Aeroflot announces 1H 2016 IFRS financial results

Aeroflot Group (“the Group”, Moscow Exchange ticker: AFLT) today publishes its condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the six months ended 30 June 2016, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.

1H 2016 Financial Highlights for Aeroflot Group:

• Revenue reached RUB 223,824 million, up 26.8% year-on-year;
• EBITDAR[1] nearly doubled year-on-year to RUB 58,397 million. The EBITDAR margin increased 7.3 percentage points (p.p.) to 26.1%;
• EBITDA¹ more than doubled year-on-year to RUB 30,035 million. The EBITDA margin increased by 5.9 p.p. to 13.4%;
• Operating profit increased four-fold to RUB 23,250 million;
• Net income totalled RUB 2,467 million.

Shamil Kurmashov, PJSC Aeroflot Deputy CEO for Commerce and Finance, commented:

“Aeroflot Group’s robust revenue growth of 26.8% during the first half of 2016 was driven by continued strong operational performance. The number of passengers carried increased by 10.3% year-on-year, thanks to continued strong demand for domestic flights and the launch of new international routes. The passenger load factor increased by 2.9 p.p. year-on-year to 78.6%.

“We maintained tight control of operating costs to offset the ongoing effects of exchange rate fluctuations. In the first half of 2016, total operating expenditures rose at a slower pace than revenue: passenger revenue per available seat-kilometre increased by 18.9%, while costs per available seat-kilometre rose 8.6%. Other contributing factors included measures to increase fuel efficiency, leading to a 1.4% reduction year-on-year in fuel consumption per available seat-kilometre, to 22.8 grams. Increased fuel efficiency and lower unit consumption, combined with a decrease in the average cost of fuel, enabled us to hold fuel costs, the single largest cost line, almost unchanged year-on-year despite a 4.6% increase in Group flight hours.

“As a result, EBITDA more than doubled year-on-year, reaching RUB 30,035 million. The EBITDA margin improved by 5.9 p.p. to 13.4%.

“Continued optimisation across Group companies as well as the revaluation of investments resulted in additional one-off costs, but nevertheless Aeroflot Group delivered net profit of RUB 2,467 million versus a net loss of RUB 3,541 million a year earlier.

“Our focus is on maintaining our current trajectory, and we hope that the positive net income in the reporting period will boost the financial outcome for the full year, allowing us to resume dividend payments to PJSC Aeroflot shareholders.”

Key operating highlights

In 1H 2016, Aeroflot Group carried 19.7 million passengers, up 10.3% year-on-year.

Key financial highlights

Revenue

In 1H 2016, Aeroflot Group’s revenue increased by 26.8% year-on-year to RUB 223,824 million.

Revenue from scheduled passenger flights increased by 25.7% to RUB 181,096 million, boosted by 10.3% growth in passenger numbers year-on-year, as well as changes in the average ruble rate, supporting growth in FX-denominated revenues from international operations.

Revenue from charter flights more than tripled to RUB 7,016 million, driven by an increase in the operations in this segment following the launch of Rossiya’s charter programme.

Cargo revenue rose 17.5% year-on-year as cargo and mail volumes grew 12.7%.

Other revenue rose 17.9% year-on-year to RUB 30,494 million, driven mainly by a rise in FX-denominated revenues from airline agreements due to changes in the exchange rate, as well as increased revenue from banks under the Aeroflot Bonus programme.

Operating costs

Aircraft fuel costs remained nearly flat year-on-year at RUB 44,790 million, despite higher traffic and increased flight hours. Costs were maintained at previous levels despite an increase in operations thanks to lower average ruble-denominated fuel prices, as well as measures taken to boost the Group’s fuel efficiency, which improved specific fuel consumption.

Operating costs less aircraft fuel increased 23.7% year-on-year to RUB 155,784 million.

Expenses related to aircraft servicing and passenger services amounted to RUB 40,120 million, a 16.2% increase year-on-year, due largely to changes in the ruble exchange rate. Excluding FX effects, these expenses rose 11.0%, driven primarily by a scaling-up of activities and traffic. This expense line item was additionally impacted by increased tariffs at a number of Russian airports.

Staff costs rose by 13.9% year-on-year and amounted to RUB 31,032 million, mostly as a result of salary indexation for certain categories of employees from the beginning of 2016, but also due to the hiring of over 4,000 former Transaero staff.

Operating lease expenses rose to RUB 28,362 million, a 42.2% increase year-on-year, due to exchange-rate fluctuations (as these expenses are almost entirely FX-denominated). Excluding FX effects, operating lease expenses rose 21.0%. These expenses were also influenced by fleet expansion (net increase of 16 aircraft, or 8.1%, year-on-year), as well as a doubling of the three-month LIBOR rate in the first half of 2016 compared to the same period of last year.

Aircraft maintenance costs rose 33.8% year-on-year to RUB 17,525 million, primarily due to exchange-rate fluctuations. Excluding FX effects, these expenses rose 13.1% in the context of higher flight hours and additional expenses related to preparing aircraft for decommissioning from the fleet.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) grew by 11.9% year-on-year to RUB 12,843 million. Increased SG&A costs were connected to higher commercial and marketing expenses pegged to foreign currencies, as well as increased sponsorship and advertising activities.

Amortisation and customs tariffs decreased by 8.9% year-on-year to RUB 6,785 million, driven by the continued transfer of aircraft to financial lease agreements (the number of aircraft on financial leases decreased to 11, down 18.0% year-on-year).

Other expenses increased by 57.0% to RUB 19,117 million, due to higher expenses on global distribution systems as a result of the strengthening of the ruble, as well as increased allocations to reserves for overdue debt.

As a result, Group operating profit for the first six months of 2016 totalled RUB 23,250 million (10.4% of revenue). EBITDAR totalled RUB 58,397 million, with a 7.3 p.p. increase in the EBITDAR margin to 26.1%. EBITDA totalled RUB 30,035 million, with a 5.9 p.p. increase in the EBITDA margin to 13.4%.

Non-operating gains and losses

Finance income for the first half of 2016 increased by 10.3% year-on-year to RUB 7,890 million, mainly due to interest on deposits.

Finance costs declined by 31.8% year-on-year to RUB 5,074 million, due mainly to reflection of a loss on derivatives not accounted for under hedging rules under this item in 2015.

The realized loss from hedging of RUB 8,655 million was attributable to settlements under derivative instruments recognised in equity, as well as from a realised result related to hedging of US dollar-denominated revenue through US dollar-denominated lease obligations.

As a result, the Group’s net profit for the first half of 2016 amounted to RUB 2,467 million.

Debt and liquidity

Total debt as of 30 June 2016 decreased by 22.6% versus 31 December 2015 to RUB 180,877 million. The reduction is the result of repayment of loans and borrowings both as they came due and ahead of schedule, adjustments in the valuation of financial leases due to changes in the RUB-USD exchange rate as of 30 June 2016 versus 31 December 2015, and disposal of aircraft on financial leases.

As of 30 June 2016 undrawn lines available to Aeroflot Group from major Russian and international banks amounted to RUB 77.8 billion.