(Reuters] – Russia’s top airline Aeroflot has reported Monday its first quarterly profit since 2019, as a result of a faster recovery in international and domestic traffic.

Aeroflot’s shares rose 1.6% at 0941 GMT. It reported a net profit of 11.6 billion rubles ($155 million) in its third quarter, as opposed to 21.14 billion losses a year earlier.

Aeroflot has seen an increase in domestic travel as Russia didn’t impose complete blockades during the new wave of infections.

Aeroflot had 27.4% greater domestic passenger traffic in the third quarter than it did during the first half of 2019 before the pandemic.

“We also took maximum advantage of the gradual lifting of restrictions in the international segment, and this also had a significant positive impact on the results,” Andrey Chikhanchin, Aeroflot’s Deputy CEO for Commerce and Finance, said.

Berenberg analysts stated Monday that the threat of new air lockdowns across Europe as well as the spreading Omicron coronavirus variants threatened global aviation recovery.

Aeroflot had earnings before interest and taxes, amortisation, or EBITDA, of 54.05 billion rubles for the third quarter. This is compared to 20.09 million roubles in the previous year.

Company stated that it would continue to control costs as fuel costs rose 41.7% annually in the first nine months 2021.

Aeroflot stated this month that due to increasing jet fuel costs, it would increase its fuel charges on both domestic and international routes.

($1 = 74.9610 roubles)