Many planes are still not being used

"The aviation industry is still operating in a difficult economic environment, but it looks like we have now come through the worst," said the firm's chief executive Wolfgang Marhuber.

An effective cost-cutting strategy, including the idling of 69 planes, has also helped Lufthansa stay ahead of its competitors when the travel slump hit.

While the firm has performed better than many of its peers by turning in an operating profit of 65m euros, its bottom line is still in the red.

It notched up losses of 34m euros (�26.8m) between April and June, compared with profits of 160m euros in the same period last year.

And it warned that the environment would continue to be tough for the rest of the year, with "no marked improvement " in passenger bookings.

It said it still expected to report an operating loss for the full year.