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    Predicting Financial Distress of Indian Airline Companies

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    1. INTRODUCTIONIndian Aviation is facing its most uncertain phase in more than a decade. After reporting an

    estimated record loss of just over US $ 2 billion in the 12 months ended 31 stMarch 2012, Indias

    airlines are facing an equally challenging year ahead. Weak balance sheets, increasing costs,

    regulatory uncertainty, a sluggish Indian economy and a difficult global environment will

    continue to pile the pressure on airlines, especially the poor performing carriers. However, this

    may in turn create market opportunities to exploit for those that are better positioned. Over the

    near term the challenges facing the airline operators are related to high debt burden and

    liquidity constraints - most operators need significant equity infusion to effect a meaningful

    improvement in balance sheet. Improved financial profile would also allow these players to

    focus on steps to improve long term viability and brand building through differentiated

    customer service.Over the long term the operators need to focus on improving cost structure,through rationalization at all levels including mix of fleet and routes, aimed at cost efficiency. At

    the industry level, long term viability also requires return of pricing power through better

    alignment of capacity to the underlying demand growth.

    However Indian aviation industry promises huge growth potential due to large and growing

    middle class population, favorable demographics, rapid economic growth, higher disposable

    incomes, rising aspirations of the middle class, and overall low penetration levels (less than

    3%).Against this background this study will critically analyze the current scenario of the aviation

    industry and will make an attempt to predict the financial distress of Indian Airline Companies

    using the Altman Z Score model.

    2. PROBLEM DEFINITIONFinancial distress of infrastructure firms may jeopardize the sustainability of various services

    offered. The Aviation sector companies in India are facing a problem of financial crunch today,

    therefore it is necessary to analyze the bankruptcy situation and predict the financial distress of

    these aviation companies and suggest ways to overcome the problem so as to ensure smooth

    and sustainable operation of infrastructure companies.

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    3. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE1. Primary Objective: To study and understand the Altmans Z-Score model used to predict the financial heath

    and viability of the company

    To study and understand the Air-score model used to predict thefinancial health andviability specifically for the Airline Industry.

    2. Secondary Objective: To analyze the present status of the Indian Aviation sector and predict the financial

    condition of the Indian airline companies using the Z-Score model and the Airscore

    model. The analysis will be conducted on 3 airline companies listed on BSE viz. Kingfisher

    Airlines Ltd., SpiceJet Ltd. and Jet Airways Ltd.

    4. LITERATURE REVIEW The earliest study using multivariate data analysis on failure prediction was conducted by

    Altman(1968) using a set of financial and economic ratios as possible determinants of corporate

    failures. Thestudy used sixty-six corporations from manufacturing industries comprising of

    bankrupt and nonbankruptfirms and 22 ratios from five categories, namely, liquidity,

    profitability, leverage, solvencyand activity. Five ratios were finally selected for their

    performance in the prediction of corporatebankruptcy and the derived model correctly

    classified 95 percent of the total sample (correctlyclassifying 94 percent as bankrupt firms and

    97 percent as non-bankrupt firms) one-year prior to bankruptcy. The percentage of the accuracy

    declined with increasing number of years beforebankruptcy.Altmans original model is

    calculated as:

    Z= 0.012 X1 + 0.014 X2 + 0.033 X3 + 0.006 X4 + 0.999 X5

    Where,

    X1Working Capital / Total Assets (a liquidity measure)

    X2Retained Earnings / Total Assets (a measure for reinvested earnings)

    X3EBIT / Total Assets (a profitability measure)

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    X4Market Value of Equity / Book Value of Total Debt (a leverage measure)

    X5Sales / Total Assets (a measure for sales generating ability of a firms assets)

    After publishing the model, a discussion on howthe Z-score model could be used for "non listedcompanies" started. Modification of the original modelconsisted in the total revaluation of the

    modeland the market value of owners equity in variableX4was substituted with the book value

    of owners equity. In 1977 Altman published the final modelapplicable to companies nonlisted

    at the capitalmarket under the name ZETA and it is as follows:

    Z= 0.717 X1+ 0.847 X2 + 3.107 X3 + 0.420 X4 + 0.998 X5

    Altman et al. (1994) reported the use of neural network in identification of distressedbusinessby the Italian central bank. Using over 1,000 sampled firms with 10 financial ratios asindependentvariables, they found that the classification of neural networks was very close to

    that achieved byDiscriminant analysis. They concluded that the neural network is not a clearly

    dominant mathematicaltechnique compared to traditional statistical techniques.

