Air Arabia Sees Further Fuel Hedging Costs

September 29, 2015

Low-cost carrier Air Arabia may see a further impact on earnings from fuel hedges put in place prior to the steep drop in oil prices.

Air Arabia's profits have declined for two of the last three quarters, with its 2014 fourth-quarter profit dropping 30 percent and its second-quarter earnings this year declining 14 percent.

Chief executive Adel Ali said the airline was comfortable with its hedging policy and the hedges it has established for 2016, with lower fuel prices ultimately benefiting the airline.

"The same that's happened in the last three quarters will happen (for the next two quarters)," Ali said, but he said the carrier was comfortable with its decision to hedge its 2016 fuel bill, without elaborating.

"We will not always get it right but it has paid off for us and that will continue."

GROWTH

Passenger growth is expected to continue despite regional turmoil, Ali said.

Passenger numbers from Russia are improving, after suffering due to a weak Russian currency, and passenger traffic from Ukraine and China is also increasing. Additional growth may come from Iran, where the carrier recently started flying to two new cities, taking the total to six.

The UAE government negotiated more frequencies and new destinations in Iran for UAE carriers in recent bilateral agreements which came amid Tehran's talks with world powers to sign a nuclear deal that would see sanctions lifted.

"There was a huge bilateral jump for all the airlines. It will take a bit of time for that growth to take place because we just started," Ali said.

Air Arabia in May this year launched its new airline Air Arabia Jordan after purchasing a 49 percent stake in the country's Petra Airlines and rebranding it. It is now flying to four destinations from Amman.

When asked about new aircraft needs for future growth, Ali said new orders are not on the table, with leasing an option yielding potentially better deals.

"There are plenty of planes in the industry - it does not hold us back from growth," he said.

(Reuters)