Flag carrier Malaysia Airlines continued its flight to recovery by logging a net profit of RM330.40 million (US$87 million) in the quarter to December.

This compared to a loss of RM310.20 million in the same period last year, and was its second consecutive quarterly profit since April-June 1997.

In a statement to the stock exchange late yesterday, it said performance was boosted by exceptional gains of RM229.40 million from its financial restructuring and RM74.80 million from sale of a Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

For the quarter, the national carrier made an operating profit of RM32.30 million, rebounding from a loss of RM323.80 million in the same period a year earlier. Revenue rose 9.6 percent to RM2.16 billion.

The results took Malaysia Airlines net profit for the nine months to December to RM250.70 million, compared to a net loss of RM867.80 million in the same period a year earlier.