    Begley et al. (1995) incorporated the time bias factor into the classic business failurepredictionmodel. Using Altman (1968) and Ohlsons (1980) models to a matched sample of failed andnon-

    failed firms from 1980s, they found that the predictive accuracy of Altmans model

    declinedwhen applied against the 1980s data. The findings explained the importance of

    incorporating the timefactor in the traditional failure prediction models.

    Mossman et al. (1998) conducted a study to compare four types of bankruptcypredictionmodels that are based on financial statement ratios, cash flows, stock returns, and

    returns standarddeviations. They tested four bankruptcy models: Altmans(1968) Z-score model

    based on financialratios; Aziz et al.s (1988) model comprised of cash flows; Clark and

    Weinsteins (1983) market returnmodel, and Aharony et al.s (1980) market return variation

    model. They found that in the year prior tobankruptcy, the ratio model is the most effective in

    explaining the likelihood of bankruptcy. In thethree years preceding bankruptcy, the cash flow

    model most consistently discriminates betweenbankrupt and on-bankrupt firms. The findings

    suggest different uses for the models, as stakeholdersmight be particularly interested in cash

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    flow variables as an early warning indicators of failure.Alternatively, a large negative shift in

    accounting ratio variables could be a useful indicator ofimminent financial collapse.

    Possibilities of the Altman zeta model application to Czech firms an article from the journalEkonomikaA Management published in March 2011 tried analyzing the Altmans Zeta model

    by applying it to Czech firms. The study included 37 Czech companies of which 13 were bankrupt

    and the results corroborated that the model was highly reliable in predicting the financial

    distress or more precisely the bankruptcy of a given company. However it also confirmed that

    the Altman Model canpredict bankruptcies in the distant future onlywith low reliability.

    Business bankruptcy prediction models: A significant study of the Altmans Z-score model anarticle from the Asian Journal of Management Research, Volume 3 Issue 1 (2012), triedsummarizing the studies done in the field of bankruptcy prediction. It provided an in depth

    understanding of the development of Altmans Z-Score model and provided a comparison of

    various bankruptcy models which are commonly used. It concluded that most of the bankruptcy

    studies used multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) statistical techniques to develop models and

    included large and small firms, as well as private & publicly held firms and that discriminant

    analysis was better than the neural networks. This was mainly as it was possible to learn what

    the most importantvariables were for explanation purposes, which was not possible with neural

    networks that had illogical behavioral pattern.

    Richard D. Gritta et al. in his paper A Review of the History of Air Carrier Bankruptcy Forecastingand the Application of Various Models to the US Airline Industry:1980-2005, conducted a study

    to outline and briefly discuss many of the different models, both generic and industry specific,

    that have beenused to assess the financial health of air transportation.

    History of Insolvency and Bankruptcyfrom an International Perspective a book by Karl Gratzerand Dieter Stiefel brings together new international research on bankruptcy and insolvency.All

    contributions try to answer questions about these problems from differentperspectives, subject-

    specific traditions and levels of investigation. Through the various cases discussed the book

    provides in depth insights into some of the general problems that research oninsolvency is

    wrestling with today

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    5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design

    Desk Research Design is used to analyze the financial health of various companies. Desk

    Research design involves using established information (data) by different agencies and also

    using the information available from the internal sources of the company. The information

    published in trade journals, commercial press and data internally generated by the company are

    used for the desk research. Thus it is actually finding out the required information from

    published journals, annual reports etc. and using it for the study of the research problem.

    The financial statements of the 3 listed Indian airline companies viz. Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.,

    SpiceJet Ltd. and Jet Airways Ltd. are analyzed to predict their solvency using the Altman Z Score

    model and Air-Score model.

    Data Collection1. Nature of Data: Data collection for this research is completely based on the secondary

    sources of data

    2. Sources of Data: The secondary data is mainly collected from the research papers,companys annual reports, websites and Dion database

    Tools UsedTo predict the financial distress two models have been used namely the Z-Score model,

    developed by Edward Altman and the Air- Score model, developed specifically for the

    airline industry

    Scope and Limitations1. The scope of the study is limited to predicting the financial health or distress of only the

    public sector companies in the Indian Aviation industry namely Jet Airways Ltd, SpiceJet Ltd

    and Kingfisher Airline Ltd

    2. Due to the time constraints the financial health prediction is limited only to 3 years financialperformance of the companies

    3. There is heavy reliance on the financial information that is provided by the companysannual reports and data that is obtained from the Dion database

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    6. CURRENT SCENARIO OF THE INDIAN AVIATION SECTORThe Indian Aviation Industry has been going through a turbulent phase over the past several

    years facing multiple headwinds high oil prices and limited pricing power contributed by

    industry wide over capacity and periods of subdued demand growth.While in the beginning of

    2008-09, the sector was impacted by sharp rise in crude oil prices, it was the decline in

    passenger traffic growth which led to severe underperformance during H2 2008-09 to H1 2009-

    10. The operating environment improved for a brief period in 2010-11 on back of recovery in

    passenger traffic, industry-wide capacity discipline and relatively stable fuel prices. However,

    elevated fuel prices over the last three quarters coupled with intense competition and

    unfavorable foreign exchange environment has again deteriorated the financial performance of

    airlines.

