Singapore Airlines ponders ‘radical’ measures after posting loss

Shares in Singapore Airlines dropped more than 7 per cent on Friday, the biggest one-day decline since the 2008 financial crisis, after it unveiled a surprise quarterly loss.

In the latest sign that intensifying competition is squeezing Asia’s flagship carriers, the group reported a net loss of S$138m (US$99m) for the quarter ending in March.

Passenger yield per kilometre — a key measure of airline profitability — fell 4.7 per cent year-on-year in the last quarter.

The carrier said the intensity of competition, coupled with political and economic uncertainty, would continue to put pressure on yields.

Singapore Airlines is regarded as a pacesetter for the industry, with innovations in its fleet — taking delivery of the first Airbus A380 superjumbo — and advances in service such as the first double beds in the air.

But like Cathay Pacific — which reported a net loss of HK$575m (US$74m) for 2016 — Singapore Airlines has been squeezed by the rise of budget carriers and the rapid expansion of Gulf and Chinese rivals.

The airlines based in Singapore and Hong Kong have lost out as other aviation hubs have emerged to connect Asia with the rest of the world.

Emirates and Qatar have both added capacity on routes between Singapore and Europe, and Singapore Airlines has seen its market shares on these routes slip steadily in recent years, according to aviation consultancy CAPA.

The group announced a sweeping review of its network, fleet, products and service.

At a post-results briefing on Friday, Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong said: “We will leave no stone unturned. Some changes may be radical, but if needed, we will do it.”

“Singapore Airlines has been at the forefront of innovation but it has lost its edge,” said Shukor Yusof, of Endau Analytics, a Malaysian aviation consultancy.

Singapore Airline’s costs, once among the lowest of any premium airline, have risen rapidly in recent years as Singapore’s currency has strengthened while the city state’s labour costs have mounted, Mr Yusof said.

“This is not a one-off,” the analyst said. “There will be more declines. I would expect them to retrench staff.”

Singapore Airlines needs to rationalise unprofitable routes, or cut capacity or frequency to improve profits, UOB Kay Hian analysts K Ajith and Sophie Leong said in a note on Friday. 

For the full year, Singapore Airlines’ group net profit sank 55.2 per cent to S$360m. The quarterly loss was the first since 2009.

As well as weaker operating performance, the decline in net profit for the year was attributable to a S$132m provision for an EU fine for their part in an air cargo price-fixing cartel.

Shares in the group were down over 7 per cent to S$9.99 on Friday afternoon in Singapore, the biggest one-day drop since November 2008.

Cathay Pacific’s chief executive Ivan Chu stepped down at the start of this month after the group reported its first annual loss in eight years.

The Hong Kong airline has announced a major revamp which will include job cuts. 

Chinese airlines, which do not face the high costs of being based in Hong Kong, have added more flights directly linking mainland China and Europe, buffeting Cathay Pacific.