SEOUL, Korea (Reuters) - Korean Air, South Korea's top airline, reported on Friday a nearly seven-fold jump in quarterly operating profit, as a cargo sector recovery picked up pace and the stronger won KRW= lowered costs.
Korean Air posted a 154 billion won ($134.7 million) operating profit in the October-December quarter, above a consensus forecast of a 120 billion won profit from Thomson Reuters.
The result improved from a 22.6 billion won operating profit a year earlier and 100.1 billion won earned in July-September.
Korean Air, also the largest cargo carrier among commercial airlines, is expected to enjoy a full recovery this year as the strengthening won boosts outbound travel demand and export growth in the South Korean technology sector supports high-yield cargo shipments.
Shares in Korean Air climbed 14.4 percent in the fourth quarter, outperforming the broader market's 0.6 percent gain. ($1=1143.0 Won)
*Reporting by Shin Jieun; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner