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Korean Air posts strong lift in quarterly profit
October 19th 2026
Korean Air (KAL) has reported net profit of 929.7 billion won (US$684 million) for the three months to September 30 2026, more than 10 times the net profit of 91.9 billion won in the same three months in 2025. Read More » Revenue rose 26% to 5 trillion won, KAL said in a regulatory filing, while operating profit was 12% higher at 421.2 billion won. The airline group said the surge in net profit was driven in part by favourable foreign exchange movements, noting the USD/won exchange rate declined at the end of the third quarter. "While outbound travel demand from Korea softened slightly due to fuel surcharges and a weak Korean won, passenger revenue grew driven by strong inbound traffic and transit demand via Incheon," KAL said. "The airline also actively captured summer peak season demand by expanding capacity across routes to the Americas and Japan." The company said cargo revenue jumped by more than 300% to 1.4 trillion won amid steady demand for high-value AI and semiconductor components. Looking ahead, KAL said fuel cost pressures were expected to persist during the final three months of calendar 2026 due to the "prolonged conflict" in the Gulf region. "The passenger business plans to enhance profitability by focusing on inbound and transit traffic," KAL said. "The cargo business aims to maximise revenue through flexible capacity deployment, to capitalise on the traditional year-end peak season and sustained demand for AI and semiconductor sectors."
