Coin of the realm.(airline industry management)

Tracking currency transactions is smart business that can pay off in major ways when markets take a bounce

Currency fluctuations, which ravaged Asian airline boardrooms during the past three years, are commanding more carrier resources as managements grapple with yet another challenge to profitability.

Jim Eckes, MD of Indoswiss Aviation, says the currency problems of Southeast Asia countries have wreaked havoc on airlines in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. "Airlines should be puffing far more resources into monitoring currency," he says.