FIRST CUT: Auckland Airport, on front line of tourism boom, lifts first-half profit by 19%

FIRST CUT: Auckland Airport, on front line of tourism boom, lifts first-half profit by 19%
Jonathan Underhill
By Jonathan Underhill Feb. 17 (BusinessDesk) - Auckland International Airport posted a 19 percent gain in first-half profit, a period when New Zealand's busiest gateway added airlines with increased capacity and new services and routes, and the country enjoyed record tourist numbers. Underlying profit rose to $123.5 million in the six months ended Dec. 31, from $104 million a year earlier, the airport company said in a statement. Sales rose 11 percent to $311 million. Profit beat Forsyth Barr's forecast of $119 million, while revenue was...