Rolls-Royce, the second biggest commercial aircraft engine-maker, said first-half profit jumped 34 per cent as manufacturers Boeing and Airbus delivered more aircraft.

Pretax profit excluding some one-time items rose to £840 million from £628 million a year earlier, the London-based company said yesterday. Earnings beat the £828.8 million average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Underlying sales advanced 27 per cent to £7.3 billion, matching analysts’ projections.

Rolls-Royce, which in the commercial sector has focused on powering long-range aircraft, has benefited as France- based Airbus has brought output of A330 wide-bodies to a record and Boeing boosts production of the new 787 Dreamliner, a market which the engine producer shares with General Electric. –Bloomberg