Vienna - Flughafen Wien AG, Vienna's international airport, reported Thursday that its net profit rose by 5.1 per cent to 34.3 million euros (43.3 million dollars) in the third quarter, while passenger traffic growth slowed down.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) amounted to 42.9 million euros, up 5.4 per cent from the same quarter last year.

At 145.3 million euros, the airport's revenues grew by 5.3 per cent.

Although traffic increased by 3.1 per cent to 5.6 million passengers in the third quarter, was a slowdown compared with the first half of 2008, when passenger numbers grew by 12.8 per cent year-on-year.

In October, passenger traffic fell by 2.1 per cent.

"The slower growth in passenger volume has led us to adjust our traffic forecasts for 2008," the airport's management board said in its letter to shareholders.

The Vienna airport now expects to handle 6 per cent more passengers in 2009, 2 percentage points less than previously estimated. (dpa)