Amadeus posts higher profits on rise in global air travel

Spain's Amadeus, a leading technology provider for the travel and tourism industries, posted Wednesday a double-digit rise in its first half net profit on the back of a rise in global air traffic.The company, the biggest provider by number of airline bookings in the world, said its net profit rose 12.2 percent during the period to 263.7 million euros ($375.1 million).Revenues from continuing operations rose 3.9 percent to 1.39 billion euros.A total of 203.9 million passengers boarded flights operated by airlines using the company's reservation system during the first half, a 32.5 percent increase over the same year-ago period.The Madrid-based company said its market share of travel agency air bookings rose by 0.8 percentage points during the first half to 37.2 percent.Amadeus returned to the public market with a 1.3 billion euro listing in April 2010 after a five year absence.The UN World Tourism Organisation predicts international tourist arrivals will increase 4.0 percent over 2010 when they totaled 913 million.