    To address the concerns surrounding the operating viability of Indian carriers, the Government

    on its part has recently initiated a series of measures including (a) proposal to allow foreign

    carriers to make strategic investments (up to 49% stake) in Indian Carriers (b) proposal to allow

    airlines to directly import ATF (c) lifting the freeze on international expansions of private airlines

    and (d) financial assistance to the national carrier.Despite reforms, the domestic aviation sector

    continues to operate under high cost environment due to high taxes on Aviation Turbine Fuel

    (ATF), high airport charges, significant congestion at major airports, dearth of experienced

    commercial pilots, inflexible labor laws and overall higher cost of capital. While most of these

    factors are not under direct control of airline operators, the problems have compounded due to

    industry-wide capacity additions, much in excess of actual demand.Besides, aggressive fleet

    expansion (Low Cost Carrier (LCC) airlines on long termoperating leases; Flight Service Carriers

    (FSC) have purchased aircrafts by debt financing backed by bank guarantees) to leverage the

    anticipated robust growth and to support and expand international operations impacted

    significantly on the capital structure and weakened the creditprofile of most domestic

    airlines.The higher theamount of debt that the firm uses, the higher is the financial risk and

    higher are the chances of bankruptcy under the conditions of low operating profits.

    While the domestic airlines have not been able to attract foreign investors (up to 49% FDI is

    allowed, though foreign airlines are currently not allowed any stake), foreign airlines may be

    interested in taking strategic stakes due to their deeper business understanding, longer

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    investment horizons and overall longer term commitment towards the global aviation industry.

    Healthy passenger traffic growth on account of favorable demographics, rising disposable

    incomes and low air travel penetration could attract long-term strategic investments in the

    sector. However there are two key challenges: i) aviation economics is currently not favorable in

    India resulting in weak financial performance of airlines and ii) Internationally, too airlines are

    going through period of stress which could possibly dissuade their investment plans in newer

    markets.From the working capital standpoint too, airlines will need to deploy significant amount

    of resources in sourcing fuel which may not be easy given the stretched balance sheets and tight

    liquidity profile of most airlines.

    7. OVERVIEW OF THE LISTED INDIAN AIRLINE COMPANIES Kingfisher Airlines Ltd

    1. Company History:Kingfisher Airlines is one of the leading private players in the Indian aviation industry.

    Incorporated in 1995 as Deccan Aviation, the company is engaged in the business of

    providing passenger services and helicopter charter services.The name was changed to

    Kingfisher Airlines in the year 2008. The airline is part of UB Group owned by Dr Vijay

    Mallya.Kingfisher Airlines owns 76 aircraft comprising A330, A 321 (single and double cabin),

    A 320 (single and double cabin), A 319, ATR 72-500 and ATR 42-500.In India, the airline has a

    network in 72 cities operating more than 400 flights a day and commands a market share of

    25%. Internationally, it operates flights to Dubai, Colombo and London.

    2. Awards: Kingfisher Airlines was awarded NDTV Profit Business Leadership Award for Aviation. Kingfisher Airlines was acknowledged as 'India's only 5 Star airline' and '6th airline in the

    world' was certified by Skytrax.

    Kingfisher was rated as Asia Pacific's 'Top Airline Brand' in a survey conducted by TNS on'Asia Pacific's Top 1,000 Brands' for 2008.

    3. Financials:Kingfishers profitability situation is the most concerning. While the carrier reported an

    EBTIDAR profit of INR1.25 billion (USD25 million) in the quarter (EBITDAR margin declined

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    from 17.5% to 8.1%), it was loss-making at the EBITDA level (INR1.47 billion/USD30 million)

    with its EBITDA margin declining from 2.5% to -9.5% in the quarter. The carrier also reported

    a loss before exceptional items and tax of INR5.78 billion (USD117 million) and a net loss of

    INR4.44 billion (USD90.2 million) for a net loss margin of 33%.

    Jet Airways Ltd1. Company History:

    Jet Airways (India) was incorporated in 1992, as an airline company. In India it has over 357

    fights daily to 42 destinations. It operates flight to 20 international destinations.The

    Companys subsidiaries include Jet Lite (India), Jet Airways LLC, Trans Continental e Services,

    Jet Enterprises, Jet Airways of India Inc., India Jetairways Pty and Jet Airways Europe

    Services N.V. It provides services such as airport lounges, bus services, coach services,complimentary chauffeur drive services.

