Brazil airline Gol forecasts 24% increase in unit passenger revenue, earnings rise

Brazilian airline Gol expects unit passenger revenue to increase by 24% in Q2 compared to the same period last year, the company said in a corporate filing on Monday. For the April to June quarter, its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin is expected to be between 22% and 24%, the company said, up from 16.4% in the same period a year ago. The EBIT margin, before interest and tax, is expected to be around 9% to 10%. The airline also said that unit costs excluding fuel are expected to have risen by about 15% in Q2 from a year ago, mainly due to a 9% fall in the Brazilian real, higher payroll taxes, higher fees, and increased depreciation costs due to an expanded fleet. <br/>