September 11 - Transat A.T. Inc., one of the largest integrated tourism companies in the world and Canada’s holiday travel leader, announces its results for the third quarter ended July 31, 2020.

 

The global air transportation and tourism industry has faced a collapse in traffic and demand. Travel restrictions, uncertainty about when borders will reopen, both in Canada and at the destinations the Corporation flies to, and the need for quarantine and physical distancing measures create significant demand uncertainty for the remaining part of fiscal 2020 and at least for fiscal 2021.

 

For the moment, the Corporation cannot predict all the impacts of COVID-19 on its operations and results, or when the situation will improve. Until the Corporation is able to resume operations at a sufficient level, the situation will affect its cash position. However, the Corporation has implemented a series of operational and commercial as well as financial measures, including cost reduction, aimed at preserving its cash flow. The Corporation is monitoring the situation daily to adjust these measures as it evolves.

 

Third Quarter Highlights

Since mid-March, restrictions on international travel and government-imposed quarantine measures have made travel sales very difficult. The Corporation suspended all of its flights as of April 1 and therefore had no more sales from that date, until the partial resumption of airline operations on July 23, 2020. As a result, these factors caused the fall in revenues. The Corporation recognized revenues of $9.5 million during the quarter, a decrease of $689.4 million (98.6%) compared with 2019.

 

Operations generated an operating loss of $132.0 million compared with operating income of $1.7 million in 2019, a deterioration of $133.7 million. Despite the absence of revenues up to July 23 and despite the cost reduction measures implemented to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Corporation was obliged to maintain certain fixed costs during the suspension of airline operations; as a result, the fall in revenues was more pronounced than the decrease in operating expenses. The decline in operating results was accentuated by the unfavourable settlement of fuel-related derivative contracts. Transat reported an adjusted operating loss1 of $79.9 million compared with an adjusted operating income1 of $62.1 million in 2019, a deterioration of $142.0 million.

 

Net loss attributable to shareholders amounted to $45.1 million or $1.20 per share compared with $1.5 million or $0.04 per share in 2019. Net loss attributable to shareholders for the quarter includes a $67.7 million gain for changes in the fair value of fuel-related derivatives and other derivatives due to the significant recovery in fuel prices during the quarter, a $28.5 million foreign exchange gain mainly related to the remeasurement of lease liabilities. These gains reversed a very large portion of losses of the same nature included in the loss attributable to shareholders for the second quarter announced last June. Excluding non-operating items, Transat reported adjusted net loss3 of $139.8 million ($3.70 per share) for the third quarter of 2020, compared with adjusted net income3 of $6.2 million ($0.16 per share) in 2019.

For more information, please visit transat.com

 

 

---

More Travel News:

WTTC responds to latest quarantine announcements
Skyscanner Weekly Travel Insights
St. Kitts Tourism Authority links up with Hero CPL
Urgent rescue plan for UK air transport needed