Spain's Aena posts 80 percent jump in first-half profit

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish airports operator Aena (AENA.MC) on Tuesday said net profit in the first half of the year had soared 80 percent to 276 million euros ($305 million), boosted by higher air traffic and a series of one-off tax deductions.

The integration of Britain's Luton Airport, north of central London, also helped this year's earnings, the company said.

Aena's core profit, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, totalled 826 million euro in the six months to June, up 11.9 percent from a year earlier.

The company said earlier on Tuesday its board had opted to dispute a proposal by Spain's competition regulator that it cut airport tariffs in 2016.

($1 = 0.9041 euro)

(Reporting by Sarah White, editing by G Crosse)