DUBAI: Dubai’s Emirates airline said on Thursday its net profit surged 65 per cent in the first half of the financial year to $849 million (781 million euros) on lower fuel costs and higher passenger numbers. The largest Middle East carrier said fuel prices were 41 per cent lower than a year before, while passenger numbers jumped 10 per cent to 25.7 million in the six-month period ending September 30. The carrier’s revenues stood at 42.3 billion dirhams ($11.5 billion), down 4.2 per cent on 44.2 billion dirhams ($12 billion) the year before.