JAL posts highest sales of 1.84 tril. yen in FY 2024 on strong demand
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan Airlines Co. said Friday its revenues rose 11.6 percent from the year before to 1.84 trillion yen ($12.7 billion) in the fiscal year ended March, a record high since its relisting in 2012, boosted by robust demand from domestic and international travelers.
The company said it remains vigilant over the possible effect of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs policy on travel and cargo demand, saying the latest earnings results have not reflected the impact of the "extremely uncertain" and fluctuating Trump policies.
CEO Mitsuko Tottori told a press briefing that the latest result gave her "confidence" to pursue further growth as it reflected continued support by customers despite incidents of pilots drinking alcohol that prompted a business improvement order from the transport ministry.
Tottori said she hopes that the World Exposition in Osaka, running for six months from mid-April, will further boost inbound travelers, not only to the western Japan city but also to other regions in Japan using domestic airline services.
JAL's net profit for fiscal 2024 grew 12.0 percent to 107.04 billion yen. The number of domestic passengers increased 2.9 percent to 36.13 million, and international travelers rose 14.4 percent to 7.58 million.
The figures picked up from fall and winter seasons after some people likely avoided traveling during the hot Japanese summer, the company said.
For the current fiscal year that began in April, the company expects its net profit to rise 7.4 percent to 115 billion yen on sales of 1.98 trillion yen, up 7.2 percent.
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