Dart Group reports solid bookings into next year

(ShareCast News) - Dart Group was looking on solid ground on Friday, with the company updating the market on its expectations for the current and next financial years.The AIM-traded leisure travel, and distribution and logistics group, which operates Jet2 Airways, said operating profit for the year ending 31 March 2016 would be slightly ahead of current market expectations, as a result of lower-than-anticipated winter losses.Looking ahead, forward bookings in Dart's leisure travel business for summer 2016 were promising, supported by an increasing number of package holiday customers as a proportion of overall customers."Over 50% of the season has already been sold, which is ahead of the same stage last year," the company's board said in a statement.Trading volumes at Fowler Welch, Dart's distribution and logistics business, were also described as encouraging, with the division focusing on growing and developing existing and new opportunities."Although it is still early in the leisure travel booking cycle, and notwithstanding challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean, given current booking momentum the board expects operating performance for the year ending 31 March 2017 to be broadly in line with the current year," Dart Group's board explained.