Aeroports de Paris Profit Rises as Freight Soars

Aeroports de Paris, operator of the French capital's Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, said first half freight traffic climbed 14.1 percent from a year ago, contributing to an 8.2 percent rise in profit.

The state-owned company's net income rose to $176.3 million in the six months to June 30 from $162.9 million in the same period in 2009 as revenue grew 2.5 percent to $1.68 billion.

Freight traffic totaled 1.178 million metric tons, the bulk handled by Charles de Gaulle.

By The Numbers: European Airlines' Freight Traffic.

AdP's freight performance trailed Frankfurt and Amsterdam, which increased first half cargo traffic by 28.2 percent and 22 percent respectively, but Charles de Gaulle remains Europe's second largest cargo hub after the German airport.

AdP said it lost an estimated 1.4 million passengers after a volcanic ash plume resulted in the closure of European airspace for five days in April.

This resulted in first half traffic numbers falling by 2.1 percent from a year ago to 39.1 million.

The company lifted its full year profit forecast to a "slight increase" on last year's $1.13 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization from an earlier forecast of matching the 2009 performance.

-- Contact Bruce Barnard at brucebarnard47@hotmail.com.