    2. Awards: Jet Airways won airline with best first-class service in the world award at Business

    Travelers 20th annual best in business travel awards gala in the USA.

    Jet Airways was awarded Best Cargo Airline of Central Asia at the prestigious CargoAirline of the Year Awards.

    Jet Airways was voted as the Best Airline in Central/South Asia and India in an annualGlobal Traveler magazine survey.

    3. Financials:Jet Airways posted its fourth straight quarterly loss in 3QFY2012. While the carrier, which is

    reportedly seeking to raise INR 10 billion (USD203 million) in working capital loans, was

    profitable at an EBITDAR level with an INR 2099 million (USD40 million) profit in the quarter,

    its loss after tax stood at INR 1012 million (USD19 million) compared with a profit of INR

    1182 million (USD26 million) in 3QFY2011. Jet Airways, most likely, will post a full year loss

    in FY2011/12 and the coming financial year looks equally challenging. However, the airline is

    likely to benefit from the weakness at both Kingfisher and Air India, with the carrier having

    success at attracting corporate customers and improving yields and loads factors, which are

    now in the 85-90% range in the domestic market.

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    SpiceJet Ltd1. Company History:

    Royal Airways-promoted SpiceJet is an airline company, which was earlier known as

    Modiluft. It was among the first private companies that stepped into the Indian aviation

    sector.Further, in May 2005 Royal Airways changed its name to SpiceJet.SpiceJet was

    launched with an objective to deliver the lowest air fares with the highest consumer value,

    to price sensitive consumers.Currently, the company enjoys a market share of over

    8%.SpiceJet follows Low Cost Carrier (LCC) business model on the lines of the most

    successful LCCs globally and provides the lowest cost per unit amongst Indian LCCs.It owns

    11 Boeing 737 800 aircraft. SpiceJet currently operates 83 flights daily to 14 destinations

    connecting metros and nonmetros. The aircraft utilization of SpiceJet is amongst the highest

    in India.

    2. Awards: SpiceJet was awarded '2008 Emerging Company of the Year Award for Indian

    Commercial Aviation' by Frost & Sullivan.

    SpiceJet was ranked amongst the top 10 budget airlines in Asia by Smart Travel Asiamagazine based on a surveyed commissioned 'Best in Travel Poll' on the low-cost

    carriers.

    SpiceJet won 'CIO 100 award' from CIO magazine for its technological innovations inaviation industry.

    3. Financials:SpiceJet reported a loss before and after tax of INR392.5 million (USD8 million) in the

    quarter, compared to profits of USD24 million and USD19.3 million, respectively, in

    3QFY2011. Despite the losses in the first three quarters of the current fiscal year, SpiceJet

    has reported growth at both the top and bottom lines in the past two financial years.

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    Graphical RepresentationThe following graphs shows the sales and PAT figures for all the 3 airlines for the year ending

    March 2012 and their latest quarterly results

    Graph 1: Annual Results as on Mar 12

    Graph 2: Latest Quarterly Results

    6. OVERVIEW OF THE LISTED INDIAN AIRLINE COMPANIES

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    8. ALTMANS Z SCORE MODELIn 1968, Edward Altman published what has become the best known predictor of bankruptcy.

    This predictor is a statistical model that combines five financial ratios to produce a product

    called a Z score. The model has proven to be a dependable instrument in forecasting failure in a

    diverse mix of business entities. Dr. Altmans original model is calculated as:

    Z= 0.012X1+0.014X2+0.033X3+0.006X4+0.999X5

    Where ZRepresents the overall Score

    X1Working Capital / Total Assets

    Working capital/total assets (X) is a measure of liquid assets in relation to the firms size. The

    difference between current assets and current liabilities represents working capital. The current

    assets of a firm include cash on hand, accounts receivable, and inventories; the latter two assets

    are considered current, if cash conversion is expected within an operating cycle of a business.

    Current liabilities consist of the firms financial obligations-short-term debt and accounts

    payablewhich will be met during the operating cycle. A positive working capital indicates a

    firms ability to pay its bills. A business entity with a negative working capital will experience

    difficulty meeting its obligations. Altmans research findsthis ratio to be more helpful than other

    liquidity ratios, such as the current ratio or the quick ratio. (Altman, 2000; Chuvakhin&

    Germania, 2003)

    X2Retained Earnings / Total Assets

    Retained earnings/total assets (X2) represent a measure of cumulative profitability reflecting the

    firms age as well as its earning power. A history of profitable operations and reduced debt is

    signified by firms that retain earnings or reinvest operational profits. Low retainedearnings

    may indicate a poor business year or reduced longevity for the firm. According to Dun and

    Bradstreet, 50% of businesses fail within the first five years of operation (Altman, 2000, 2002).

