All Nippon Airways Co. said Wednesday its group net profit rose 96.4 percent from a year earlier to a record ¥64.14 billion for the business year ended in March, due to special profit earned from sales of a hotel asset to streamline its business.
But Japan's second-largest carrier logged an 8.5 percent fall in operating profit because of rising energy costs and accelerated depreciation of aircraft to renew its fleet. ANA said energy costs rose ¥30.6 billion from the previous year.
As for charges by the European Commission in December that ANA participated in an illegal cargo cartel, the airline said it had set aside ¥16.2 billion for possible penalties.
"The amount of the reserve is what we have decided with our auditors, ANA Executive Vice President Shin Nagase told a news conference.
In December, the European Commission — the European Union's antitrust watchdog — officially conveyed the charges to air freight companies, including ANA and several other airliners.
For the business year ending next March, ANA expects operating profit to fall 5.2 percent to ¥80 billion.
It expects group net profit to drop 57.9 percent to ¥27 billion for the year.