Founder & Managing Director, AIR Control Tower, AIR Control Tower

Neil Glynn

Founder & Managing Director, AIR Control Tower

AIR Control Tower

AIR Control Tower is an independent research and analysis platform. Its mission is to provide impactful insight and analysis across the global airline industry at a company and market level via detailed financial models to aid decision making for key stake holders at a time when risks have seldom, if ever, been higher and the global sector grapples with the imperative of funding de-carbonisation. Unique analysis forecasting global carrier-level earnings/cash flows, and restructuring/de-leveraging prospects, is designed to dynamically assess the health of the industry, predict surprises and identify potential requirements for third party support.

Insights on the global airline industry

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>JAL finishing FY24 strongly with another guidance upgrade – upgraded FY26 targets more logical in light of existing ANA targets</li>
<li>​Demand momentum particularly helpful as wages rise across Japan and ​cost control to remain impressive over FY25-FY26 as LCC growth set to dilute FSC inflation</li>
<li>​Detailed analysis of JAL’s widening margin gap to ANA suggests revenue solution required – momentum helpful and needs to be watched carefully</li>
</ul>


JAL finishing FY24 strongly with another guidance upgrade – upgraded FY26 targets more logical in light of existing ANA targets
​Demand momentum particularly helpful as wages rise across Japan and ​cost control to remain impressive over FY25-FY26 as LCC growth set to dilute FSC inflation
​Detailed analysis of JAL’s widening margin gap to ANA suggests revenue solution required – momentum helpful and needs to be watched carefully


Japan Airlines – Encouraging Lifting of Medium Term Expectations to Narrow Recovery Gap to ANA

Cathay Pacific Airways / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>2023 results came in broadly in line with expectations but included a concerning step up in ex-fuel unit cost inflation.</li>
<li>We cut our 2024 EBITDAR by 10% to HK$22.2bn, which drives net income down 21% to HK$6.6bn, leaving us well below consensus.</li>
<li>We revisit Cathay's margin generation problems from the last cycle, illustrating structural problems which require structural solutions.</li>
</ul>


2023 results came in broadly in line with expectations but included a concerning step up in ex-fuel unit cost inflation.
We cut our 2024 EBITDAR by 10% to HK$22.2bn, which drives net income down 21% to HK$6.6bn, leaving us well below consensus.
We revisit Cathay's margin generation problems from the last cycle, illustrating structural problems which require structural solutions.


Cathay Pacific – Rising Inflationary Pressure Expedites Earnings Normalisation

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets, JapanConsuming

Michael Causton

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets

Real Insight on Japanese Consumer Markets

JapanConsuming

JapanConsuming is a specialist research firm producing intelligence on Japanese retail and consumer markets. Founded in 2000, JapanConsuming has become the leading provider of insights on Japanese retailers and consumer trends to retailers, brands, government agencies and investors. As well as a highly regarded monthly report on the market, JapanConsuming produces in-depth reports on retail sectors, seminars on key trends and telephone consulting to investors on trends and retailers.

JapanConsuming was founded by Michael Causton and Roy Larke. 

<ul>
<li>Amidst intense competition in online mall retailing, JAL and ANA both launched their own e-commerce malls last year to replace once popular catalogues.</li>
<li>Although a tough market to enter given the competition from the big 3 (Amazon, Rakuten and Yahoo), airlines have distinct advantages over other small malls.</li>
<li>In particular, they have data on millions of consumers and access to premium customers willing to spend ¥1 million on a case of wine.</li>
</ul>


Amidst intense competition in online mall retailing, JAL and ANA both launched their own e-commerce malls last year to replace once popular catalogues.
Although a tough market to enter given the competition from the big 3 (Amazon, Rakuten and Yahoo), airlines have distinct advantages over other small malls.
In particular, they have data on millions of consumers and access to premium customers willing to spend ¥1 million on a case of wine.


Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/interglobe-aviation-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24877:1" rel="noopener">InterGlobe Aviation Ltd (INDIGO IN)</a>’s co-founder Rakesh Gangwal’s 25%+ stake will be released from lock-up tomorrow.</li>
<li>He had earlier stated his intention to pare down his stake. He has sold shares in Sep 2022, Feb 2023 and Aug 2023.</li>
<li>In this note, we will talk about the lockup dynamics and possible placement.</li>
</ul>



InterGlobe Aviation Ltd (INDIGO IN)’s co-founder Rakesh Gangwal’s 25%+ stake will be released from lock-up tomorrow.
He had earlier stated his intention to pare down his stake. He has sold shares in Sep 2022, Feb 2023 and Aug 2023.
In this note, we will talk about the lockup dynamics and possible placement.


Interglobe Aviation (Indigo) Lockup - Still Has US$3bn+ Stake Left, After Three Prior Selldowns

<ul>
<li>We refresh estimates for ANA and JAL, and highlight we think the strength of FY24 makes it difficult for ANA to avoid an earnings decline in FY25.</li>
<li>However, ANA's superior recovery to JAL poses bigger questions for JAL as it revisits its medium term plan on 21 March</li>
<li>Our deep dive on margin management at each carrier suggests a revenue problem rather than a cost problem at JAL; but without revenue improvements, it will have to cut costs</li>
</ul>


We refresh estimates for ANA and JAL, and highlight we think the strength of FY24 makes it difficult for ANA to avoid an earnings decline in FY25.
However, ANA's superior recovery to JAL poses bigger questions for JAL as it revisits its medium term plan on 21 March
Our deep dive on margin management at each carrier suggests a revenue problem rather than a cost problem at JAL; but without revenue improvements, it will have to cut costs


Japanese Airlines – ANA’s Margin Outperformance Poses Big Questions for JAL

Japan

Japan Airlines Co. Ltd. provides air transportation services. The Company offers a variety of scheduled  flights and unscheduled flights throughout the world as well as offers air courier services. Japan Airlines also provides tickets, resort hotels, and travel agencies services.

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Japan Airlines (9201 JP)

Japan Airlines – Encouraging Lifting of Medium Term Expectations to Narrow Recovery Gap to ANA

Detailed analysis of JAL's medium term plan update, FY24-FY26 earnings prospects, and widening margin gap to principal competitor All Nippon Airways

Neil Glynn

Cathay Pacific – Rising Inflationary Pressure Expedites Earnings Normalisation

FY23 results were greeted with a positive reaction. However, we highlight creeping cost pressure at Cathay which prompts us to expedite earnings...

Neil Glynn

JAL Mall: Gold from 30m Mileage Members

JAL and ANA enter online retail market with e-commerce malls, leveraging customer data and premium clientele to compete with big players like...

Michael Causton

Interglobe Aviation (Indigo) Lockup - Still Has US$3bn+ Stake Left, After Three Prior Selldowns

The founder is now looking up to US$450m via selling around 3.3% of the company. This deal is well flagged although the timing is a few days later...

Sumeet Singh

Japanese Airlines – ANA’s Margin Outperformance Poses Big Questions for JAL

A deep dive on ANA and JAL analysing the drivers of ANA's superior financial recover to JAL and the implications for JAL's medium term strategy...

Neil Glynn

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52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

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Japan Airlines – Encouraging Lifting of Medium Term Expectations to Narrow Recovery Gap to ANA

Detailed analysis of JAL's medium term plan update, FY24-FY26 earnings prospects, and widening margin gap to principal competitor All Nippon Airways

Neil Glynn

Cathay Pacific – Rising Inflationary Pressure Expedites Earnings Normalisation

FY23 results were greeted with a positive reaction. However, we highlight creeping cost pressure at Cathay which prompts us to expedite earnings...

Neil Glynn

JAL Mall: Gold from 30m Mileage Members

​JAL and ANA enter online retail market with e-commerce malls, leveraging customer data and premium clientele to compete with big players like...

Michael Causton

Interglobe Aviation (Indigo) Lockup - Still Has US$3bn+ Stake Left, After Three Prior Selldowns

The founder is now looking up to US$450m via selling around 3.3% of the company. This deal is well flagged although the timing is a few days later...

Sumeet Singh

Japanese Airlines – ANA’s Margin Outperformance Poses Big Questions for JAL

A deep dive on ANA and JAL analysing the drivers of ANA's superior financial recover to JAL and the implications for JAL's medium term strategy...

Neil Glynn

JAL and ANA enter online retail market with e-commerce malls, leveraging customer data and premium clientele to compete with big players like...