Giovanni Bisignani Cost Quotations

Efficiency and cost reduction are a matter of survival for airlines. Charles de Gaulle Airport is already the second most expensive airport in Europe. It should be focusing on cost decreases not increases. This short-sighted decision will have long-term effects on the competitive position of Paris as a major hub.

We will only see profitability in 2007 when we expect a return of US$6.2 billion. This is a net profit margin of 1.5%, not even enough to cover the cost of capital and nowhere near recovering the billions lost since 2001. A long and difficult agenda for change involving all partners is still ahead of us.

Each dollar added to the price of a barrel of oil adds $1 billion in costs to the industry.

Cost reduction remains critical. All industry partners and stakeholders will have to sustain their focus on fuel efficiency and attack costs. While we have made some good progress, the road ahead is long. Far too many airport monopolies do not understand the need for efficiency and too many governments are shirking their responsibility to regulate where commercial discipline is absent.

Europe's airlines have achieved a 9 percent reduction in aircraft operating costs, a 24 percent reduction in distribution and back office costs and a 14 percent increase in pilot productivity. Airports, on the other hand, gave the airlines a 13 percent increase in per-passenger costs, with a total bill for airlines and their users of $14.5 billion.

Oil is once again robbing the industry of a return to profitability, ... Each dollar added to the price of a barrel adds $US1 billion in costs to the industry.

Paper costs money...you do not need to be a rocket scientist to understand that up to $3 billion in savings are possible.

Oil remains the wild card for industry profitability. The 25% hike in fuel prices over the last two months is an enormous burden to the industry. However, the S$ 1.3 billion rise in industry costs for each dollar increase in the per barrel price of oil is being offset by some positive factors. Industry hedging levels are 50%. Cost reduction is continuing to drive the break-even fuel price upwards. And the US domestic yield rose 12.4% in February.