(Reuters) – British Airways owner IAG is considering reinstating dividend payments as soon as this year, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
IAG last paid an interim dividend of 0.145 euros ($0.1566)per share in 2019 before scrapping final payouts the following year as the pandemic rattled the airline industry.
A spokesperson at IAG, which also owns carriers Aer Lingus and LEVEL, said in an emailed response late on Friday that it would not comment on rumour or speculation and that any dividend would be a decision for its board.
While directors had proposed that no dividend should be paid for 2023, the company said in February there were no restrictions on dividend payments from the main operating businesses except for British Airways (BA), which had several undrawn committed credit facilities.
BA is IAG’s biggest and most profitable airline, according to its latest annual report.
($1 = 0.9262 euros)
(Reporting by Anchal Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Eileen Soreng)