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    X3EBIT / Total Assets (a profitability measure)

    A measure of an organizations operating efficiency separated from any leverage effects is

    a true depiction of asset production. Represented as earnings before interest and

    taxes/total assets (X3), this ratio estimates that cash supply available for allocation to

    creditors, the government, and shareholders. Altman (2000) classifies the ratio as a superior

    measure of profitability that is better than cash flow.

    X4Market Value of Equity / Book Value of Total Debt (a leverage measure)

    Altman (2000, 2002) defines the market value of equity, or market capitalization, as a

    summation of both preferred and common stock or market value of equity/book value of total

    debt (X4). The stock market, the primary estimator of a firms worth, suggests that price

    changes may foreshadow pending problems if a firms liabilities exceed its assets. Altmanbelieves this ratio is a more effective financial distress predictor than net worth/total debt

    (Book values).

    X5Sales / Total Assets (a measure for sales generating ability of a firms assets)

    The next ratio, sales/total assets (X5) signifies a standard turnover measure that

    unfortunatelyvaries from one industry to another. Yet, the ratio is an indicator of a firms

    efficient use of assets to create sales (Chuvakhin&Gertmenian, 2003). Altman (2000) has defined

    this as one measure of managements capacity in dealing with competitive conditions

    (p.22). Finally, Eidleman (1995) explains the applicability of the previously discussed ratios.

    Specifically, Eidleman states Each of these ratios is multiplied by a predetermined weight

    factor, and the results are added together. If the score is above 2.99, the firm is healthy. If it

    is below 1.81, the firm is viewed as failing. Values ranging from 1.81 to 2.99 represent the so-

    called grey area, when there is no clear prediction.

    Altmans pioneer study was based on a sample of 66 publicly traded, manufacturing firms.

    Thirty-three of the firms had filed for bankruptcy and all had assets over$1million.His model

    correctly predicted financial failure for 95% of the firms, one year prior to their demise.

    Accuracy decreased to 72% two years out and to 52% three years prior to insolvency (Altman,

    1968). Type I errors, those that predict a bankruptcy that does not occur, were shown for 6% of

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    Where cut off scores reflect

    Bankrupt firms< 1.10

    Non bankrupt firms>2.60

    Grey area= 1.10-2.60

    Results of Altmans newest revised Z-score model exhibit a 90.9% success rate in predicting

    bankruptcy one year prior to firms demise and a 97% accuracy rate for identifying non

    bankrupt firms with continuing economic solvency. Table below illustratesAltmans

    bankruptcy models

    Coefficient Variables Original Model (1968) Revised Model (1983) Revised Four Model (1993)

    X1 1.21 0.717 6.56X2 1.41 0.847 3.26

    X3 3.30 3.107 6.62

    X4 0.6 0.42 1.05

    X5 0.999 0.998 NA

    Firms Cutoff Scores

    Bankrupt Firms < 1.81 < 1.23 < 1.10

    Non Bankrupt Firms > 2.67 > 2.90 > 2.60

    Grey Area 1.81 - 2.67 1.23 - 2.90 1.10 - 2.60

    Accuracy

    Type IAccuracy 94% 90.9% 90.9%

    Type IIAccuracy 97% 97% 97%

    Altman cautions that his model has limitations in its applicability to different business entities

    with the same prediction accuracy. First, 20 years of studies encompass a diverse assortmentof

    manufacturing firms that vary in size. Second, his model does not always have the same

    accuracy across these businesses. Even though Altmans bankruptcy prediction model is the

    most popular analytical tool utilized by investors, auditors, and stakeholders, Altman advises not

    to use his formula to the exclusion of other analytical techniques.

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    9. AIR-SCORE MODELBankruptcy and distress prediction for airlines was pioneered by two financial based

    DMAstudies in the early eighties (Gritta, 1982; Altman and Gritta, 1984). In these two

    studiesgeneric bankruptcy models, not specifically developed for the airline industry, were

    appliedon airline data to assess the risk of bankruptcy. Later a dedicated MDA model for the

    airlineindustry appeared, named AIRSCORE (Chow, Gritta and Leung, 1991).

