Sales rose 0.6% to $1.7 billion, however, the group’s fuel costs rose 39% to $117 million.

However, CEO, Rickard Gustafson, said the group’s “4Excellence” strategy, which aims to “achieve excellence” in four core areas – commercial, sales, operational and people – by 2015, was beginning to deliver results.

Passenger numbers, meanwhile, rose 3.1%, in April to June and 4.1% in the first six mornths of 2012.

Gustafson said: “We will open 38 new routes in 2012 and in preparation for 2013, we announced an improved offering on our USA routes with San Francisco as a new destination.

“Other traffic revenue increased as a result of, for example, activities implemented in ancillary revenues.

“During the first half of 2012, free tea and coffee was reintroduced for all service classes, in-flight WiFi was introduced, and such timesaving solutions as SMART PASS and Fast Track are available for our travellers.

“The results of these features led to further improvements in our customer satisfaction, passenger growth of 551,000 during the first half-year and a 3% increase in currency-adjusted passenger revenue.

“In July, we noted continued growth and further improvement in the load factor.”