Lufthansa losses narrow in first quarter of 2026

Losses at Lufthansa narrowed in the first quarter of 2026, while the German carrier on Wednesday confirmed its outlook for the year despite disruptions caused by strikes and the conflict in the Middle East, DPA reported.

During the first three months of the year, revenue increased by 8% year-on-year to 8.75 billion euros (10.3 billion dollars), while operating losses fell by 15% to 612 million euros, exceeding analysts’ expectations, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

Net losses declined by a quarter to 665 million euros, even as the airline faced strikes that led to flight cancellations across Germany.

Amid rising oil prices driven by the conflict in the Middle East, Lufthansa’s fuel costs for the full year are expected to rise by 1.7 billion euros to 8.9 billion euros.

Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr said the company plans to offset the increase through higher ticket revenues, improved load factors, and cost-saving measures.

“The ongoing crisis in the Middle East, combined with rising fuel costs and operational constraints, represents significant challenges for the entire world, the global aviation sector, and our company. Nevertheless, we are confident in our ability to absorb the impact,” Spohr stated.

The airline’s flight schedule is now expected to expand by up to 2%, compared with the previously planned 4%.

Lufthansa also forecast that earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) this year would exceed last year’s figure of 1.96 billion euros by at least 10%.

The Lufthansa Group is Europe’s largest airline group and, besides Lufthansa, also owns Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Eurowings, and Brussels Airlines.

Photo: Ex-Yu Aviation portal