Qantas Earnings Surge to A$2.39 B, Shares Hit Record High

Qantas Airways reported a 15% rise in full-year earnings, posting underlying pretax profit of A$2.39 billion on revenue of A$23.82 billion for the 12 months to 30 June. Statutory pretax profit reached A$2.26 billion and net income A$1.61 billion, beating market expectations on the back of robust leisure and corporate travel demand at home and overseas. The carrier declared a fully-franked final dividend of 16.5 Australian cents a share and a special dividend of 9.9 cents, taking the ordinary payout for the year to 33 cents—the largest in 17 years. Shares jumped about 12.5% to an all-time high of roughly A$12.50, giving the airline its second-best profit result on record. Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Hudson said demand momentum is expected to continue into the first half of fiscal 2026, with domestic unit revenue forecast to grow 3–5% and fuel costs projected at about A$2.6 billion. As part of a fleet-renewal program, Qantas ordered 20 additional Airbus A321XLR aircraft, complementing earlier wide-body and narrow-body commitments. The results arrive as Qantas seeks to repair its reputation after the Australian High Court confirmed a record A$90 million penalty for illegally dismissing 1,800 ground workers during the pandemic. Hudson said the company is implementing cultural changes while balancing investor returns and regulatory scrutiny.