News
Qantas Group records interim profit, announces changes to status program, and new route
February 27th 2026
Qantas Group posted underlying profit before tax of A$1.46 billion ($1.04 billion) for the six months to December 31, 2025. Read More » The results, announced on February 26, 2026, are better than the previous estimates, and the A$1.39 billion earned in the same period a year earlier. “We’re already seeing the benefits from the next generation aircraft that are flying, which, along with strong demand, our dual brand strategy, and expanding Loyalty business, helped us deliver another strong result,” Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson commented. The benefit of new aircraft was especially visible in the case of the Group’s LCC Jetstar. “Around 60% of Jetstar’s increase in profitability in the half was driven by its new aircraft, through a combination of growth, new network opportunities, and the redeployment of existing aircraft onto other routes. This gives us confidence in the benefits that will flow once Qantas’ new aircraft reach scale. We’ve already started to see an acceleration in deliveries for Qantas, with six new aircraft arriving in the half and a further 30 arriving over the next 18 months,” Hudson said. The Group accepted nine aircraft in the first half and expects 30 more over the next 18 months. The group’s domestic division delivered a 14% increase in underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to A$1.05 billion, supported by strong demand in business and leisure travel. The international operation’s underlying EBIT was down 6% to A$463 million, driven by higher costs, wages, and staff training for new planes. Hudson told reporters that the result was affected by lower-than-expected economy-class demand on the Australia-U.S. routes due to foreign exchange impacts. “The U.S. market is a really important market for us. The Australian dollar does affect purchase decisions when it comes to travel,” she explained. In its outlook, Qantas said domestic unit revenue is expected to increase by approximately 3% in the second half of FY26 compared to the previous year, and international unit revenue is expected to increase by 1-3%, inclusive of a higher capacity mix from Qantas International, over the same period.
On the same day, Qantas Frequent Flyer announced “the most significant changes to earning and retaining status since the program’s inception,” giving members the ability to roll over unused Status Credits and earn them through everyday spending for the first time. “With more than 18 million members and nearly 40 years of rewarding loyalty, this represents a new era for the Frequent Flyer program in the face of a changing loyalty landscape,” Hudson commented. “Traditionally, Status Credits have been a benefit earned exclusively through flying. However, last year’s trial broke member engagement records, proving they want more ways to fast-track their status,” Qantas Loyalty and Customer CEO Andrew Glance said.
The Australian flag carrier said it will launch a seasonal Sydney-Las Vegas route on December 29, 2026, operating three times per week with Boeing 787-9 aircraft until March 12, 2027. Qantas will become the first airline to operate a non-stop route between the two cities, saving passengers up to five hours of travel time by eliminating connections through another US city. This becomes the 101st destination on the Qantas network and the airline’s eighth city across North and South America, joining Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Dallas, New York, Vancouver, and Santiago.
