British Airways owner IAG said to consider dividend in 2024

IAG SA is weighing the prospect of reinstating dividend payments as soon as this year, people familiar with the matter said, bringing the airline group closer to fully repairing its finances after years of pandemic depression. 

The owner of British Airways has told investors that payouts could be made before the end of the year, said the people, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. One factor for IAG in its decision process is that its investment program — which includes £7 billion ($8.8 billion) pounds to modernize British Airways — is going well, one of the people said. 

IAG last paid an interim dividend in late 2019, months before the global pandemic grounded airlines around the world and destroyed their balance sheets. While the company has pledged to reinstate dividends soon, it hasn’t provided a time frame for when it might do so. 

Shares of the company, which also owns Spain’s Iberia, pared earlier declines after the Bloomberg News report. The stock was trading at 174.90 pence, down 0.9% at 1:34 p.m. in London. 

IAG declined to comment. The airline is also looking at share buybacks and special dividends as options, according to a November analyst presentation. 

Some rivals have already announced dividends again, including discount specialist Ryanair Holdings Plc, which committed to its first-ever regular payout in November. Deutsche Lufthansa AG said in March that it would pay 30 cents a share for 2023. Air France-KLM has said it wants to restore its equity before resuming dividends again. 

IAG’s biggest shareholder is Qatar Airways, which owns about 25% in the airline group.