Virgin Australia has told staff it recorded $2.8 billion in revenues for the six months to December 31, up from $2.5 billion one year earlier – a result described by the airline’s outgoing chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka as a “strong performance by all parts of the business”.

The company, controlled by Bain Capital, recorded a profit of $236 million for the period, Ms Hrdlicka said in a note to employees on Tuesday afternoon, adding that margins had increased to 8.5 per cent in the six months compared to 5 per cent earlier.