Lufthansa has posted a bumper set of annual financial results – including a 25% increase in profits and the highest revenue in the German airline group’s history.
The airline group said it remains upbeat about its prospects, although stressed that the current conflict in the Middle East makes it difficult to provide any earnings outlook at this time.
For 2025, Lufthansa Group – which runs the Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Discover, Lufthansa City and Edelweiss brands – has reported record revenues of €39.6bn, up 5% on the previous year; and operating profits of €2bn, up 25% on the previous year. The airline group carried 135 million passengers last year, 3% ahead of the previous year.
Lufthansa Group Chairman and CEO, Carsten Spohr, said: “Exactly 100 years ago, the first Lufthansa was founded. The values of that time – quality, reliability, and connectivity – continue to make us successful today. Last year we were able to significantly increase the Group’s operating profit and achieved the highest revenue in our history. Our results demonstrate the resilience and stability of the Group. I would like to express my sincere thanks to our guests for their loyalty and to all our employees for their great commitment.
“Lufthansa Airlines’ turnaround programme continues to be a top priority, so that the operational improvements at our core brand will be followed by economic progress this year.
“The war in the Middle East proves once again how exposed air traffic is and how vulnerable it remains, even though the industry is now more resilient to crises than it used to be. The massive concentration of global traffic flows via the Gulf hubs is increasingly proving to be a geopolitical Achilles’ heel. This makes it even more important not to further disadvantage European airlines and hubs. Europe’s sovereignty requires the ability to maintain its own connections to global markets.
“In 2026, we will continue to consistently implement our strategy through internationalization, fleet renewal, and efficiency improvements. Our anniversary year makes us proud of our past – and at the same time commits us to the future. We will continue to consistently expand our position as the leading airline group outside the US.”
Till Streichert, Chief Financial Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said: “Last year was a transition year marked by important turning points: the Turnaround program at Lufthansa Airlines gained momentum, as well as our fleet modernization. Both will continue in 2026 and noticeably benefit our profitability. In the medium term, we want to achieve an Adjusted EBIT margin of eight to ten percent and have taken important steps toward this goal.
“Nevertheless, challenges and uncertainties remain for our company and the entire industry, these days primarily driven by the situation in the Middle East. The crisis there makes it more difficult to provide an earnings forecast at present. Nevertheless, we remain optimistic about the future: we are facing the challenges and for 2026 again expect Adjusted EBIT to significantly increase to prior year.”
