Dutch airline KLM booked a higher-than-expected profit in the first half of the year, despite the rise in fuel prices caused by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The company reported revenue of €6.9 bn in the six months to June, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year.
The airline benefited from a decrease in flights from competitors like Qatar Airways and Emirates because of the unrest in the region.
“The measures we are implementing are having a positive impact on our results,” CEO Marjan Rintel said in a statement.
Those measures included passing on higher fuel prices to customers, particularly on long-haul flights.
Yesterday, the Air France-KLM airline group announced they had put in an offer for a stake in Portugal’s TAP airline. Lisbon said last year that it was seeking a major international airline to buy most of the 49.9 percent stake that it planned to sell.
German airline Lufthansa also submitted a bid.
