ATHENS, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Aegean Airlines, Greece's largest carrier by passengers, said on Thursday nine-month net profit grew 42 percent to 37.7 million euros ($56.9 million), helped by lower fuel costs and an expanding international network.
Aegean, which competes with recently privatised Olympic Air, said sales rose 3 percent to 481.3 million euros.
The airline flew a total of 5.1 million passengers in the nine months to September, a 10 percent rise compared with the same period a year earlier with the number of flights up 11 percent.
Passenger traffic on domestic routes rose 3 percent year-on-year to 2.9 million and by 21 percent on flights abroad.
The airline said apart from lower fuel costs compared with 2008, its fleet renewal with 21 new Airbus A320/321 aircraft benefited operating costs.
Aegean continued to expand its route network this year with flights to Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Barcelonma, Istanbul, Venice, Paphos in Cyprus and to London's Heathrow airport.
It is launching services to Madrid and Vienna next month.

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos) Keywords: GREECE AEGEAN/ (george.georgiopoulos@reuters.com; +30210 3311813; Reuters Messaging:george.georgiopoulos.reuters.com@reuters.net)

COPYRIGHT

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.