Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific says net profit tripled last year, thanks to fuel cost savings and an increase in passengers.
The airline said on Wednesday profit jumped to $HK2.62 billion ($A377.63 million) from $HK862 million in 2012 as revenue climbed 1.1% to $HK100.5 billion.
However the figure is still well down from the $HK5.5 billion seen in 2011 before the eurozone crisis and high fuel costs hammered the firm's bottom line.
"The operating environment remained challenging throughout 2013…. It was therefore encouraging to see an improvement in our overall performance," company chairman Christopher Pratt said in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Cathay said it carried nearly 30 million passengers in 2013, an increase of 3.3% from the previous year, helped by strong demand for leisure travelling from its base in Hong Kong, a jump in outbound travel from mainland China and promotional ticket programs.
However, Pratt said the cargo business was hit by weak demand, with revenue falling 3.6 per cent to $HK23.7 billion.
