All Nippon Airways Co.'s group operating profit more than doubled from the previous year to 77.7 billion yen in fiscal 2004 led by strong demand for international flights and rigorous cost-reduction efforts, the carrier said Thursday.

It is the first time the nation's second-largest carrier has ever brought its international operations into the black.

ANA reported a group net profit of 26.9 billion yen, up 9 percent from the previous year, while sales rose 6.2 percent to a record 1.29 trillion yen for the year ended March 31.