German airline Lufthansasaid today first quarter net earnings slid to a loss of euro 94 million but it stuck to its target of matching last year's operating profit in the full year.
The airline, hit by its second 24-hour pilots' strike today, said earnings had been hit by higher fuel costs and expenditure on Internet projects as well as a sharply lower financial result.
It said uncertain economic conditions and the continuing pilots dispute made forecasts difficult but said: "We are sticking to our ambitious target of posting an operating result for 2001 on a par with last year."
The German national carrier last month reported a much lower-than-expected preliminary first quarter operating profit of euro 5 million against euro 99 million a year earlier.