Auckland Airport's Half-Year Net Profit Rises

Auckland International Airport said its half-year net profit rose 25 percent on the back of a tourism boom in New Zealand.

Tourism recently overtook dairy as New Zealand's leading export earner, with over 70 percent of visitors entering or leaving the country via Auckland, the company's main air terminal.

"We have continued to see growth right across our business, which has been underpinned by new routes, new airlines and increasing passenger numbers," said Auckland Airport Chairman Henry van der Heyden.

Net profit came in at NZD$115.8 million (USD$76.8 million) for the six months to December 31, while revenue rose 11.6 percent to NZD$280.6 million, the company said.

Auckland Airport, which owns the airport and has a stake in Queenstown airport as well as two Australian regional airports, said it would pay an interim dividend of 8.5 New Zealand cents a share.

The company lifted its guidance for full-year underlying net profit by around 8 percent to between NZD$200 million and NZ$206 million from NZD$183 million to NZD$191 million previously.

Auckland Airport said six new airlines had started or announced services to Auckland in the last 12 months in the wake of the rise in tourism.