BA owner IAG's third-quarter profit slightly beats market estimates

LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways owner IAG <ICAG.L> on Friday posted a small rise in quarterly profit with results that slightly beat expectations, and said profit for 2018 would increase by 200 million euros (177.4 million pounds).

Third-quarter operating profit before exceptional items came in at 1.46 billion euros, ahead of a company-compiled consensus of 1.43 billion euros and up from 1.45 billion euros last year.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout, Editing by Paul Sandle)