华夏航空(002928)：盈利启航 支线龙头构建细分壁垒

Core Viewpoint - The company is reaffirmed with a "Buy" rating and a target price of 12.55 yuan, corresponding to a 22x PE for 2025, indicating strong growth potential in the regional aviation market [1] Short-term Outlook - The fleet is expected to expand to 75 aircraft by the end of 2024, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3% from 2019 to 2024 [2] - The number of captains is improving, reaching 300 by the end of 2024, with the ratio of captains per aircraft recovering to 82% of 2019 levels [2] - Enhanced fleet turnover efficiency is anticipated to drive significant profit growth in 2025 and 2026, alongside government subsidies and improved revenue levels [2] Mid-term Outlook - The new government subsidy policy for regional airlines is expected to significantly increase unit hour subsidies, benefiting the company's profitability [2] - Other revenues are projected to reach 1.29 billion yuan and 360 million yuan in Q1 2024 and Q1 2025, respectively, reflecting year-on-year increases of 144.8% and 47.8% [2] - The company is expected to benefit from favorable trends in oil prices and exchange rates, leading to a continued recovery in single aircraft profitability [2] Long-term Outlook - The company has established a strong position in the challenging regional aviation market, with 84% of its routes being independent flights by 2024 [3] - The company holds a 21% market share in the regional market for cities below the third tier, leading the industry [3] - The demand for regional air travel is expected to grow, supported by local government initiatives to enhance regional connectivity and the construction of new airports [3] Market Perspective - The market underestimates the barriers to entry in the regional aviation sector and overestimates potential competition from traditional airlines [4] - The regional aviation market remains a blue ocean, with 185 regional airports handling fewer than 2 million passengers, indicating significant untapped demand [4] Profit Forecast and Valuation - The company's net profit forecasts for 2025-2027 have been slightly adjusted to 729 million, 1.141 billion, and 1.342 billion yuan, respectively, with a CAGR of 71.1% [5] - The target price has been raised to 12.55 yuan, based on a revised average PE multiple of 22x for comparable companies [5]