Southwest posts 1Q profit on special items

[April 19, 2012]  DALLAS (AP) -- Southwest Airlines says it made $98 million in the first quarter, helped by one-time gains.

Excluding those special items, the airline would have lost $18 million, or 2 cents per share -- not as bad as the loss of 5 cents per share that analysts had expected.

The company says revenue rose to $3.99 billion, helped by last year's acquisition of AirTran Airways.

[Associated Press]

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