CHINA Aviation Oil (Singapore) Corp, the nation's biggest jet fuel importer, said third-quarter profit rose 39 percent, boosted by interest income and lower costs.

Net income rose to US$10.5 million, or 1.46 cents a share, in the three months ended September 30, from US$7.5 million, or 1.05 cents, a year earlier, the jet-fuel trader said in a release in Singapore yesterday. Sales fell 19 percent to US$747.4 million as it sold 17 percent less jet fuel.