    It can be argued that a model derived from a sample of the same industrywould be even more

    accurate that a generalized model such as the Altman ZScore or ZETAcredit scores. With that in

    mind, an industry specificmodel, Air-Score, was specified using a sample restricted to the

    airlineindustry (Chow, Gritta and Leung 1991). It included a significant sample ofthe large and

    smaller carriers (the latter referred to as regional airlines). Usingan MDA approached similar tothat utilized by Altman, the model derivedwas:

    Air-Score = -0.34140X1 + 0.00003X2 + 0.36134X3

    The three ratios that were predictive of insolvency or stress were:

    X1 = interest/total liabilities (the imputed interest rate on debt)

    X2 =operating revenues per air mile

    X3 = shareholders equity/ total liabilities

    Because the distribution of the scores made the application of a single cut-off pointdifficult and

    inappropriate, several gray zones were defined and the model yieldedresults similar to the

    Altman Z Score and to ZETA credit scores. It was able to achieveaccuracy rates of between 76%

    and 83%, depending on the zone used. While the modelwas somewhat accurate, it did seem to

    be a bit biased toward the larger carriers in thesample. The interested reader is referred to the

    article for different cutoffs and the results.

    Where Air-Score reflect

    Healthy firms>0.03

    Firms in trouble < -0.095

    Grey area= 0.03 to -0.095

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    10.DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.

    Table 1: Computation of Z Scores for Kingfisher Airline Ltd.

    Variable 2012 2011 2010

    Working Capital to Total Assets (X1) 0.510 0.423 0.334

    Retained Earnings to Total Assets (X2) (-) 2.604 (-) 1.303 (-) 1.074

    EBIT to Total Assets (X3) (-) 0.736 0.217 0.044

    MV of Equity to BV of Debt (X4) 0.317 0.228 0.239

    Sales to Total Assets 1.864 1.518 1.259

    Z Score 1.809 1.512 1.250

    Source: https:\\insight.dionglobal.in

    Graph 1: Graphical Representation of Z Scores for Kingfisher Airline Ltd.

    Interpretation:

    The company has been continuously failing in terms of improving its profitability and is continuously

    running into losses, a poor Retained earnings to Total Assets ratio puts a question mark on the firms

    longevity. The cash supply available for creditors, government and other shareholders have also

    suffered for the year 2012. The Z-score,although improving, has been continuously in the gray

    zone(Between 2.67 to 1.81) for all the three years. To improve its financial position the company will

    have operate more efficiently and make optimum utilization of resources, otherwise it would be

    difficult for them to sustain in the long run.

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    Table 2: Computation of Air-Scores for Kingfisher Airline Ltd.

    Variable 2012 2011 2010

    Interest to Total Assets (X1) 0.43301 0.569992 0.558028

    Operating Revenues per air mile (X2) 4.29 4.76 4

    Shareholders equityto Total Liabilities (X3) -1.72425 -0.74942 -1.00496

    Air-Score -0.77074 -0.46525 -0.55352

    Source: https:\\insight.dionglobal.in, Annual Report

    Graph 2: Graphical Representation of Air-Scores for Kingfisher Airline Ltd.

    Interpretation:

    It can be interpreted that Kingfisher Airlines has not been doing well in the past three years and

    have negative retained earnings leading to negative shareholders equity to liabilities ratio indicating

    their performance was not good enough. As per the Air-Score model, the firm is in trouble (< -0.095)

    and must take steps necessary to improve their finances or they face a very high risk of going

    bankrupt in the near future.

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    Jet Airways Ltd.Table 2: Computation of Z Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

    Variable 2010 2011 2012

    Working Capital to Total Assets (X1) (-) 0.351 0.028 0.004

    Retained Earnings to Total Assets (X2) (-) 0.189 (-) 0.050 (-) 0.050

    EBIT to Total Assets (X3) 0.123 0.123 0.088

    MV of Equity to BV of Debt (X4) 0.486 0.357 0.347

    Sales to Total Assets 1.474 0.893 0.709

    Z Score 1.473 0.898 0.713

    Graph 2: Graphical Representation of Z Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

    Interpretation:

    The company has been running into losses, a poor Retained earnings to Total Assets is an indication

    of the same. Also for the year 2012 the company has registered a negative working capital to total

    assets ratio showing the companies poor liquidity condition. The cash supply available for creditors,

    government and other shareholders have also suffered for the year 2012. The Z-score,although

    improving, points to the distress situation (< 1.81) that the company is in. The company will have to

    work towards improving its overall profitability and liquidity in order to survive this stressed

    industry.

