Strong March saves the quarter Swiss earns significantly more - despite expensive kerosene and fewer flights
Swiss was on the upswing at the start of the year. Turnover rose slightly by 0.3 percent to 1.22 billion Swiss francs. In addition, the Lufthansa subsidiary was able to improve its operating profit to 30.0 million after 3.3 million in the previous year, according to a statement on Wednesday.
06.05.2026, 07:07
06.05.2026, 07:31
SDA
The airline Swiss performed significantly better in the first quarter of 2026 than in the previous year. According to the company, the airline achieved an operating result of 30 million Swiss francs, compared to 3.3 million in the first quarter of 2025. Revenue amounted to 1.22 billion Swiss francs, slightly above the previous year's level - even though Swiss offered fewer flights.
CFO Dennis Weber speaks of an "exceptionally strong March", which influenced the figures. The conflict in the Middle East had noticeably boosted demand, particularly on Asian routes, and led to higher revenues.
Fewer passengers, fewer flights
At the same time, Weber warns that the positive effect is only temporary. The sharp rise in fuel prices had not yet had a full impact in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the burdens will increase significantly, he says. The price of kerosene is currently almost twice as high as before the Iran war. Although Swiss is benefiting from existing hedging transactions, the cost pressure is considerable.
From January to March, Swiss transported around 3.7 million passengers - slightly fewer than in the previous year. Due to bottlenecks with engines and pilots, the airline operated 7.1 percent fewer flights. Nevertheless, the passenger load factor rose by 3.4 percentage points to a very good level. Flight schedule stability remained high at 97.4 percent, while punctuality fell slightly to 75.2 percent.
CEO Jens Fehlinger emphasizes that the good quarterly result is not a sure-fire success. The airline must continue to reduce its cost base and become more flexible in order to be able to react to the volatile global situation. According to Fehlinger, this also includes efficiency improvements and a new collective labor agreement for pilots.
