British Airways posts ￡127 mln of loss in nine months

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

LONDON, Feb. 6 (Chinese media) -- British Airways said Friday that it posted a net

loss of 127 million pounds (about 186 million U.S. dollars) in the nine months

ending Dec. 31 due to the current economic crisis and the weak pound.

In the same period a year earlier, BA had made a profit after tax of 642

million pounds.

"These results have been hit by further economic weakness and the fall in

sterling," said BA's chief executive Willie Walsh.

The airliner said it would try to sell more tickets in markets with

stronger currencies to enable it to benefit from exchange rates.

"The industry continues to face very difficult trading conditions on the

back of a weak economic environment," the airline's press office said.

In the period under review, fuel costs climbed 48 percent to 2.2 billion

pounds, but BA said it would begin to benefit from falling fuel prices in the

2009/2010 financial year.

BA said it expects an operating loss of 150 million pounds for the

2008-2009 financial year.