Lufthansa: Despite expensive kerosene, airline increases its profits

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Despite high prices for kerosene, Lufthansa reports higher profits

Fuel alone will cost Lufthansa around two billion euros more this year - but the aviation group is still doing good business. The summer quarter exceeded expectations.

November 3, 2026, 7:37 a.m

Lufthansa performed better than expected in the third quarter. Lufthansa announced that its adjusted operating profit increased by six percent to 1.4 billion euros from July to September. Analysts had expected an average of 1.37 billion euros. At 12.2 billion euros, sales were also nine percent higher than in the previous quarter and therefore slightly better than the experts predicted.

The group achieved good business despite sharp increases in fuel costs. Because of the Iran war, these rose by more than half a billion euros per quarter. For the year as a whole, Lufthansa now expects a corresponding increase of two billion euros instead of the previous figure of around 1.5 billion euros.

Demand was robust in all segments, which enabled higher ticket prices, the group said. The Lufthansa airlines, which also include Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines or ITA Airways, sold many premium tickets and long-haul flights. All airlines except the core brand Lufthansa Airlines increased their results. The cargo subsidiary Lufthansa Cargo even tripled its operating profit, and Lufthansa Technik also earned significantly better from aircraft maintenance. In addition to strong operating revenues, savings also helped to more than offset the increase in costs.

Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr is still dissatisfied with developments in the German market. In the SPIEGEL interview, Spohr criticizes the low working hours compared to international standards and the lack of flexibility through co-determination and collective agreements. Read the entire interview here.

fdi/Reuters