Dart Group: TRADING STATEMENT - Trading Statement and Notice of Results

Trading Statement and Notice of Results

Dart Group PLC, the Leisure Airline, Package Holidays, and Distribution & Logistics Group, updates the market on trading for the first half of the financial year ending 31 March 2013 in Jet2.com, the North's leading leisure airline, Jet2holidays, the ATOL protected package holiday operator, and Fowler Welch, one of the UK's leading logistics providers.

Jet2.com has had a strong summer due to volumes underpinned by the continued successful growth of Jet2holidays and helped by the particularly poor British summer weather. Jet2.com flew 3.6m passengers in the six months to September 2012, an increase of 14% over the same period last year, with increases in both yields and load factors.

Jet2holidays, our ATOL protected holiday operation, has also had a successful summer, having taken 312,000 passengers on holiday during the first six months of the year, an increase of 97% over the same period last year (2011: 158,000). This significant growth has been achieved through further improvements to the Jet2holidays product range, and development of its online and high street distribution channels.

Our distribution business, Fowler Welch, which specialises in the distribution of temperature-controlled and ambient products to retailers, importers and manufacturers throughout the United Kingdom, has continued to deliver leading customer service. The business is trading in line with expectations in a sector that continues to experience tight margins.

As previously noted, our leisure travel operations are becoming increasingly seasonal as we continue to grow the business. This, coupled with strong summer trading, will result in the Group's profit before taxation for the first half of the year being ahead of the same period in the previous year, with increased losses expected in the second half.

Notwithstanding the current economic climate, the Board expects to exceed current market expectations for the year ending 31 March 2013. The Group intends to announce its interim results on 22 November 2012.