KLM has said that despite it carrying more passengers and seeing its overall revenues increase, it remains in a period of profit decline due to rising operational costs, and is “a long way” from seeing a recovery in its earnings.
The Dutch carrier has reported third quarter operating profits of €341m, down by €54m on the same three-month period last year. For the first nine months of 2025, KLM’s operating profits were down by €26m, year-on-year, at €339m. Revenue for the nine months was up 4% to €9.9bn, thanks to the airline increasing capacity.
Overall, the airline said it remains under pressure due to “persistently high costs and operational challenges.”
While its Back on Track improvement programme is on target and fuel prices have fallen, this has not led to a structural recovery.
The airline said the latest results show the need for “sustained cost saving initiatives.”
Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM, commented: “Once again, we’ve carried more passengers, and our revenue has increased slightly. However, high costs and operational challenges continue to trouble us. Our ‘Back on Track’ programme is delivering results, but we still have a long way to go. We need to steer decisively and make clear choices to get KLM structurally back on track and ensure we can continue investing in our future.”
On a group-wide basis, Air France-KLM – which covers the two iconic brands and Dutch low-cost carrier Transavia – posted a near 3% year-on-year rise in third quarter revenues to €9.2bn, with operating profit €23m ahead of last year at €1.2bn.
