British Airways sees profits soar

British Airways says its pre-tax profits soared by more than a quarter to £593 million in the first six months of the financial year.

The profits increase comes despite the rising cost of fuel, which the group said will cost it a record £2 billion over the full year.

The weak dollar has also been a challenge for the group, with B.A. revising full-year revenue growth down from 4 percent to about 3 percent to 3.5 percent.

But the dollar's weakness has also helped trim costs, excluding fuel, by 4 percent in the six months to September 30, and B.A. hopes full-year costs will be £100 million less than last year. E-mail to a friend