Release Date: March 06, 2025
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
- Air France-KLM (AFLYY, Financial) reported a 6% increase in group revenue for Q4 2024, with a significant improvement in operating results, marking the strongest fourth quarter on record.
- The company achieved a year operating margin of 5.1%, driven by solid unit revenue growth and lower fuel prices.
- Air France-KLM (AFLYY) generated EUR 300 million in adjusted recurring free cash flow, aligning with their 2023 Capital Market Day ambitions.
- The fleet modernization strategy is progressing well, with new generation aircraft now accounting for 27% of the fleet, a 7-point increase from the previous year.
- Premium revenue grew by 12% year over year, with premium cabins contributing 26.9% of total group revenue, reflecting a successful focus on high-value customers.
Negative Points
- Despite improvements, the company faced a challenging operational environment, impacting overall performance.
- The net debt-to-EBITDA ratio stood at 1.7 times, indicating ongoing financial leverage concerns.
- Air France-KLM (AFLYY) experienced a EUR 100 million decrease in full-year results compared to the previous year, highlighting areas for improvement.
- The company is still dealing with headwinds from increased French aviation taxes and Schiphol tariffs, impacting financial performance.
- Supply chain disruptions continue to affect operations, particularly in maintenance and repair solutions.
Q & A Highlights
Q: How important is it for Air France-KLM to secure a third hub, and what are the plans regarding payments related to hybrids or social charges for 2025?
A: Benjamin Smith, CEO, emphasized the strategic importance of transforming existing operations, such as Orly Airport, into a low-cost platform with Transavia. While acquiring a third hub like Lisbon or Madrid would be beneficial, the focus remains on optimizing current assets. Steven Zaat, CFO, mentioned that social charges and wage taxes will impact 2025 with EUR500 million, and plans are in place to refinance hybrids, reducing the hybrid stock in capital.
Q: What are the expectations for Transavia's expansion and profitability, particularly in the French domestic market?
A: Benjamin Smith, CEO, explained that Transavia is transitioning to take over more French domestic routes, especially where train options are not viable. The focus is on replacing Air France operations at Orly with Transavia, offering competitive fares. The profitability is expected to improve as the transition progresses over the next two years.
Q: How is the demand for Paris expected to perform in the upcoming summer, and what are the implications of potential wage freezes at KLM?
A: Benjamin Smith, CEO, expressed optimism about Paris's attractiveness as a premium leisure market, bolstered by the Olympics' exposure. Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM, confirmed that negotiations are ongoing to maintain financial stability, with a goal of zero salary increases due to recent significant wage hikes.
Q: What are the expectations for premium capacity growth and its impact on unit revenue growth in 2025?
A: Benjamin Smith, CEO, noted that premium capacity is expected to grow by around 6%, higher than the overall network capacity increase. The focus remains on maintaining and expanding premium cabins, which have shown strong demand and profitability.
Q: What are the main priorities of the new EU Commission for the aviation sector, and how is corporate traffic performing post-COVID?
A: Benjamin Smith, CEO, highlighted the importance of maintaining competitiveness and a level playing field in Europe. The focus is on ensuring strong support for European industries. Corporate traffic has stabilized at around 80% of pre-COVID levels, aligning with capacity growth.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
