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HOUSTON (AP) - Continental Airlines Inc. said Tuesday it earned $61 million in the third quarter, surprising Wall Street, which had expected a much smaller profit at the nation's fifth-largest carrier because of rising jet fuel prices and two hurricanes that canceled flights.
Continental's profit included a $3 million special charge. Excluding the charge, Continental earned $64 million or 83 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had forecast 27 cents per share. A year ago, Houston-based Continental lost $18 million, or 29 cents per share.
Revenue was a record $3 billion, up 15.3 percent from $2.6 billion a year earlier.
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