SWISS recorded Adjusted EBIT of CHF 421.4 million in the first nine months of 2026, up 2.5% from CHF 411.2 million a year earlier. Operating income increased 5.3% to CHF 4.38 billion, as strong travel demand and better cargo performance were offset by substantially higher fuel costs. The Lufthansa Group airline’s additional revenue broadly matched its additional fuel expense, while efficiency measures helped contain the impact on earnings.
SWISS expects higher fuel prices to weigh more heavily on fourth-quarter results than they did in the third quarter, with costs remaining a challenge into 2027. Jet fuel was twice as expensive as at the start of 2026.
The airline carried about 13.7 million passengers from January to September, 0.7% fewer than in the same period last year, and operated about 106,500 flights, down 3%. Seat capacity declined 0.5%, while the load factor rose by 0.4 percentage points. Cargo demand on routes to and from Asia contributed more to earnings than SWISS had anticipated.
Pilot availability and shortages of short-haul engine resources continued to constrain operations. Departure punctuality improved, although overall operating stability weakened slightly.