Despite fuel cost pressures, Qantas’s full-year financial results showed strong demand for international travel and premium products.
The Australian carrier’s share price rose by 4% in the wake of the announcement, as Qantas reported US$1.48 billion in pre-tax profit up to June 30 2026.
In a company press release, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said:
This has been another year of progress, with customer satisfaction at its highest in a decade and world-leading operational performance, even as the aviation industry faced record high fuel costs and disruption from the conflict in the Middle East. We came through it with a strong result, which is what allows us to continue investing in the largest fleet renewal in our history and deliver more for our customers, people and shareholders.
Premium seating was among the growth drivers at Qantas: the airline said revenue from its international premium cabin jumped by 15%, twice that of its economy seats. Qantas unveiled a new business class design this week in advance of its 2028 A321XLR launch, in line with the industry trend towards attracting high-paying customers. IATA reported global demand for premium was up by 4.5% between 2024 and 2025.
While the Middle East conflict caused chaos for many Gulf carriers, the disruption played to Qantas’s advantage. The airline said they added nearly 16,000 seats between Europe and Australia in the fourth quarter to cover demand. Thanks to adjusted fares and capacity, Qantas was able to limit the impact of higher fuel prices to $610 million, despite costs for this resource rising to $600 million.
The next years are set to be exciting for Qantas, as the airline launches its historic ‘Project Sunrise’. Utilising the new ultra-long-range Airbus A350-1000LRs, the flights will connect Sydney to London and New York non-stop for the first time. Tickets for the inaugural Sydney London flights go on sale in February 2027, with takeoff set for October that year.
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