Germany's Lufthansa cuts 2024 profit target for a second time
Updates share moves in paragraph 3, context on earlier profit warning in paragraph 8
By Joanna Plucinska, Ludwig Burger and Ozan Ergenay
LONDON/FRANKFURT, July 12 (Reuters) -Deutsche Lufthansa LHAG.DE slashed its2024 earnings guidance for a second time and issued a profit warning for its second quarter on Friday as one of Europe's top airlines struggles with low returns and operations problems.
The warning underscores worries about a weaker-than-expected quarter for airlines as theystruggle with high labour and operating costs as well as weak average revenue per passenger due to pressureon ticket prices.
Shares in Lufthansa fell as much as 3.8% and pulled lower British Airways-owner IAG ICAG.L by 2.7%, easyJet by almost 1% and Air France-KLM AIRF.PA by nearly 2% at 1213 GMT.
Lufthansa expects adjusted 2024 earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT)between 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) and 1.8 billion, down from a previous target of about 2.2 billion.
It said the group's second-quarter adjusted EBIT fell by more than a third to 686 million euros. It reports second-quarter results on July 31.
"A comprehensive turnaround program is being launched" affecting its Lufthansa brand and regional carrier Cityline, the company said, adding that itscore brand was particularly hit by negative market trends.
"A market-related decline in yields in all traffic regions – especially in Asia – had a negative impact," it said.
Lufthansa had issued a profit warning for itsfirst quarter in April amid rising expenses tied to strike.It also cited "inefficiencies in the flight operations" of Lufthansa and Cityline, and delayed aircraft deliveries.
UNSURPRISING
Equity analysts said Lufthansa's decision was not surprising, given its cost challenges and delivery delays from planemakers Airbus AIR.PA and Boeing BA.N that have impacted the aviation sector.
In a letter to staff earlier this week, Lufthansa flagged operational cost cuts due to a more competitive landscape and as lower corporate travel erodes unit revenue.
"That kind of weakness in unit revenue is assumed to continue into the third, fourth quarter, hence this turnaround programme they're planning on," Stephen Furlong, an analyst at Davy, told Reuters.
Other carriers, including Ryanair RYA.I, have warned of a slower rise in ticket prices than expected, with Air France-KLM AIRF.PA saying in its first quarter that it was struggling with higher unit costs.
($1 = 0.9184 euros)
Reporting by Ozan Ergenay and Ilona Wissenbach; Editing by Miranda Murray, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Arun Koyyur
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