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    Table 2: Computation of Air-Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

    Variable 2012 2011 2010

    Interest to Total Assets (X1) 0.19473 0.130803 0.12392972

    Operating Revenues per air mile (X2) 4.48811 4.216255 6.95

    Shareholders equity to Total Liabilities (X3) -0.0522 0.058441 0.05616752

    Air-Score -0.0852 -0.02341 -0.0218055

    Source: https:\\insight.dionglobal.in, Annual Report

    Graph 2: Graphical Representation of Air-Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

    Interpretation:

    It can be seen that the solvency of Jet Airways has been deteriorating over the past 3 years

    indicating their performance was not good enough.Howeveras per the Air-Score model they are

    neither in a healthy state nor in trouble (between 0.03 to -0.095) but they will have to improve upon

    their profitability to prevent insolvency.

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    SpiceJet Ltd.Table 1: Computation of Z Scores for SpiceJet Ltd.

    Variable 2010 2011 2012

    Working Capital to Total Assets (X1) (-) 0.201 (-) 0.716 (-) 3.077

    Retained Earnings to Total Assets (X2) (-) 1.874 (-) 1.773 (-) 8.556

    EBIT to Total Assets (X3) (-) 0.782 1.386 4.770

    MV of Equity to BV of Debt (X4) 3.062 5.308 22.464

    Sales to Total Assets 5.568 7.077 22.691

    Z Score 5.526 7.114 22.804

    Graph 1: Graphical Representation of Z Scores for SpiceJet Ltd.

    Interpretation:

    The company was in a very strong position in 2010 with a Z-Score of 22.8 way above 2.67 above

    which the company is considered to be having enough solvency to survive.The profitability and

    liquidity of the company is under pressure for the last two years and therefore their Z-Score have

    come drastically down to 5.52 in 2012. However as per the Z-Score model the company falls in the

    category of Non-Bankrupt firms (> 2.67) and therefore has good solvency state in the category.

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    Table 2: Computation of Air-Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

    Variable 2012 2011 2010

    Interest to Total Assets (X1) 0.19473 0.130803 0.12392972

    Operating Revenues per air mile (X2) 4.48811 4.216255 6.95

    Shareholders equity to Total Liabilities (X3) -0.0522 0.058441 0.05616752

    Air-Score -0.0852 -0.02341 -0.0218055

    Source: https:\\insight.dionglobal.in, Annual Report

    Graph 2: Graphical Representation of Air-Scores for Jet Airways Ltd.

    Interpretation:

    It can be seen that the solvency of SpiceJet has been improving over the past 3 years indicating that

    the company is trying hard to improve its overall operations and thereby improve its profitability

    and liquidity. Their performance,although improving, as per the Air-Score model they are in trouble

    (< -0.095) but only by a slight margin. So the company can keep on improving and optimizing in

    terms of their asset utilization so as to come out of this trouble state and move towards the healthy

    state slowly and steadily.

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    11.COMPARATIVE ANALYSISParticulars Kingfisher Airlines Jet Airways SpiceJet

    Net Sales 5493.41 15224.68 3943.26

    Net Profit -2328.01 -1179.51 -605.77

    Net Working Capital 1504.54 -3621.85 -142.07

    Return on Assets -25.63 -7.05 -30.74

    Interest as a % of EBIT -58.82 158.492 -9.44%

    Net Worth -5082.4 -539.45 -147.23

    Reserves -6213.15 -625.78 -588.68

    Z-Score 1.809 1.473 5.526

    AIRSCORE -0.77074 -0.0852 -0.10024

    Graph 7:Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Kingfisher net profit (loss) margin: 1QFY2010 to 3QFY2012

    The losses in the quarter reflect not only issues at the individual carriers but some fundamental

    and structural challenges in the Indian aviation sector. As previously noted, growth in the robust

    domestic market has failed to translate into profits for India's airline industry. All the major

    carriers are loss-making as a result of the impact of high jet fuel costs, compounded by heavy

    taxation, inefficient infrastructure and an inability to raise fares in a highly competitive market.

    In addition, rising debt levels and a depreciating rupee are placing further pressure on margins.

    As a result, the nations airlines are seeing a sharp increase in their cost base at a time when

    yield and unit revenue growth is pressured.

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    Viability:There is a huge concern over Kingfishers ability to remain a Going Concern for which the

    company would require to inject more funds, as the net worth of the company has been

    eroded substantially. For Jet Airways the carrier needs to raise funds in order to meet its

    obligations, fund the operations of loss-makingJetLite and ensure the carrier continues as a

    'going concern'. Also for SpiceJet too the networth has eroded however the airline noted an

    increase in its net worth in the last quarter after its promoters infused funds into the carrier.

    Revenues:Kingfisher Airlines reported a 5% decline in revenue in the quarter to USD314 million,

    reflecting the carrier curtailing operations during the Dec-2011 quarter. Revenue moved in

    the other direction for Jet Airways and SpiceJet, with revenue growth of 14% to INR39,869million (USD794 million) for Jet Airways and 42% to INR11,758 million (USD240 million) for

    SpiceJet.

