International Airlines Group, which owns Aer Lingus, today posted a 125% increase in full-year operating profit of €2.32 billion on the back of strong demand and low fuel costs.
The group, which also owns British Airways and Iberia, said its total revenue for the year to December 31 rose 13.3% to €22.8 billion.
Full-year operating profit, including its purchase of Aer Lingus, rose to €2.34 billion, beating forecasts.
AIG said that Aer Lingus had made a positive contribution of €35m operating profit since it joined the group last August. The deal cost €1.35 billion.
Today's results show that Aer Lingus's operating profit came to €124m in 2015, up from €72m in 2014.
The airline's capacity also increased 5.4% - mainly in its long-haul operations - where it has started a number of new routes.
Aer Lingus unit revenues rose by 4.8% last year. It said the strong dollar was partially responsible for a lower fuel unit cost saving and for a 3.1% increase in non-fuel unit costs.
The airline also said that "efficiencies" were achieved, especially in employee unit costs.
In its results statement today, IAG said it expected to generate a similar operating profit increase in 2016 and said that revenue trends in the first quarter were broadly in line with the fourth quarter of last year.
"These results are in line with our recent target and have exceeded our original 2015 operating profit target of €1.5 billion that we set in 2011," commented the airline's chief executive Willie Walsh.
"It's undoubtedly been a good year but it’s also been challenging with extreme volatility in the currency and fuel markets. The benefits gained from lower fuel prices have been partially offset by the stronger US dollar," Mr Walsh - a former CEO at Aer Lingus - added.
