Package-holiday firm Airtours Holidays has traded in the black in its first season of operating in the Irish holiday market when it sold 36,000 summer holidays, or 90 per cent of the 40,000 holidays on its books.

Buoyant bookings for winter holidays marketed in Ireland for the first time by Airtours Holidays indicate the Irish market has been less affected than US or European holiday markets by the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York.

Record financial results achieved by the Airtours group involved a 57 per cent increase in operating profit to £147 million sterling before e-commerce costs, exceptional items and goodwill amortisation. Turnover increased by 25 per cent to £5.0 billion.