The Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) share price is in focus today after the company posted a statutory profit after tax of $1.29 billion and declared a final fully franked dividend of 19.8 cents per share for FY26.
Image source: Getty Images
What did Qantas Airways report?
- Underlying Profit Before Tax: $2.06 billion, down $330 million from FY25
- Statutory Profit After Tax: $1.29 billion, down $316 million
- Final dividend: 19.8 cents per share (fully franked), total FY26 dividends $600 million
- Underlying earnings per share: 96 cents, down 14 cents
- Net capital expenditure: $4.0 billion, up 3%
- 17 new aircraft delivered during the year
What else do investors need to know?
Qantas continued to invest heavily in new aircraft and training facilities, marking the largest fleet renewal in its history. The group opened a new training centre in Mascot as part of a $100 million upgrade.
Around 25,000 eligible non-executive employees will each receive $1,000 in Qantas shares, following another year of meeting financial targets. Qantas Loyalty delivered strong results, with a 12% increase in underlying EBIT and record engagement from frequent flyers.
Net debt increased to $6.2 billion, remaining within management's target range. The Board cancelled a planned $150 million share buy-back as part of its capital management.
What did Qantas Airways management say?
Commenting on the results, Qantas' CEO, Vanessa Hudson, said:
This has been another year of progress, with customer satisfaction at its highest in a decade and world-leading operational performance, even as the aviation industry faced record high fuel costs and disruption from the conflict in the Middle East. We came through it with a strong result, which is what allows us to continue investing in the largest fleet renewal in our history and deliver more for our customers, people and shareholders.
What's next for Qantas Airways?
Qantas expects domestic and international travel demand to remain resilient, with capacity growth and new routes on the horizon in FY27. The group will receive its first Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR in April, and the first non-stop Sydney-London flight will launch in October.
Management forecasts unit revenues to grow by 8–10% in the first half of FY27, despite ongoing pressure from elevated fuel prices. Qantas Loyalty earnings are expected to increase by 5–7% next year, and investment in new aircraft and employee training will continue.
Qantas Airways share price snapshot
Over the past 12 months, the Qantas Airways share price has underperformed the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) with a decline of almost 20%.
