Aeroflot said Tuesday that profit for the first nine months advanced 21 percent compared with the year-earlier period as operating costs fell.

Net income rose to $170.4 million, the airline said in a statement. Operating costs declined 34 percent to $2.16 billion, the company said. Revenue dropped 31 percent to $2.46 billion.

The airline also said Tuesday that it carried 720,500 passengers last month, 4 percent more than in November 2008, and filled 69.7 percent of its seats, up from 67.9 percent.

(Bloomberg)