Qantas earnings: Profit up, higher dividends, and bigger fleet for FY26

The Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) share price is in focus today as the company reported a $1,456 million underlying profit before tax for the first half of FY26, with revenue rising to $12.9 billion. The airline also boosted its fully franked interim dividend and announced plans for further shareholder returns, reflecting continued strong performance across its portfolio.

What did Qantas Airways report?

• Revenue of $12.9 billion, up 6% from 1H25
• Underlying Profit Before Tax of $1,456 million, up $71 million
• Statutory Profit After Tax of $925 million
• Underlying earnings per share of 68 cents
• Net Debt of $5.6 billion, in line with target range
• Interim fully franked dividend of 19.8 cents per share, plus up to $150 million share buy-back announced

What else do investors need to know?

Qantas reported growth across its domestic, international, and loyalty divisions. Domestic operations delivered a margin of 18%, while Qantas Loyalty membership and points activity both set new records. The company distributed $400 million to shareholders during the half and will increase its interim payout to $450 million, including an on-market share buy-back.

Fleet renewal and customer investment continued at pace, with delivery of nine new aircraft—supporting network flexibility, sustainability, and a lift in customer satisfaction scores. Qantas also expanded its frontline workforce and further invested in digital and sustainability initiatives, including carbon reduction programs and upgrades to the digital customer experience.

What’s next for Qantas Airways?

The company is targeting further growth supported by strong travel demand and continued transformation benefits, aiming for a $400 million savings target in FY26. Qantas expects Group Domestic revenue per seat (RASK) to increase about 3% in 2H26, with additional international capacity coming online.

Looking further ahead, capital expenditure is planned to rise, supporting new technology aircraft deliveries and the long-haul “Project Sunrise” initiative. Qantas Loyalty is set to grow EBIT by 10–12% this year. Management says net debt will remain within the targeted range and sustainable, fully franked dividends are a focus.

Qantas Airways share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Qantas shares have risen 20%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 11% over the same period.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.