Lufthansa reported that total Group revenues for 2018 were a six-percent increase on the previous year. Burdened by the first-time application of the IFRS 15 accounting standard, total revenues were one percent up on 2017, at EUR 35.8 billion. The Adjusted EBIT for the year of around EUR 2.8 billion was only slightly below the record EUR 3.0 billion of the previous year, despite an increase of some EUR 850 million in fuel costs and EUR 518 million of expenses incurred through delays and cancellations (up a substantial 70 percent from the EUR 304 million of the prior year). In addition, the Eurowings result was burdened by some EUR 170 million one-off costs related to the integration of parts of the former Air Berlin fleet. Adjusted EBIT margin amounted to 7.9 percent (prior year: 8.3 percent). The net Group result for the year declined slightly to EUR 2.2 billion (prior year: EUR 2.3 billion).
Adjusted EBIT was affected by a change in the accounting of engine overhauls, which increased Adjusted EBIT for 2018 by EUR 122 million and decreased Adjusted EBIT for 2017 by EUR 4 million. Without this accounting change, Adjusted EBIT for 2018 would have amounted to EUR 2.7 billion.
Unit revenues adjusted for the first-time adoption of IFRS 15 and currency effects declined 0.5 percent for 2018 owing to lower unit revenues at Eurowings. Unit revenues were slightly above their prior-year level at the Group’s Network Airlines, where higher unit revenues on long-haul routes (over the North Atlantic and to and from Asia) more than made up for lower short-haul unit revenues, especially in the second half of the year.