UPDATE: Auckland Airport 1H profit boosted by strong uplift in retail spend on increasing passengers

UPDATE: Auckland Airport 1H profit boosted by strong uplift in retail spend on increasing passengers
Fiona Rotherham
(Adds CEO comment and additional detail) By Fiona Rotherham Feb. 19 (BusinessDesk) - An increased number of passengers spending more on retail, and specialty retail in particular, helped boost first-half profit by 25 percent at Auckland International Airport, the country’s largest airport operator. Net profit rose to $115 million in the six months ended Dec.31, from $92.8 million a year earlier while underlying profit, which strips out revaluations of investment property and financial derivatives, was up 19 percent to $104.1 million....