Lufthansa Group expects its 2026 fuel bill to reach €9.3 billion, an increase of €2 billion on last year, as elevated energy prices continue to affect the German airline group’s operating outlook.
발표ing its third-quarter results on Tuesday 3 November 2026, Lufthansa said the latest forecast was also €600 million higher than the estimate it issued only a few months ago. The group attributed the pressure to the continuing war involving Iran and its effect on global energy prices.
Profit outlook narrowed
The group has reduced the upper end of its forecast for 2026 core profit. It now expects the figure to be between €1.7 billion and €2.0 billion, compared with an earlier range of €1.7 billion to €2.2 billion.
Lufthansa Group includes carriers such as Swiss, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings. The revised outlook places the additional fuel expense alongside a stronger third-quarter performance, with the group reporting higher demand for premium travel to Asia and North America.
“We improved our result compared with the previous year, despite higher fuel costs weighing on the quarterly result by more than half a billion euros — we are satisfied with that. This was supported by robust demand in passenger traffic,” said Till Streichert, chief financial officer of Lufthansa.
Third-quarter performance
Net profit for the July-September period increased by 30% to €1.26 billion, beating forecasts. Revenue rose by 9% year on year to €12.2 billion.
Fuel costs were more than €500 million higher in the quarter than in the same period a year earlier. Lufthansa said robust passenger demand, particularly in premium tickets to Asia and North America, supported the result despite that increase.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| 2026 fuel-cost forecast | €9.3 billion |
| Increase on 2025 | €2 billion |
| Revised 2026 core-profit forecast | €1.7bn-€2.0bn |
| Third-quarter net profit | €1.26 billion |
| Third-quarter revenue | €12.2 billion |
Impact across the group
The fuel revision applies across Lufthansa Group’s airline operations, making it a material change to the cost assumptions behind its full-year outlook. The group’s results show that passenger demand has so far provided support, but the additional fuel expense has reduced the headroom in its profit forecast.
- Fuel costs were more than €500 million above the year-earlier level in the third quarter.
- Premium-ticket demand to Asia and North America was described as strong.
- The upper end of the group’s core-profit forecast has been cut by €200 million.
Lufthansa’s updated figures provide a current view of the pressure that higher energy costs are placing on a major European network group, even as traffic demand remains robust in important long-haul markets.
