OREANDA-NEWS. Total operating expense excluding special charges was USD 7.8 billion in the fourth quarter, down 8.1 percent year-over-year. Including special charges, total operating expense was USD 8.0 billion, an 8.4 percent decrease year-over-year. The decrease was largely driven by lower oil prices. Consolidated unit cost (CASM), excluding special charges, third-party business expenses, fuel and profit sharing, was flat compared to the fourth quarter of 2014.

Consolidated CASM including those items decreased 10 percent year-over-year. For the full year, consolidated CASM excluding special charges, third-party business expenses, fuel and profit sharing decreased 0.7 percent year-over-year.

This strong cost performance was largely the result of improved efficiency as part of the company's Project Quality and upgauging initiatives and better completion as a result of improved operational performance. Consolidated CASM including those items decreased 11.9 percent compared to full-year 2014.