Title: The Future for Australian Aviation:
1- The Future for Australian Aviation
- Policy, Market Infrastructure Challenges
- Ian ThomasSenior Consultant
- Industry Affairs
2Market Overview
- Domestic market
- - Return to stable duopoly
- - Further restructuring likely
- International market
- - Local/regional pressure for liberalisation
(eg Pacific) - - Foreign ownership, control rules under review
- - Competition intensifying
BTRE Transport Colloquium 05
3The scorecard 15 years into domestic deregulation
- Upside
- Strong traffic growth
- Greater competitiveness
- Product innovation
- Cheaper fares
- Encourages market entry, allows exit
- Downside
- X High volatility
- X Depleted yields
- X 4 failures
- X Single dominant operator
4The highs and lows
Domestic Deregulation
Average annual traffic growth 2.3 times GDP AAGR
Market re-growth
Entry, exit Compass 2
Entry Impulse, Virgin Blue
Compass 1 collapse
Exit Impulse, Ansett fails
Asian crisis
Source BTRE, CAPA
Percentage change in CY Traffic, Capacity
Frequency v GDP
5Long-term growth trend despite crises
Capacity, Traffic Load Factor Trends
RPKs 15.7 ASKs17.6 CY2004
Trend lines
Source BTRE, IMF
High passenger loads, traffic levels
6Record profits
Major Airline Profits Profit Per
Passenger, Capacity Unit
New peak
Previous peak 2000
Aggregate earnings eclipse previous peak by 42
in 2004
Source CAPA, Airlines
7More competition less profit
Qantas Ansett Virgin Impulse
Qantas/Virgin
Qantas/Ansett
Qantas/ Australian Ansett Compass 12
Source CAPA, Airlines
Combined Profits of Major Airlines Year-on-year,
1990-2004
8Commercial impact
VIRGIN LIGHT
VIRGIN HEAVIER
From traditional LCCto Ansett II?
9QANTAS 2000
QANTAS 2005
Qantas fragments.different brands for different
markets
10International Policy The greatest challenge
- Where to next with open skies
- Australian airlines losing market share to
foreign operators - Ownership/control limits need addressing
- - capital mobility issues
- - consolidation constraints
- Government response to regional liberalisation
(ASEAN3, other) - Greater engagement with Asia
11Asia growing rapidly, but Australia/NZ only small
players
Asia accounts for 83 of available airline
capacity to/from region
Source Innovata APGdat
Australia/NZ fifth to Asia, Europe, America and
Middle East
12Capital access, rising debt threaten growth
Fleet rebuilding, high growth
Qantas Capex, Net Debt Trends, 1994-2007
Capex 2002-2007 13.6b
1.4b in equity raisings
Debt curve
Source Qantas annual reports, Lehman Bros
13Regional fleet growth places pressure on labour
pool
Current Aircraft Orders by Region
- High demand
- impacts on
- training
- wage costs
- expansion
- plans
Orders for 1,056 aircraft in next 3-5 years, 80
in Australia/NZ
Source Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, Airlines
14Skills shortfall looms large
Est. Annual Airline Employee Requirements by
Type by Region, 2005-2009
7780
6023
4718
4472
2515
2100
1422
390
146,000 jobs required over 5 years 29,000 per
year
Source Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation
15Australia New Zealand7,109 jobs over 5 years
14.5 increase in employees to 2009
Source Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation
16Surplus pilot supply may disappear quickly
4,303 commercial pilots (non-airline)
6,025 licensed airline pilots
Also available 300 ex-Ansett pilots, 200
foreign pilots
Source CASA Annual Reports
17Offshore competition for pilots increasing
Retirement
Overseas exodus to high demand centres
China
India
SE Asia
Middle East
Qantas, Virgin, Air NZ
Aust/NZ Pilot Pool
18Conclusions The Challenges Ahead
- Build on industry globalisation, regional
liberalisation - Accelerate air service deregulation programme,
focus on Asia - First stop is Singapore open skies agreement
5th freedom access to Pacific - Remove road-blocks to consolidation (starting
with New Zealand)
19Conclusions
- Failure to facilitate capital, alliance
development will impede growth and may threaten
viability
20Only the brave.....
21