Qantas forecast higher underlying H1 profit Thursday as it cut capacity and raised fares, although expectations of slower revenue growth pushed its shares down as much as 7%. Qantas said it expects to report underlying profit before tax in the range of A$900m to A$950m for the six months to Dec. 31, compared with A$852m recorded a year earlier. Revenue for Q1 ended Sept. 30 rose 5.1% to A$4.19b. “The domestic market is healthy but remains very competitive,” CE Alan Joyce said. “The high rate of revenue growth we’ve seen so far this year is likely to slow when compared with what was a strong second half last year.” Qantas shares dropped at the open after the trading update before recovering some ground to be 4% lower at A$6.14. The carrier’s shares have surged more than 90% so far this year. Domestic revenue per available seat kilometer jumped 8% in the quarter. International revenue rose just 0.2% in the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with a 6.9% decrease in the year-ago quarter. <br/>
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The leading U. black civil rights group has urged black travellers not to fly with American Airlines after what it called a pattern of racially biased incidents reported by passengers. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) accused the airline of subjecting black passengers to "disrespectful, discriminatory or unsafe conditions" as part of a corporate culture of racial insensitivity. "Historically, the NAACP has issued travel advisories when conditions on the ground pose a substantial risk of harm to black Americans," the group said Tuesday. It said some recent incidents "may represent only the 'tip of the iceberg' when it comes to American Airlines' documented mistreatment of African-American customers." The advisory against American Airlines is the second such warning the group has issued this year. In August it advised African-Americans to exercise extreme caution in Missouri, based on data that showed black drivers were much more likely to be stopped and searched by police in the state than white drivers. American Airlines CE Doug Parker said he was disappointed by the NAACP's move and that the carrier had contacted the group to arrange a meeting. "The mission statement of the NAACP states that it 'seeks to remove all barriers of racial discrimination,'" Parker wrote in a letter to employees on Wednesday, which was seen by Reuters. "That's a mission that the people of American Airlines endorse and facilitate every day - we do not and will not tolerate discrimination at any time."<br/>