INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
AirAsia's average fuel price rose 50.1 per cent over the quarter to $95 per barrel.AirAsia Group Bhd's operating profit halved in the third
quarter as higher fuel costs hurt the Malaysian flagship budget carrier, but it said conditions in the fourth quarter should improve and the
holiday season would also help.Airlines in the region, including Singapore Airlines and India's Jet Airways and IndiGo, have been hit by a
recent surge in fuel prices, with price volatility forecast to persist.AirAsia's average fuel price rose 50.1 per cent over the quarter to
$95 per barrel, it said in a stock exchange statement on Thursday."All airline operators' profitability have been affected by the higher
global fuel prices this year," AirAsia said, adding that it would keep a tight control on costs and efficiency and remain nimble in order to
maintain healthy profit margins.AirAsia relies heavily on its home market, where it has been gaining share against Malaysia Airlines, for
profitability.But its operations in Thailand, India and Japan booked losses during the quarter.It did not provide figures for Indonesia and
the Philippines although group CEO Tony Fernandes said the company was focused on turning around operations in the two countries next year,
with plans for a secondary listing for the Indonesia business."As for India, our plan is to start flying internationally and for our Japan
associate to start connecting to North Asia, with the priority to narrow the losses for these two markets," he said.AirAsia India is under
investigation over allegations the airline broke rules to obtain a flying licence in the country.ONE-OFF GAINSAirAsia Group posted an
operating profit of 253 million ringgit ($60.50 million), compared with 494 million ringgit a year earlier and the lowest since the quarter
ended June 2015.However, net profit for the quarter ended September soared around 81 per cent to 915.9 million ringgit ($219 million),
largely due to one-off gains.The airline sold its remaining stake in a joint venture with travel platform Expedia Group Inc for $60 million
and recorded a 515.4 million ringgit deferred tax asset linked to aircraft disposals during the quarter.The group filled 82 per cent of its
seats over the three months, down from 87 per cent a year earlier, as it grew capacity by 16 per cent in an attempt to gain market share.It
also announced a special dividend of 40 Malaysian cents per share, after receiving $1.08 billion from the sale of its plane leasing
operations.Last week, its long-haul arm AirAsia X Bhd also reported a larger loss for the third quarter due to higher fuel prices
The carrier said it was working to mitigate the increase by boosting ancillary revenue and capacity.
