JAL's net profit in H1 slips 17.8% to US$833m

[TOKYO] Japan Airlines (JAL) said yesterday net profit for the six months to September dropped 17.8 per cent to US$833 million, as the strong yen and rising fuel costs bit into its bottom line.

But it boosted its outlook for the full year, striking an optimistic note on prospects for customer numbers on both domestic and international routes.

In a half that saw the grounding of its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners after a series of safety glitches, the company said it had made 81.94 billion yen (S$1.03 billion), with an operating profit that was down 14.6 per cent at 95.84 billion.