Loss at Czech airline CSA narrows in first nine months

Czech airline CSA said Tuesday its after-tax loss narrowed to 324 million crowns (14.81 million dollars) in the first nine months of the year from 773 million in the same period of 2005. The airline, around 91 percent owned by the state, said it expected to post a full-year loss of around 500 million crowns, the same as 2005. CSA's president, Radomir Lasak, said the airline was battling higher wage costs and payments for new aircraft.The airline is hoping to return to profit in 2008 following a sweeping restructuring decided by its current management, which has been in place since the start of the year.