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 PHOENIX (AP) - US Airways Group Inc. blamed high fuel prices for its quarter-billion dollar loss in the fourth quarter. But the company's CEO said the task of merging US Airways and America West was going smoothly, and he predicted the nation's fifth-largest carrier would be profitable on an operating basis in 2006.
The loss for the quarter ended in December was $261 million compared with $69 million a year earlier. However, the per-share loss narrowed to $3.26 from $4.66, as the latest period had a greater number of shares outstanding.
Excluding certain items, the company reported a fourth-quarter loss of $138 million, or $1.72 per share, versus an adjusted net loss of $58 million, or $3.89 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2004.
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