German airline Lufthansa has posted a second-quarter operating profit, beating analysts' expectations of a loss, but says it still does not expect to end the year in the black.
The German aviation group said second quarter operating profit came in at euro65 million. Analysts had forecast an operating loss of euro48 million in the quarter to June.
Europe's third largest passenger airline repeated it would not make an operating profit in 2003 after the sluggish economy, war in Iraq and the SARS virus pushed it to a euro415 million operating loss in the first quarter.
Lufthansa shares were indicated higher in pre-market trading.
Lufthansa said sales in the first six months fell 7.4 per cent to euro7.6 billion. Net debt stood at euro1.3 billion.
On Monday the airline said traffic in July fell one per cent as the weak German economy continued to hurt.