Britain's biggest airports operator, BAA, met forecasts with a 3.8% rise in annual pre-tax profit, but warned that the airline industry was still being hurt by SARS and terror threats.
The owner of the world's busiest international hub, London's Heathrow airport, said it aimed to recruit an additional 700 security staff - it beefed up security at its airports by 700 staff last year - for the busy summer holiday season.
BAA reported pre-tax profits before exceptionals of £524m sterling for the year to March 31, just above the average of analysts' forecasts of £523m.
'Current performance continues to be adversely affected by the recent SARS virus, conflict in Iraq and continuing terrorist threats around the globe,' BAA's chief executive designate Mike Clasper said.
BAA owns seven British airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton - and has management contracts or stakes in 12 airports elsewhere, including in Australia and retail management contracts at two US airports.
Revenues from continuing operations increased by 2.5% to £1.9 billion as passengers spent more at its airports, and the company proposed a 3.8% increase in the total dividend to 19 pence per share.
