Turkish Airlines’ revenue rose 19.3% year on year to $8.3 billion in the third quarter of 2026, but profit from main operations fell 12.3% to $929 million as fuel and other operating costs increased. The carrier transported 28.5 million passengers in July–September, up 4.7%, while cargo revenue climbed 45.6% to more than $1.2 billion. Higher fuel costs also prompted a downward revision to its planned capacity growth for 2026.
Passenger load factor reached 87.1%, up 1.5 percentage points from a year earlier. Cargo volumes increased 7.4%, supporting the sharp rise in freight revenue. Fuel expenses reached $2.61 billion for the quarter, up 58.5% year on year. Turkish Airlines reported that jet fuel prices had risen 118% since the start of 2026.
The airline had originally targeted 10% capacity growth for the full year. It reduced that plan in response to fuel-cost pressure and the effects of conflict in the Middle East; a revised full-year target was not consistently reported. Capacity grew 3.2% in the third quarter.