Korean Air’s tentative Q3 financial results (Non-consolidated)

 (Seoul, October 15, 2026)

• Korean Air achieved record-high quarterly revenue of KRW 5.0448 trillion in Q3 2026 despite sustained high fuel prices. This marks a year-on-year increase of KRW 1.0363 trillion. Operating profit also grew by KRW 44.9 billion year-on-year to KRW 421.2 billion. Net income surged significantly year-on-year, driven in part by favorable foreign exchange translation effects as the USD/KRW exchange rate declined at the end of the third quarter.

• Passenger revenue increased by KRW 496.3 billion year-on-year to KRW 2.9174 trillion in Q3. While outbound travel demand from Korea softened slightly due to fuel surcharges and a weak Korean Won, passenger revenue grew driven by strong inbound traffic and transit demand via Incheon. The airline also actively captured summer peak season demand by expanding capacity across routes to the Americas and Japan.

• Cargo revenue totalled KRW 1.4323 trillion, up KRW 365.6 billion year-on-year. The sector maintained strong growth driven by steady demand for high-value AI and semiconductor components. Profitability was maximized by proactively adjusting capacity to regional market demand fluctuations.
  
  

• Looking ahead to Q4, fuel cost pressures are expected to persist due to the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. The passenger business plans to enhance profitability by focusing on inbound and transit traffic. The cargo business aims to maximize revenue through flexible capacity deployment, to capitalize on the traditional year-end peak season and sustained demand for AI and semiconductor sectors.

• Ahead of the December 17 integration, Korean Air is aligning its service protocols to ensure operational excellence across its expanding global network.

<Q3 2026 Results (Non-consolidated)>

* Unit: KRW billion (USD million)

KRW/USD exchange rate: 1,358.4

		2026	2025	Remarks
Revenue	Q3	5,044.8 (3,713.8)	4,008.5 (2,950.9)	+26%
	YTD	14,579.8 (10,733.1)	11,950.3 (8,797.3)	+22%
Operating Profit	Q3	421.2 (310.1)	376.3 (277.0)	+12%
	YTD	1,199.9 (883.3)	1126.2 (829.1)	+7%
Net Income	Q3	929.7 (684.4)	91.9 (67.7)	+912%
	YTD	1,075.1 (791.4)	681.0 (501.3)	+58%

About Korean Air

Serving the world for more than 55 years, Korean Air is one of the world's top 20 airlines, carrying more than 25 million passengers in 2025. With its global hub at Incheon International Airport (ICN), the airline serves 116 cities in 39 countries on five continents with a modern fleet of 166 aircraft and over 20,000 professional employees.

Tags: Korean Air