MADRID (Reuters) -Spanish airport operator Aena reported on Wednesday a net profit of 134 million euros ($147.20 million) in the first quarter as its overall passenger traffic exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
The company, which posted a net loss of 42 million euros in the first quarter of 2022, said 60.6 million passengers went through its terminals in the first quarter of this year, 100.6% the number in the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic ground the air travel industry to a halt in early 2020.
Traffic at its Spanish airports, which account for more than 80% of its business, led the recovery, Aena said. Its overall revenues in the quarter rose to 1.03 billion euros, up from 904 million euros a year earlier.
Analysts polled by Refinitiv on average forecast revenues of 936 million euros in the quarter.
Two months ago, the company had said it expected its passenger traffic would reach 99% of its 2019 level, and possibly surpass it.
The recovery at Spanish airports, which depend more on leisure travel, was swifter than those in Germany, Britain and France, which see more on business travellers.
Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport said in March it expects 2023 passenger traffic to be between 80% and 90% of 2019 levels, while London Heathrow's estimate is 90%.
World airport traffic stood at 84.9% of pre-pandemic levels in February.
($1 = 0.9103 euros)