the ground at CDG, but more than half the seats (A380) are still of a very old generation.
And brand is more than hard/soft product in the air. All the various industrial actions in the past few years have given the image of an unreliable airline.
Ben Smith is fully aware that AF is lagging and that its only hope, given the high cost structure, is to build on the premium brand. But AF is far from it and it will take years to achieve.
Brand is a complex concept.
I understand that AF likes to view itself as a premium brand, but that is not the perception in Asia and probably in other overseas markets.
Half the business seats are still antique non-flat.
AF has made huge progress in its F product, primarily on the ground at CDG, but more than half the seats (A380) are still of a very old generation.
And brand is more than hard/soft product in the air. All the various industrial actions in the past few years have given the image of an unreliable airline.
Ben Smith is fully aware that AF is lagging and that its only hope, given the high cost structure, is to build on the premium brand. But AF is far from it and it will take years to achieve.
I just think that nowadays, rebranding is happening way too often for way too many companies. You don’t have to change a brand (I’m only talking about the brand, not about product or service) to change its perception. If AF gets a more consistent hard product, a more upmarket soft product, better lounges, better operational efficiency, less strikes (one can hope) etc....the same AF brand would be perceived very differently.
Feb 22, 2019, 5:17 am
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I fully agree with most of these things. There are many things I dislike about AF and I don’t view it is a premium airline, but overall it is a descent airline (for a european major).
I just think that nowadays, rebranding is happening way too often for way too many companies. You don’t have to change a brand (I’m only talking about the brand, not about product or service) to change its perception. If AF gets a more consistent hard product, a more upmarket soft product, better lounges, better operational efficiency, less strikes (one can hope) etc....the same AF brand would be perceived very differently.
Feb 23, 2019, 12:44 pm
#11
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I fully agree with most of these things. There are many things I dislike about AF and I don’t view it is a premium airline, but overall it is a descent airline (for a european major).
I just think that nowadays, rebranding is happening way too often for way too many companies. You don’t have to change a brand (I’m only talking about the brand, not about product or service) to change its perception. If AF gets a more consistent hard product, a more upmarket soft product, better lounges, better operational efficiency, less strikes (one can hope) etc....the same AF brand would be perceived very differently.
Feb 23, 2019, 1:12 pm
#12
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Actually they missed the estimates but 2018 was a record year for AF in terms of revenue. I guess investors are putting a lot of faith in the ability of the new CEO to improve AF huge cost structure.
Mar 1, 2019, 1:25 am
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