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The owner of the British Airways International Airlines Group has warned that he does not expect the business trip to return to pre-fandemic levels as passengers of the free-time expense helped him record the bumper profits.
Operational profits increased 22 percent in a record of 4.3bn € in 2024, Friday said, as describing plans to return up to € 1 billion for shareholders.
“We have seen a strong demand for travel throughout 2024 and now in 2025, especially in our main markets,” said IAG, which owns five airlines including Iberia of Spain and Aer Lingus, Ireland.
But while there was an increase in corporate journey used to fill its premium countries, IAG said “we appreciate that it will not fully recover at pre-Covid-19 levels, especially for short duration and short–handed trips.”
The head of the Global Business Travel Association told the Financial Times last year that the business trip was set in a “new normal” that included fewer one-day flight trips, partly due to online meetings.
Companies including Professional Service Firms PWC, EY and Marsh Mclennan have also described all the plans described to reduce emissions by reducing air travel.
Since the end of the Pandemia, the British Airways and other large airlines have managed to meet their business and first -class seats with free time passengers will pay for high prices.
IAG said that the trip of leisure “remains strong as a major advantage for families”.
“In recent years we have seen this increase from an change as customers appreciate experiences on material purchases,” she added.
The priest of the IAG action has doubled more than last year after investors have cheered a series of strong quarterly financial results, built on high demand for travel, especially on the main roads of the group across the Atlantic.
The company said it planned to turn up to 1bn € into “excess capital” to shareholders this year.
The IAG said it would also pay a full 2024 dividend from € 0.09 per share after returning a temporary dividend last year, when a purchase of € 350 million began.
Operational profit in BA increased 14 percent year by year to € 2BN, as the airline increased by strong demand in the “very valuable” roads between the UK and the JSC
The airline has suffered from prolonged operational problems since the end of the pandemic, especially at its center at London’s Heathrow Airport.
The IAG said BA had improved its operational performance in 2024, but warned that the airline faced “constant challenges regarding aircraft availability”, especially its Boeing 787 jets, which had problems with their Rolls-Royce engines.
Shares in the IAG increased 5 percent in the morning trading in London.
