Air Canada’s earnings fell by five percent following a summer flight attendant strike, leading to a sharp year-over-year decline in revenue and profits. Despite this, analysts remain optimistic about the airline's recovery, highlighting strong demand for premium and international travel as key drivers.
BNN Bloomberg interviewed Nicolas Owens, equity analyst for industrials at Morningstar, who discussed the challenges and outlook for Air Canada. Owens noted that higher labor costs and delayed aircraft deliveries could pressure profit margins in the short term. However, the airline's focus on efficiency improvements and catering to premium customers is expected to help balance these obstacles.
"I’d say all in all, the impact is potentially more muted than some might have expected. That’s because if you’re only making a few per cent margin on the flights you do operate, when you don’t fly them you also save some costs."
Air Canada shares remained steady despite the strike's negative impact. The compensation paid to stranded customers, a consequence of the strike, could continue to affect the airline. Still, analysts emphasize that strong demand for premium travel segments supports a positive outlook.
Air Canada's recent earnings dip reflects strike-related disruptions, but recovery is likely driven by premium travel demand and efficiency efforts.
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