British Airways warns of higher fares due to weak pound

The owner of British Airways has warned that ticket prices may have to rise as it endured a bumpy ride in the third quarter, with profits taking a hit from the slump in sterling and air traffic control strikes.

The weak pound could push up fares at British Airways. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group (IAG), said it may increase BA ticket prices to offset the collapse in the pound, as he revealed that industrial action and sterling’s weakness had dealt a €162 million (£145m) blow to operating profit in the three months to the end of September.

Operating profits before exceptional items came in shy of expectations, falling 3.6 per cent to €1.2 billion in the third quarter, down from €1.25bn for the same period last year.

Walsh said: “While strong, these results were affected by a tough operating environment with a very significant negative currency impact.”

He added: “At current fuel prices and exchange rates, IAG expects its operating profit for 2016 to be around €2.5bn, and has seen no significant change in its short-term trading conditions.”

The group said it suffered “weak trading conditions” in June – both before and after the Brexit vote – with its premium cabins bearing the brunt of the slowdown.

However, it added that it had not faced any “immediate regulatory impact” in the aftermath of the EU vote. IAG issued a profit warning after the referendum on 23 June, causing its shares to nosedive 19 per cent.

The group, which also owns the Aer Lingus and Iberia airlines, said total revenues before exceptional items slipped 4 per cent to €6.5bn in the third quarter. Passenger revenue dropped 5 per cent to €5.8bn over the period.

The firm said it had come under pressure in the nine months to 30 September, with lower fuel prices only partially offsetting headwinds from Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, a string of overseas terror attacks, air traffic control strikes and currency movements. Sterling has fallen about 20 per cent against the US dollar since the Brexit vote.

The third-quarter update comes after IAG announced a new pensions agreement with BA, putting a cap on any extra contributions the carrier could be forced to make. The move is expected to give BA more room to pay dividends to IAG.

Walsh has also warned that the cost of a new runway at Heathrow would “make or break” the project, saying it was vital that the UK and travelling public “get the benefits from the runway, not the airport’s owners”.

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