First Quarter 2020 U.S. Airline Financial Data
U.S. scheduled passenger airlines reported a first-quarter 2020 after-tax net loss of $5.2 billion and a pre-tax operating loss of $4.6 billion.
The first-quarter losses follow 27 consecutive quarterly after-tax net profits and 35 consecutive quarterly pre-tax operating profits.
U.S. airline financial reports are filed quarterly with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). See the tables that accompany this release on the BTS website for additional first-quarter 2020 (Tables 1-6) financial results.
Results for All 23 Scheduled U.S. Passenger Airlines
Figure 1. Systemwide U.S. Scheduled Service Passenger Airlines Quarterly After Tax Net Profit, 1Q 2020
| (billions of dollars) | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1Q2019 | $1.5 | 2 |
| 2Q2019 | $3.6 | 3 |
| 3Q2019 | $3.2 | 4 |
| 4Q2019 | $2.7 | 5 |
| 1Q2020 | -$4.1 | 6 |
| 7 |
Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Schedule P1.2 http://www.transtats.bts.gov/Fields.asp?Table_ID=295
After-tax net income
- $5.2 billion loss in 1Q 2020
- Down from $3.4 billion gain in 4Q 2019
- Down from $2.0 billion gain in 1Q 2019
Pre-tax operating profit
- $4.6 billion loss in 1Q 2020
- Down from $4.6 profit in 4Q 2019
- Down from $2.9 billion profit in 1Q 2019
- Total 1Q 2020 operating revenue: $37.3 billion, of which:
- $26.8 billion (71.8%) from fares
- $1.2 billion (3.3%) from baggage fees
- $656.4 million (1.8%) from reservation change fees
- Total 1Q 2020 operating expenses: $41.9 billion
- Fuel costs accounted for $6.4 billion, 15.3% of total operating expenses
- Labor costs accounted for $14.4 billion, 34.5% of total operating expenses
Fees are included for calculations of net income, operating revenue and operating profit or loss.
Domestic operations, includes 23 U.S. airlines:
Figure 2. Domestic U.S. Scheduled Service Passenger Airlines Quarterly After Tax Net Profit, 1Q 2020
| (billions of dollars) | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1Q2019 | $1.5 | 2 |
| 2Q2019 | $3.6 | 3 |
| 3Q2019 | $3.2 | 4 |
| 4Q2019 | $2.7 | 5 |
| 1Q2020 | -$4.1 | 6 |
| 7 |
Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Schedule P1.2 http://www.transtats.bts.gov/Fields.asp?Table_ID=295
After-tax domestic net profit (net income)
- $4.1 billion loss in 1Q 2020
- Down from $2.7 billion gain in 4Q 2019
- Down from $1.5 billion gain in 1Q 2019
Pre-tax domestic operating profit
- $3.8 billion loss in 1Q 2020
- Down from $3.7 billion profit in 4Q 2019
- Down from $2.2 billion profit in 1Q 2019
- Total 1Q 2020 domestic operating revenue: $28.8 billion, of which:
- $20.0 billion (69.3%) from fares
- $975.4 million (3.4%) from baggage fees
- $487.6 million (1.7%) from reservation change fees
- Total 1Q 2020 domestic operating expenses: $32.6 billion
- Fuel costs accounted for $4.6 billion, 14.0% of total domestic operating expenses
- Labor costs accounted for $11.0 billion, 33.5% of total domestic operating expenses
International operations, includes 20 U.S. airlines:
Figure 3. International U.S. Scheduled Service Passenger Airlines Quarterly After Tax Net Profit, 1Q 2020
| (billions of dollars) | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1Q2019 | $0.5 | 2 |
| 2Q2019 | $1.2 | 3 |
| 3Q2019 | $1.3 | 4 |
| 4Q2019 | $0.7 | 5 |
| 1Q2020 | -$1.2 | 6 |
| 7 |
Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Schedule P1.2 http://www.transtats.bts.gov/Fields.asp?Table_ID=295
After-tax international net profit (net income)
- $1.2 billion loss in 1Q 2020
- Down from $691 million gain in 4Q 2019
- Down from $545 million gain in 1Q 2019
Pre-tax international operating profit
- $722 million loss in 1Q 2020
- Down from $864 million profit in 4Q 2019
- Down from $747 million profit in 1Q 2019
- Total 1Q 2020 international operating revenue: $8.5 billion, of which:
- $6.8 billion (80.1%) from fares
- $250.4 million (2.9%) from baggage fees
- $168.8 million (2.0%) from reservation change fees
- Total 1Q 2020 international operating expenses: $9.3 billion,
- Fuel costs accounted for $1.8 billion, 19.6% of international operating expenses
- Labor costs accounted for $3.5 billion, 37.6% of international operating expenses
1st Quarter Margins
Net margin is the net income or loss as a percentage of operating revenue. Operating margin is the operating profit or loss as a percentage of operating revenue.
- -14.0% in 1Q2020
- Down from 4.5% in 1Q 2019
Operating margin:
- -12.2% in 1Q2020
- Down from 6.5% in 1Q 2019
- -14.1% in 1Q2020
- Down from 4.3% in 1Q 2019
Operating margin:
- -13.3% in 1Q2020
- Down from 6.4% in 1Q 2019
- -13.8% in 1Q2020
- Down from 5.1% in 1Q 2019
Operating margin:
- -8.5% in 1Q2020
- Down from 7.0% in 1Q 2019
Reporting notes
Additional data: BTS website, see tables for operating profit/loss, operating revenue and fuel cost and consumption. See the BTS financial databases for more detailed data including numbers for individual airlines.
Filing requirement: By regulation, for the quarter ending March 31, airlines that operate at least one aircraft that is designed/certified for more than 60 seats or the capacity to carry a payload of passengers and cargo weighing more than 18,000 pounds must report financial data to BTS by May 10. The airline filings are subject to a process of quality assurance and data validations before release to the public.
Data updates: Revised carrier data and late data filings will be made available monthly on TranStats on the Monday following the second Tuesday of the month. All data are subject to revision. BTS will release second-quarter 2020 data on Sept. 14.