Aviation
Jet Airways set to conclude $334million deal with Etihad
NEW DELHI – Jet Airways(JET.NS) expects to conclude a $334 million stake sale to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad by the year-end, the Indian airline said, one day after posting a record quarterly loss.
Jet, which has lost money in the past six years, is awaiting approvals from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for the deal and is on course to complete the transaction during this quarter, Chief Financial Officer Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan said.
An Etihad spokesman declined to comment, after Jet’s earnings announcement on Wednesday, on whether Jet’s quarterly loss would have any impact on the deal. The stake sale, cleared by the cabinet this month, is meant to help Jet break out of a pattern of losses in the domestic airline business.
The net loss widened to 8.91 billion rupees in the three months ended September 30 from 997 million rupees a year earlier.
An economic slowdown also meant lower yields, a gauge of the average fare paid per kilometre flown, Jet said on Wednesday.
A fall in the value of the rupee, the high cost of fuel and an increase in fees at some airports also led to the loss, said India’s second-biggest carrier by domestic market share.
The loss in the fiscal second quarter is the biggest ever for Jet, the first of India’s airlines to publish earnings for the quarter, according to data compiled by Thomson Reuters from company filings. It reported a net loss of 7.1 billion rupees in the September quarter of 2011.
Despite the sector’s current problems, deep-pocketed foreign players such as Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), AirAsia Bhd (AIRA.KL) and Etihad have been lured to the country by longer-term growth prospects.
The Indian government expects passenger air traffic to almost triple during the current decade.
SYNERGY
Etihad’s $334 million deal for a 24 percent stake in Jet is the first investment by a foreign carrier in an Indian airline since the country last year changed rules to help channel capital into a sector.
“The synergy between the two airlines in terms of commercial cooperation and the kind of cost synergies that we will achieve will be significantly increasing the profitability for the airlines in the coming quarters,” Jet’s Gopalakrishnan said.
Jet shares fell as much as 6.4 percent in Mumbai trading on Thursday to their lowest level in about seven weeks, before paring losses to trade about 2 percent down by 0911 GMT.
High costs of jet fuel and aggressive pricing as competition increases will likely hurt airlines’ finances in the coming quarters, analysts say. Jet paid 8 percent more for fuel from a year earlier, it said.
Income from operations rose marginally to 37.88 billion rupees in the quarter ended September from 37.55 billion rupees a year earlier, Jet said, while expenses jumped nearly a fifth to 48.51 billion rupees.
Some of its aircraft sat idle, accounting for 1.2 billion rupees in losses.
All players in India’s five-player airlines market are losing money with the exception of unlisted IndiGo, the biggest Indian carrier by local market share.
Kingfisher Airlines (KING.NS), once the No. 2 carrier, has not flown in a year for want of cash. India’s three listed airlines stocks – Jet, Kingfisher and SpiceJet (SPJT.BO) – are the worst performers this year among 85 global airline stocks studied by Thomson Reuters StarMine.
Etihad is investing another $150 million in Jet’s frequent flyer programme and has spent $70 million to buy Jet’s three pairs of Heathrow slots through a sale and leaseback agreement, as part of the deal, which was first agreed in April.
Etihad will also support Jet with up to $150 million of foreign currency loans. The Indian carrier’s debt at the end of September was about $1.9 billion.
– REUTERS
An Abuja-Accra flight experienced technical difficulties mid-air on Friday, forcing it to return to Abuja, shortly after departure.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Board (NSIB) made the disclosure in a statement, adding that it has launched investigation into what it described as a serious accident.
Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji stated that preliminary investigations revealed the aircraft experienced an engine number two indication issue.
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It was gathered that the aircraft, with registration number 5NKAL which was operating a flight from the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja (DNAA), to Kotoka International Airport, Accra (DGAA).
She explained that four persons were onboard when the incident occurred. The crew immediately requested for a diversion back to Abuja due to the engine indication.
Oladeji added that the crew managed to safely land the aircraft at Abuja Airport at 18:16 UTC.
There were no injuries reported, and all individuals on board are safe.
Nigeria has acquired 12 pre-owned Alpha Jets from the French Air Force as part of efforts to enhance the operational capacity of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
The deal, facilitated through SOFEMA, a French military and aeronautics company, was announced by Olusegun Dada, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on via X on Thursday.
He said, “All the 12 aircraft are ready for shipping.”
The Alpha Jet, a product of Franco-German collaboration, is a versatile military aircraft designed for light attack and advanced training missions.
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Equipped to carry bombs, rockets, and missiles, the aircraft also features a gun pod for close air support.
The NAF already operates 11 Alpha Jets, but this latest procurement signals a significant boost to its fleet.
Dada also confirmed that the Air Force is expecting 24 M-346FA light attack aircraft, ordered during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The first batch of these Italian-made aircraft is expected to arrive early next year.
Air Chief Marshal Hasan Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff, described the acquisitions as a testament to President Tinubu’s commitment to bolstering the armed forces.
“This renewal of our aircraft fleet reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Nigerians,” Abubakar said.
The announcement comes on the heels of President Tinubu’s three-day state visit to France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The visit, which took place from November 27 to November 30, highlighted deepening ties between the two nations.
To ensure the sustainability of its expanding fleet, the Air Force has proposed establishing a local maintenance hub.
Speaking in October, Abubakar noted that six units of the M-346FA aircraft were already in production, with the initial batch of three expected to be delivered in early 2025. The full fleet is projected to arrive by 2026.
“These developments underscore the importance of creating a domestic support system for the long-term upkeep of our aircraft,” Abubakar added.
As the holiday season draws near, Aero Contractors has introduced a minimum ticket price of N80,000 for all local flights.
The move, which will last until January 2024, aims to ease the financial burden on Nigerians amid the high cost of living.
Ado Sanusi, Managing Director of Aero Contractors, made the announcement on Tuesday during a press briefing, describing the fare reduction as a gesture to help Nigerians celebrate Christmas and the New Year without the stress of steep ticket prices.
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Sanusi said, “We understand the economic hardship Nigerians are facing, especially with high ticket prices, and we know the holiday season is nearby.
“In the spirit of Christmas, Aero Contractors has introduced what we call pocket-friendly Christmas prices. These fares, starting at N80,000, will apply to all our destinations, allowing Nigerians to travel without excessive costs.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, an economy class ticket from Lagos to Abuja was priced at N99,643, while business class tickets were being sold for N189,167.
Sanusi further explained that the initiative was designed to make it easier for families to reunite during the holidays.
“This is a way for us, as an organization with a long history of serving Nigerians, to give back to our loyal customers. We want to make it possible for families to meet their loved ones during this festive season without worrying about exorbitant travel costs,” he added.
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