Qantas achieved record first-half profit of A$1.46 billion, beating analyst expectations
New aircraft contributed significantly to profit growth, especially at budget arm Jetstar
Domestic operations showed strong revenue growth while international earnings declined
The airline announced a share buyback and interim dividend returning value to shareholders
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Qantas Airways, Australia's flag carrier airline, on Thursday reported record first-half underlying earnings of A$1.46 billion ($1.04 billion) for the six months to December 31, 2025, bolstered by resilient travel demand across its flagship and budget offerings and helped by new aircraft joining its ageing fleet. The results exceeded market expectations, surpassing the Visible Alpha consensus estimate of A$1.42 billion and improving upon the A$1.39 billion earned in the same period a year earlier. The airline's domestic operations particularly benefited from higher capacity utilization, while its budget subsidiary Jetstar experienced remarkable growth with a 38% jump in underlying operating earnings. New aircraft accounted for approximately 60% of Jetstar's profit growth, demonstrating the immediate financial benefits of fleet modernization. However, Qantas International faced challenges with earnings slipping 6% due to increased costs associated with wages and personnel training for new aircraft. The carrier has taken delivery of nine aircraft in the reported period and expects 30 more over the next 18 months, with CEO Vanessa Hudson emphasizing that the benefits of these next-generation aircraft will become even more pronounced as they reach full scale in the fleet. Looking ahead, Qantas forecast second-half domestic unit revenue growth of 3%, consistent with the prior six months, and projected fuel costs of A$2.5 billion, slightly lower sequentially. Despite the strong financial performance, market reaction was mixed with shares initially opening 4% higher before reversing course to trade 0.9% lower by late afternoon. The airline also announced a share buyback program of up to A$150 million and declared an interim dividend of 19.8 Australian cents per share, returning value to shareholders.
Qantas Airways Limited ( KWON-təs), doing business as QANTAS or Qantas, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Oceania. A founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, it is the only airline in the world t...
Vehicle or machine that is able to fly by gaining support from the air
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, in a few cases, direct downward thrust from its engines. Common examples of aircraft include airplanes, drones, rotorcraft...
Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd, trading as Jetstar, is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by the airline Virgin Blue (now known as Virgin Australia). Jetstar is part of Qantas' two-brand str...
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try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Nasdaq ends more than 1% higher as Nvidia rises pre-earnings, tech extends rebound Gold prices head for fifth day of gains in six; JPMorgan sees more upside Nvidia set to report strong results and guidance, analysts say Nvidia quells AI demand fears with strong revenue guidance, stock up after hours (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Qantas logs record first-half profit on strong travel demand, new aircraft By Reuters Stock Markets Published 02/25/2026, 04:40 PM Updated 02/25/2026, 06:54 PM Qantas logs record first-half profit on strong travel demand, new aircraft 0 QAN -4.88% Feb 26 - Australia’s Qantas Airways on Thursday reported record first-half underlying earnings, bolstered by resilient travel demand across its flagship and budget offerings and helped by new aircraft joining its ageing fleet. Australia’s flag carrier posted underlying profit before tax of A$1.46 billion ($1.04 billion) for the six months to December 31, beating the Visible Alpha consensus estimate of A$1.42 billion and the A$1.39 billion earned in the same period a year earlier. New aircraft accounted for about 60% of profit growth at budget arm Jetstar, which reported a 38% jump in underlying operating earnings on strong leisure demand. The domestic unit posted a 5% rise in revenue driven by higher capacity. Qantas International earnings slipped 6% due to higher costs, wages and personnel training for new planes. The carrier took delivery of nine aircraft in the half and expects 30 more over the next 18 months. "We’re already seeing the benefits from the next generation aircraft that are flying, which, along with strong demand ... helped us deliver another strong result," CEO Vanessa Hudson said. "This gives us confidence in the benefits that will flow once Qantas’ new aircraft reach scale." The airline forecast second-half domestic unit revenue growth of 3%, in line with the prior six months, and fuel costs of A$2.5 billion, slightly...
