Japan Airlines Q4 loss deepens as pandemic curbs air travel

Japan Airlines said Friday its Q4 operating loss quadrupled to 104.1b yen ($953.9m) as coronavirus restrictions continued to curb air travel demand. The result for the three months to March 31, which compares with a loss of 25.9b yen a year ago, was worse than an estimated average 88.96b yen loss from three analyst surveyed by Refinitiv. Japan’s second-biggest airline and other carriers around the world have had to cope with a collapse in international and domestic air travel caused by coronavirus travel restrictions. The airline did not provide an earnings forecast for the current business year. Eleven analysts predict an average 56b yen loss, Refinitiv data shows. JAL saw demand rebound on domestic routes at the end of last year to around half of pre-pandemic levels, helped by government discounts on air tickets and hotels. That recovery, however, faltered as fresh waves of coronavirus infections prompted new lockdowns. Passenger numbers on international routes are still only around 5% of what the carrier would normally see.<br/>