Aer Lingus has reported an operating profit of €14.3m for teh first half of this year, compared with a loss of €12.6m in the same period last year.
Turnover fell 8.6% to €414m, mainly because of continuing reductions in fares. But costs fell by more than 14% to just under €400m.
The airline's load factor - the percentage of seats filled - rose to 80% from 73%. Chief executive Willie Walsh told RTE radio this morning that transatlantic traffic was up 23% in the period.
He added that Aer Lingus was on track to achieve operating profits of €75m for the full year.
Mr Walsh said independent airports at Dublin, Cork and Shannon represented great growth potential, while the airline was poised to take advantage of impending changes in the air agreement between Ireland and the US.
