Flight Centre H1 profit down 57 pct on weak sales

SYDNEY, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Australian travel retailer Flight Centre Ltd (FLT.AX) reported a 57.4 percent drop in first-half net profit after tax, hurt by sluggish sales and one-off charges, and said the slowdown had continued in January and February.

Flight Centre reported a profit of A$26.1 million ($16.8 million) for the six months to Dec. 31, down from A$61.2 million in the same period the previous year. It declared an interim dividend of 9 cents. ($1=1.55 Australian Dollar) (Reporting by James Thornhill)