Wellington - Air New Zealand on Tuesday reported a 24-per- cent slump in profit for the last fiscal year because of soaring jet fuel prices.

The airline, which is 77-per-cent owned by the government, announced a pre-tax profit of 197 million New Zealand dollars (about 138 million US dollars) for the year ended June 30.

Chairman John Palmer said that the cost of fuel had risen by 300 million New Zealand dollars in the year, resulting in profit declining 24 per cent on 2006-07, despite increases in fares.

Frankfurt/Vienna - Deutsche Lufthansa AG has officially entered the bidding process for Austrian Airlines, which is being privatized by the Austrian government, the German carrier confirmed Monday.

"We have officially expressed our interest," a spokesman for the the German said.

Andreas Bartels said, hours after the Sunday deadline for sending letters of interest to OIAG, the state-controlled holding that wants to sell its 42.8-per-cent share in Austrian Airlines.

Singapore  - Saudi Arabia and Singapore have reached an agreement to allow any number of flights between Singapore and the eastern Gulf city of Damman, the Transport Ministry said Friday.

The increase was reached after two days of consultations between the ministry and Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Under the agreement, carriers may also operate up to 14 flights per week between Singapore and other points in Saudi Arabia, including Jeddah and Riyadh.

Vienna - Flughafen Wien Group, Vienna's international airport, reported on Thursday that its net profit before taxes increased by 19.2 per cent to 50.5 million euros (74.5 million dollars), as passenger traffic to North America and Eastern Europe grew.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) amounted to 69.9 million euros, up 14.8 per cent from 60.9 million euros in the first six months of 2007.

The airport collected revenues of 272.2 million euros, 13.7 per cent more than last year.

Madrid  - The identification of bodies of victims from Wednesday's plane crash in Madrid will take time, a Red Cross spokeswoman said Thursday.

More bodies were recovered from the wreck by rescue workers overnight. At least 153 people died in the crash, and 19 people remain critically injured.

A temporary morgue has been set up in an exhibition hall in the capital as the process of identifying bodies begins.

Frankfurt - A German Lufthansa AG airline collided with a bus on a Frankfurt airport runway, officials said Thursday.