UPDATE 1-Airports of Thailand: revenue on target despite unrest

* 2009/2010 revenue to rise 10 pct

* But sees no growth in passengers in H2 due to politics

* Political violence cut passengers at main airport in May (Adds details)

BANGKOK, June 30 (Reuters) - Airports of Thailand AOT.BK, the country's main airport operator, said on Wednesday its revenue for fiscal 2009/2010 would rise 10 percent to 22 billion baht ($679.2 million), in line with its target.

However, passenger numbers should fall slightly in the April-June quarter, and numbers in its second half ending September would be little changed from last year due to political unrest, President Serirat Prasutanond told reporters.

Passenger numbers would increase 10 percent in the year ending September as strong growth in the first half would offset the anticipated weakness in the second half, he said.

"We expect revenue to reach our target of 22 billion baht or growth of 10 percent, the same pace as growth in passenger numbers," he said.

An anti-government protest that began in March descended into violence in April and May, before troops moved in on May 19 to dislodge protesters from a central shopping area they had occupied for weeks. Many foreign countries advised against travel to Thailand, and particularly Bangkok, during this period.

As a result, the state Tourism Authority of Thailand has cut its target for tourist arrivals this year to 13 million from 15.5 million and slashed its revenue target by a fifth to 480 billion baht ($14.7 billion). [ID:nSGE657032]

The unrest dragged Airports' passenger numbers down 10 percent in May from a year earlier and the number of flights fell 1.9 percent, the company said.

However, its passenger numbers rose 20 percent and flights climbed 14 percent in the first eight months of its business year starting in October, it said.

Majority state-owned AOT operates the country's six main airports -- Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang in Bangkok, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Phuket -- and these handle around 90 percent of total air traffic in the country.

AOT's net profit jumped to 2.58 billion baht in the first six months of its financial year to March from 154 million baht a year earlier, due to a recovery in aircraft and passenger traffic early in the year, as well as foreign exchange gains.

Ten analysts polled by Thomson Reuters earnings tracker StarMine forecast a rise in profit to 2.08 billion baht for AOT for the full fiscal year to September, up from 717 million baht a year earlier when it was hurt by the weak global economy, the H1N1 flu outbreak and earlier bouts of political unrest.

At 0838 GMT, Airports shares were unchanged at 34.25 baht while the main SET index .SETI was up 0.2 percent. ($1=32.39 baht) (Reporting by Manunphattr Dhanananphorn; Writing by Viparat Jantraprap; Editing by Alan Raybould)