Skymark Airlines Co. said Friday it posted its first-ever full-year profit, thanks to a flight increase made possible by a fleet expansion.

The carrier's net profit for the year ending Oct. 31 was 1.35 billion yen. Revenue grew 41 percent to 31.78 billion yen. Skymark started operations in 1996.

During the period, the airline added one aircraft to its fleet, bringing the total to five planes, and increased flights between Tokyo and airports in Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Tokushima prefectures.

The fleet expansion helped reduce flight cancellations due to unscheduled maintenance needs, it said.

Better yield control -- managing a prime mix of ticket pricing and seat occupation -- also enhanced profitability by increasing revenue per passenger, it said.

Startup airlines in Japan have been struggling to turn a profit in a market dominated by Japan Airlines Corp. and All Nippon Airways Co.

Skymark President Shinichi Nishikubo told a news conference Friday that it would have been difficult to turn a profit without the government's preferential treatment.

"We have been supported (by the government), as we have been given Haneda airport slots taken away from the major airlines," he said. "We are very grateful for that."

Asked about its proposal to merge with another startup, Hokkaido International Airlines Co. (Air Do), Nishikubo said prospects were dim.