[MAS rugi RM1.303 bilion atau hampir 6 kali ganda kerugian sebelumnya. Ia dianggarkan rugi lebih RM1 juta sehari dalam perkhidmatan domestiknya kerana kerajaan enggan membenarkan tambang dinaikkan supaya tidak menjejaskan industri perlancungan - salah satu sumber hasil melalui pertukaran matawang.

Matawang ringgit sebenarnya tidak laku dan pelancungan diharap dapat dapat melariskannya. Kawalan matawang menyebabkan ringgit tertekan dan industri penerbangan Malaysia menjadi mangsa kedegilan Mahathir yang berterusan.

MAS juga sakit kerana harga minyak yang semakin mencanak dalam tempoh sekitar Oktober. Yang peliknya SIA asyik untung pula walaupun SIngapura mengimpot minyak dari kita. - Editor]

http://www.bernama.com/businessbm/pe2905_12.htm

May 29 , 2001 20:52PM

MAS Rugi RM1.303 Bilion

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 Mei (Bernama) -- Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) hari ini mengumumkan kerugian sebelum cukai sebanyak RM1.303 bilion bagi tahun berakhir 31 Mac 2001 berbanding kerugian RM236.9 juta tahun sebelumnya.

Perolehan kumpulan, bagaimanapun, meningkat 9.7 peratus kepada RM8.956 bilion daripada RM8.160 bilion sementara pendapatan pelaburan dan pendapatan-pendapatan lain meningkat 138.9 peratus kepada RM304.7 juta.

Perbelanjaan keseluruhan kumpulan pula meningkat 13 peratus kepada RM10.802 bilion dengan kos bahan api dan minyak melonjak 47.9 peratus dan kos sewa pesawat dan enjin meningkat 59.2 peratus. Kerugian kumpulan sesaham sebanyak 173.2 sen berbanding 33.6 sen pada tempoh yang sama sebelumnya.

-- BERNAMA

The Business Times, Singapore
29th May 2001

MAS full-year loss seen to triple on interest and fuel costs

The carrier is expected to report a loss of RM834.8m

(KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysian Airline System Bhd's (MAS) full-year loss probably more than tripled because the national carrier's borrowing costs rose, jet fuel prices reached a record high and domestic routes were unprofitable.

MAS may report that the loss for the year ended March 31, 2001, widened to RM834.8 million (S$398 million), or 108.4 sen a share, from a loss of RM258 million, or 33.6 sen a share, in the previous year, according to the average of five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The airline was helped by gains from the sale of planes in the previous year.

Malaysia in February bought back 29.1 per cent of the airline from Naluri Bhd, a company controlled by tycoon Tajudin Ramli, for RM1.79 billion.

The government has stepped up efforts to reorganise the company and appointed a new management to better compete with regional airlines and help stem three years of losses. It may hire a foreigner to lead the company.

'The government has to quit subsidising domestic routes and maybe cut excess staff, among other measures, to bring down costs,' said Bradley Burch, analyst at Nomura Advisory Services in Singapore.

Interest costs to service its debt of RM9.5 billion may exceed RM600 million for the year, while unprofitable domestic routes will continue to hurt earnings, analysts said.

MAS loses more than RM1 million a day on its domestic routes, said analysts. The government is reluctant to allow the carrier to raise domestic fares because it may hurt tourism, the country's second largest foreign exchange earner.

MAS was hurt by a surge in fuel prices to decade-highs in October. Jet fuel in Singapore, an Asian aviation hub, reached a high of US$47.55 a barrel in October. It has since dropped. - Bloomberg

http://business-times.asia1.com.sg