BA owner’s profits rise by 20% despite drop in passenger numbers last year

IAG, which owns British Airways, carried 121.6 million passengers in 2025, down from 122 million the previous year. Photograph: John Sibley/Reuters

British Airways’ owner, International Airlines Group, has announced a sharp rise in annual profits to almost £4bn despite a slight fall in passenger numbers in 2025.

Pre-tax profits across IAG increased by 20% to €4.5bn (£3.9bn), with record operating profits on margins of more than 15% at BA and its sister airline Iberia.