The airline said its standalone operating profit reached 421.2 billion won ($315.1 million) in the July-September period, up from 376.3 billion won a year earlier.
Revenue rose 25.8 percent to 5.04 trillion won from 4.01 trillion won, while net profit surged to 929.7 billion won from 91.8 billion won, helped by foreign exchange-related gains.
The stronger revenue came as Korean Air expanded capacity on high-demand routes to the United States and Japan during the summer travel season.
The airline also increased efforts to attract inbound passengers and travelers connecting through Incheon International Airport, offsetting weaker outbound demand from South Korea.
Its cargo business benefited from growing global investment in artificial intelligence, which boosted demand for high-value shipments such as server racks and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
Higher fuel surcharges, introduced in response to rising oil prices, also contributed to revenue growth.
However, operating costs increased sharply amid prolonged geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and elevated fuel prices.
Korean Air's fuel expenses jumped 67 percent to 1.70 trillion won during the quarter from 1.02 trillion won a year earlier.
Despite the increase in operating profit, its operating profit margin narrowed to 8.3 percent from 9.4 percent, reflecting faster growth in expenses than revenue.
Revenue from the airline's air transportation business rose 25 percent to 4.79 trillion won, while its aerospace division recorded a 44.1 percent increase to 250.8 billion won.
The aerospace division handles military aircraft maintenance and upgrades, aircraft component manufacturing and unmanned aircraft development.
On a consolidated basis, including subsidiaries such as Asiana Airlines, Korean Air posted third-quarter revenue of 7.32 trillion won, up 21.4 percent from a year earlier.
Consolidated operating profit more than doubled to 349.2 billion won from 157.5 billion won, while net profit swung to 1.26 trillion won from a loss of 278.1 billion won.
For the first nine months of 2026, however, consolidated operating profit declined 31.2 percent to 659.4 billion won, despite a 13.2 percent increase in revenue to 21.21 trillion won.
The airline warned that geopolitical instability in the Middle East and growing protectionist trade policies could continue to increase uncertainty in global air cargo demand.
Kim Hee-su
Kim Hee-su is a bilingual reporter at AJU Press, covering defense and foreign affairs. Before joining AJP in 2025, she worked at The Korea Times, where she wrote interview stories, including a profile of North Korean defector Kim Gum-hyok, and produced digital content. She also previously worked as a researcher for KBS News 9’s International News Department, supporting correspondents in 10 countries around the world. She graduated from the University of Toronto in Canada with a double major in Book and Media Studies and East Asian Studies.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
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