Flight Centre targets full-year profit growth after 'positive' Q1 trading

The news: Travel agency Flight Centre said it is targeting underlying profit before tax between $305 million and $340 million in FY26 — marking 5.5% to 17.6% growth year on year — with profit tracking "slightly ahead" of FY25 after the first four months of the year.

The numbers: Flight Centre said it is "comfortable" with its previous forecast of first-half underlying profit before tax being "broadly in line" with the prior year's result of $119.7 million.

The company has seen 7% in total transaction value growth during the first quarter, with a 5% reduction in headcount.

The context: Flight Centre also noted it had secured a "solid" pipeline of new account wins and a return to "modest" profit in Asia. Its leisure segment was impacted by cyclical tailwinds from Q4 FY25, with growth in US bookings from Australia in October for the first time since the March quarter.