There is no prize for guessing the worst day of the year for Jean-Cyril Spinetta, boss of Air France. It must surely have been July 25th, the day that an Air France Concorde crashed outside Paris with the loss of 113 lives. But at least the airline appears to have been blameless (indeed, it is suing Continental Airlines for shedding the debris that caused the crash). And even the ghastliest tragedies fade from the memory. Take away that one day, and Mr Spinetta's airline is having a bumper year. Just how good shows in the figures. For the year ending March 31st, Air France's net profit rose by 42%. Take the first quarter of the present financial year, and the results look even better: an 84.9% rise in net profit over the same period last year. The half-year figures, due to be released next week, should confirm Air France's state of bonheur. And all this despite fuel-price rises that have outweighed the weakness of the euro.
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