    Operating Costs:SpiceJet reported the largest year-on-year increase in total operating costs, by 67% to

    INR11,949 million (USD244 million). Jet Airways also reported double-digit operating costs

    increases, of 34% to INR44,527 million (USD887 million).While Kingfisher Airlines reported a

    lower increase in operating costs, of 7% to INR16,940 million (USD344 million), its unit costs

    remained high at INR4.42/USD8.97 (+12%), and its staff and fuel costs remained higher than

    its peers as a proportion of revenue.Kingfisher's employee expenses as a percentage of sales

    increased from around 12% in Sep-2011 quarter to more than 13% in Dec-2012 quarter. On

    the other hand, Jet Airways and SpiceJet saw the ratio of employee expenses to sales

    reduce, from 13% to 11.4% for Jet Airways and from 11.4% to 9.7% for SpiceJet.

    CAPA India estimated losses by Indian carriers, three months ended 30-Sep-2012Jet Airways: (USD45-60 million loss)

    Kingfisher: (USD110-130 million loss)

    SpiceJet:(USD25-28 million loss)

    Thus Kingfishers ill-timed expansion and limited funding options have brought its operations to

    a stand-still. Jet Airways and SpiceJet are also loss-making but are fundamentally more robust.

    http://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/jetlite-s2http://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/spicejet-sghttp://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/spicejet-sghttp://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/jetlite-s2
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    12.FINDINGS

    Criteria Z-Score Air-Score

    Airline In Distress Less than 1.81 Less than -0.095

    Airline in Gray Zone 1.81 to 2.67 0.03 to -0.095

    Airline is Healthy Greater than 2.67 Greater than 0.03

    Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.According to the Z-Score model Kingfisher Airlines Ltd is predicted to have financial distress.

    According to the Air-score model Kingfisher is in trouble with respect to solvency.

    Bankruptcy Prediction Model Score Conclusion

    Z-Score Model 1.809 Airline in Distress

    Air-Score Model -0.77074 Airline in Distress

    Jet Airways Ltd.According to the Z-Score model Jet Airways Ltd is predicted to have financial distress. According

    to the Air-score model Jet Airways is neither healthy nor in trouble with respect to solvency.

    Bankruptcy Prediction Model Score Conclusion

    Z-Score Model 1.473 Airline in Distress

    Air-Score Model -0.0852 Airline in Gray Zone

    SpiceJet Ltd.According to the Z-Score model SpiceJet Ltd is predicted to have financial distress. According to

    the Air-score model SpiceJet is neither healthy nor in trouble with respect to solvency.

    Bankruptcy Prediction Model Score Conclusion

    Z-Score Model 5.526 Airline in Distress

    Air-Score Model -0.10024 Airline in Gray Zone

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    13.RECOMMENDATIONS The company can deal the financial distress by disposing of real properties and may opt to sell

    the property to pay the creditors so that working capital of the companies will improve. The

    operating costs and other costs can be financed by such activity.

    The companies can reframe the terms and condition with creditors to extend the credit periodand the new interest rate to save the company from bankruptcy.

    The merger or strategic alliance can put the distressed company back in good financial position. The company can use its authorized capital by offering the stake to foreign companies, instead

    of adding leverages into capital structure.

    14.CONCLUSIONAltmans Z-score model is one of the most effective Multiple Discriminant Analysis, which

    has been researched throughout the last 40 yearsand has been usedin various industries to

    predict bankruptcy. Researchers have used Altmans Z score model in the service industry,

    manufacturing industry, publically listed companies, and banks alike to predict if the business

    will have a downfall. All the 3 revision of Altman equation has being used by different

    authors in their studies, with constructive predictability. It can be safely said that Altmans Z

    score Model can be applied to modern economy to predict distress and bankruptcy one, two &

    three years in advance. Also an industry specific model, Air-Score model, bolstered the

    prediction made by Z-Score model.

    Finally we can infer that there are number of prediction models available for bankruptcy

    prediction. It is possible forthe companies to reduce the rate of bankruptcy through the use of

    such models by identifying and controllingthe variables that induce the financial failure. EBIT is

    an important factor responsible for the solvencyposition of the company along with it the

    retained profits and the utilization of capital overthe assets also have a key role to play. The rise

    in the creditors and liabilities create pressure on thefinancial position as the interest paymentpulls down the overall profit margins. Hence more the earnings,better is the solvency position of

    the companies.By applying these models various stakeholders can use these models to find out

    how the company is performing so as to avoid further losses and also it could assist companies

    in knowing in which direction they are headed if they are not performing well.


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