Korean Air Lines Co., the country’s biggest carrier, posted its first profit in seven quarters on a stronger won.

Net income totaled 78.5 billion won ($64 million) in the three months ended June 30 compared with a net loss of 288.9 billion won a year earlier, the Seoul-based airline said in a statement yesterday. Sales dropped 16 percent to 2.07 trillion won.
The won gained 8.6 percent against dollar last quarter, helping reduce the value of Korean Air’s $4.96 billion dollar-denominated debt and offsetting a drop in traffic.
There are some encouraging signs going forward for the carrier and the airline industry in general.
In the second half, an economic pickup, the strengthening won and easing concerns about the recent flu outbreak may stoke travel demand, analysts said.