SWISS profits rise despite high fuel costs

Swiss profits rise despite high fuel costs Keystone-SDA

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) made slightly higher profits in the first nine months of 2026 despite high fuel costs. From January to September, operating profit rose by CHF10.2 million ($12.4 million) to CHF421.4 million, the Lufthansa subsidiary announced on Tuesday.

The airline explained that the high demand for air travel and the encouraging performance of the cargo business had more or less offset the additional fuel costs. Turnover rose by 5.3% to CHF4.38 billion.

However, SWISS was barely able to improve its operating profit. “The cost-saving and efficiency measures we introduced at an early stage are increasingly taking effect and have prevented a decline in profits. However, this alone is not yet sufficient to bring about a sustainable improvement in our profitability,” said Chief Financial Officer Dennis Weber.

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Further strain from high fuel costs

SWISS expects the financial burden in the fourth quarter to be even greater than in the third quarter due to the continued rise in kerosene prices. “These are currently approaching the peak levels seen at the outbreak of the Iran war. This means that kerosene is now twice as expensive as it was at the start of the year,” the company stated.

The high prices are likely to continue to weigh on SWISS in the final quarter and into the coming year. “This makes it all the more important to further reduce costs and improve processes across the entire company. In this way, SWISS is laying the foundations for continued commercial success in the future,” the airline wrote.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.