UPDATE 1-Hannover Re CEO says confident of hitting target

* Reinsurer aims for 600 mln eur net profit in 2009

* Damage costs in second quarter within target

* Hit from Air France plane crash seen at 30 mln eur

* Shares fall as much as 1.1 pct, then recover

(Adds background, detail)

By Jonathan Gould

HANOVER, Germany, July 1 (Reuters) - A good performance in the first six months of the year had made Hannover Re (HNRGn.DE) confident that it can reach its target of a net profit of 600 million euros ($844.2 million) this year, its chief executive told Reuters in an interview.

"Business in the first six months was good," Chief Executive Ulrich Wallin said on Wednesday.

"We expect major claims to be under 10 percent of net premiums in the second quarter as well as stable returns from our capital investments."

He said that insurers who had lost money in the financial crisis were buying more cover from reinsurers.

"The price increases in the reinsurance market have continued on June 1 and July 1 but not at the rate we expected."

The stock fell as much as 1.1 percent after the interview but recovered to trade up 1.1 percent by 1306 GMT.

The prospect of rising top-line growth in non-life, life and health reinsurance has bolstered the Hannover Re's shares this year.

Wallin said that he expected the Air France jet crash in the Atlantic Ocean last month to cost the reinsurer 30 million euros.