Air France losses widen on restructuring charge

Air France-KLM says its net loss widened to 1.2 billion euros (US$1.59b) last year from 809 million euros in 2001, but underlying prospects are improving despite heavy fuel and restructuring costs.

The group has suffered from a fall of competitiveness in recent years, under the pressure of low-cost operators and the rise of airlines in the Middle East and in Asia.

In January of last year, the company announced a vast restructuring plan called "Transform 2015".

The group cut its operating loss in 2012 to 300 million euros from a loss of 353 million euros in 2011.

This was better than the average figure expected by analysts polled by Bloomberg financial agency of a loss of 334.6 million euros.

In the fourth quarter of last year, the operating loss was reduced to 143 million euros from 202 million euros 12 months earlier.

Net debt, which weighs heavily on the group, fell by 540 million euros to slightly less than 6.0 billion euros.

Sales rose by 5.2 percent to 25.6 billion euros.

Financial director Philippe Calavia said that 2012 was an important year for the group because decisions about the structure and transformation of the company had been taken.

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