British Airways Q3 operating profit falls 27 pc

London, Feb 2: British Airways posted a 27 per cent fall in third-quarter operating profit on Friday, as fuel forced up costs and revenues grew only slightly.

Operating profits fell to129 million pounds on revenues of 2.07 billion, up 0.5 percent from october to december, a year earlier.

''These are mixed results with costs up 3 per cent reflecting higher fuel costs and revenue up 0.5 percent,'' British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange.

''Fuel remains a significant burden with costs in the quarter up 11.2 per cent,'' he said.

REUTERS