Aer Lingus saw its revenue grow by 7.1% in the three months to the end of June, following significant growth in its long-haul services, however profits fell slightly during the period on higher costs.
The airline took in €468.9m during the second quarter, with long haul fare revenue alone growing by 24.4% to €172.5m thanks to more passengers and improved income from fares.
During the quarter Aer Lingus launched its route between Dublin and Washington DC, as well as a higher frequency of flights to New York and more capacity on its San Francisco service.
Short haul revenue was down slightly, however, which Aer Lingus attributed to a “tactical” reduction in capacity on some routes.
Costs at the airline were also up during the quarter, rising 8.8% to €434.4m, with unfavourable currency exchange movements estimated to have an impact to the tune of €21m.
This left Aer Lingus with an operating profit of €34.5m – down 10.9% year-on-year.
The airline also had exceptional costs of €6m during the three months, which included professional and advisory fees relating to its pension issue and IAG’s takeover offer.
