LATAM reports 2018 earnings

LATAM Airlines reported an operating income of US$295.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, a 9.3% increase compared to year-ago period. Operating margin reached 10.6%, an increase of 0.8 percentage points, driven by a 2.3% increase in passenger revenues and relatively flat operating expenses, despite the 27.9% increase in fuel costs during the quarter. For the full year 2018, LATAM achieved an operating margin of 6.8%. The airline group’s reported net income was US$148.7 million for the fourth quarter 2018. For the full year 2018, net income reached US$181.9 million, compared with US$155.3 million in 2017 – the highest