El Al reaps record-high revenue in third quarter of 2026

El Al’s revenue in the third quarter of 2026 soared to a record high as Israel’s flagship carrier continued to benefit from strong demand for its flights.

The airline’s revenue rose 18 percent to $1.27 billion in the July to September period from $1.07 billion in the corresponding quarter last year. Average revenue earned per seat increased about 7% compared to the same period last year.

El Al says its planes were 95% full on average and seat capacity rose by almost 9% year-on-year. Order backlog as of the end of September stood at $1.1 billion, up 16% from the same period last year.

Net profit during the quarter fell almost 14% to $175 million, down from $203 million over the same period a year earlier. El Al says the decline was largely driven by a one-off charge related to an option plan. The airline will distribute a dividend of $116 million to shareholders.

“El Al concludes the third quarter with top-tier operational performance that surpassed our forecasts despite significant cost increases driven by fuel prices, exchange rate fluctuations, and intensifying competition,” says El Al CEO Levy Halevy. “We continue to see heightened demand for the company’s flights, with a robust order backlog, alongside ongoing fuel price increases in an environment that continues to be characterized by uncertainty.”

Looking ahead, El Al projects ​seat capacity to increase by 10% to 14% in the October-to-December ​quarter.

Local carriers, led by El Al, have been the only airlines reliably flying in and out of Israel, as foreign carriers have repeatedly suspended or delayed flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport amid regional conflicts over the past three years.