Chang Jiang Shang Bao·2026-01-05 00:18Core Viewpoint - The recent announcements from multiple Chinese airlines regarding the purchase of A320 series aircraft indicate a strong recovery in the civil aviation industry, reflecting confidence in future market prospects and a willingness to invest in fleet expansion and optimization [9]. Group 1: Aircraft Purchases - China National Airlines (Air China) has signed an agreement with Airbus to purchase 60 A320NEO aircraft for approximately $9.53 billion (about 66.6 billion RMB), with deliveries scheduled between 2028 and 2032 [2][3]. - Other airlines, including Juneyao Airlines, Spring Airlines, and Huaxia Airlines, have also announced purchases of 25, 30, and 3 A320 series aircraft, respectively, totaling 118 aircraft with a combined value of approximately 127 billion RMB [2][9]. - The A320 series is noted as one of the best-selling aircraft models globally and the most widely used single-aisle aircraft in China [3]. Group 2: Financial Performance - For the first three quarters of 2025, Air China reported a revenue of 129.83 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 1.31%, and a net profit of 1.87 billion RMB, up 37.31% [5]. - The company has indicated that the recent increase in revenue is attributed to improved cost control measures [6]. - Air China plans to raise up to 20 billion RMB through a targeted A-share issuance to repay debts and improve liquidity, addressing its high debt-to-asset ratio, which stood at 87.88% as of September 2025 [6]. Group 3: Market Outlook - The collective aircraft purchases by multiple airlines are seen as a significant signal of the civil aviation industry's recovery, suggesting that airlines believe they have moved past challenging times and are entering a new growth phase [9]. - The planned acquisitions are expected to enhance the operational capacity of these airlines, supporting their strategic goals, including international expansion [7].