"Our customer satisfaction levels have bounced back strongly since December and we have more service and product improvements in the pipeline." Qantas said its net profit dropped 13.2 percent year-on-year to Aus$869 million (US$570 million) in the six months to December 31. Revenue rose 12.3 percent to Aus$11.1 billion, it said. But overall costs climbed, pushed up in part by higher spending on fuel, aircraft operations and salaries. Qantas said travel demand was strong, led by the leisure sector but with business travel now approaching pre-Covid-19 levels. Fares had fallen by more than 10 percent from a late 2022 peak. Qantas said it saw "strong demand" across its business. Unit revenue was expected to remain stable in domestic operations and "continue to normalize" for international flights as market capacity expanded, it said. Seat capacity in Qantas' international operations was now at 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, the airline said, up 25 percent from a year earlier.