United reports "improved results":
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UAL Loss Widens
Amid Costs Tied
To Restructuring
By ILAN BRAT
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
November 1, 2005
United Airlines's parent, UAL Corp., reported a third-quarter net loss of $1.77 billion, its largest ever quarterly loss, as bankruptcy-related expenses offset its efforts to shift to more profitable routes, cut costs and emerge from Chapter 11 as a more nimble competitor.
The Chicago-based airline, the second-largest U.S. carrier by traffic after AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, said reorganization items reduced its bottom line by $1.84 billion, primarily from noncash expenses on the rejection of aircraft. UAL said it is common for a company to rack up losses associated with its reorganization as it approaches its exit from Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and said it expects a large noncash gain after it emerges from bankruptcy protection, also stemming from accounting factors.
United, which filed for bankruptcy protection in December 2002, hopes to emerge in February as an efficient, competitive airline. In the latest quarter, United said, employee costs declined 21% from a year earlier, and its aircraft obligations fell 35%. However, fuel expenses rose 37% to $1.1 billion, meaning fuel has leapfrogged labor as its largest single expense.
United's results amount to $15.26 a share, compared with a net loss of $274 million, or $2.38 a share, in the year-earlier quarter, which included $115 million in reorganization items.
In the latest quarter, revenue climbed 8.1% to $4.66 billion from $4.31 billion a year earlier.
United has been cutting back on its domestic operations to put greater emphasis on international flights, which are less competitive and which allow airlines to charge higher fares. The company said mainline unit revenue, or the money brought in for each seat flown per mile, jumped 11% to 9.6 cents from 8.6 cents in last year's third quarter. In September alone, United's mainline unit revenue jumped 15% compared with September 2004.
The airline said it reduced the number of aircraft in its fleet by 10% compared with the year-earlier period. Seat capacity declined 5%, while the percentage of seats filled rose to 83.9% from 82.1%. The company expects its fourth-quarter mainline capacity to be down 3% from 2004's fourth quarter.
Glenn Tilton, UAL's chief executive officer, said that the improved results reflected cost controls. "The results we are reporting make it clear that we have done well this quarter in overall cost control, especially given the significant reduction in capacity."