Online travel agent Webjet is claiming the position of market leader after reporting a double-digit lift in first half net profit.

Webjet said net profit for the six months to December 31, 2011, rose 17 per cent to $5.88 million.

Total transaction value (TTV), or sales from airline and accommodation bookings, rose 29 per cent to $369 million, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

It was the 16th consecutive half of TTV growth, Webjet said in a slide presentation accompanying its half-year results.

“Webjet has massively outperformed the general travel market in core operations of Australia and New Zealand by a factor of at least four times,” the company said.

Webjet managing director John Guscic said earlier profit guidance of 10 per cent growth for the full year was unchanged.

Mr Guscic said the profit result and TTV growth gave Webjet the opportunity to build on its core Australia/New Zealand operations and international businesses in line with longer term shareholder value and without compromising short term shareholder return.

Webjet said TTV for hotel bookings had risen from $12 million in June to $25 million in December, with traffic and conversion improving.

The company declared an interim dividend of six cents per share, fully franked.

Webjet was up 10 cents at $2.68 on Wednesday.