U.S. Airline Profits Slump in Early 2026 as Fuel Costs Rise and Passenger Traffic Softens
U.S. scheduled passenger airlines reported near break-even after-tax earnings in the second quarter, with first-half profits declining from a year earlier as higher fuel costs pressured margins. June traffic reached 87.5 million passengers, but enplanements fell 1.4% year over year and 3.7% from the June 2024 record.