United Airlines Widens On Volatile Fuel Prices

United Airlines parent UAL on Wednesday said its quarterly net loss widened on erosion in the value of its fuel hedges as oil prices dropped.

The company said its net loss amounted to USD$1.3 billion, compared with USD$53 million a year earlier.

The airline industry, battered severely last year by high fuel costs, cut capacity in the fourth quarter to offset that bill and to gain pricing power as economic woes eroded travel demand.

UAL said its revenue was USD$4.55 billion in the quarter, down 9.6 percent.

The company said it ended the quarter with an unrestricted cash balance of USD$2 billion.