In the past quarter, Croatia Airlines recorded a net loss of 84.5 million kuna. In the same period last year, a net profit of 9.05 million kuna was achieved, but it was significantly influenced by the partial sale of slots at London Heathrow Airport. Excluding this extraordinary one-time item of 106.6 million kuna, the loss in the first quarter of this year, which is traditionally a weaker period for the domestic airline, is 13 percent lower than a year ago, according to the report published on Friday.
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Operational revenues increased by two percent compared to the end of the first quarter of 2017, amounting to just over 257 million kuna. Revenues from passenger traffic increased by 13 percent, totaling 221.4 million kuna, along with an 8 percent increase in the number of transported passengers. Revenues from cargo transport decreased by 5 percent compared to the same period in 2017, despite an increase in cargo transport in tons, amounting to 2.56 million kuna. Other revenues, after excluding revenues from slot sales of 33.05 million kuna, decreased by 36 percent compared to the same period in 2017, primarily due to significantly lower returns on paid maintenance reserves for maintenance work on its own fleet and revenues from technical services related to work on aircraft of other companies, the report states.
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In the first quarter of 2018, Croatia Airlines operated 5,089 flights, while the total number of transported passengers reached around 354,000, an 8 percent increase compared to the same period in 2017. The number of passengers in domestic scheduled traffic increased by 12 percent, and in international scheduled traffic by 6 percent compared to the same period last year. Of the total 354,390 transported passengers, 92,018 were in domestic scheduled traffic, while 259,486 passengers were transported in international scheduled traffic. In charter traffic, 2,886 passengers were transported.
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The report particularly highlights that for the first time in its history, Croatia Airlines achieved a passenger load factor (PLF) of 70.6 percent and a weight load factor (WLF) of 67.6 percent during the observed winter season, which is an increase of 5.8 percentage points. At the end of March, the number of employees in Croatia Airlines, including locally employed staff in representations, was 932, which is at the same level as a year ago.
In the first three months of this year, Croatia Airlines operated a fleet of 12 aircraft: six Airbus aircraft, one of which is an Airbus A320 on operational lease, and six Q400 aircraft on operational lease. Due to the expansion of the destination network and maintaining the planned flight schedule, Croatia Airlines will, as last year, lease two more aircraft with 100 seats for the upcoming tourist season, the report states.
