Xinda Securities·2025-12-17 06:47Investment Rating - The investment rating for the airline transportation industry is "Positive" [2][7]. Core Insights - The industry has maintained a high passenger load factor during the off-peak season, with both domestic and international travel thriving. The high load factor and slight recovery in ticket prices suggest a significant improvement in airline unit revenue. The implementation of "anti-involution" measures and the self-regulatory agreement by the China Air Transport Association is expected to reduce malicious low pricing, further supporting ticket price recovery and enhancing airline profitability. Additionally, the decline in oil prices is likely to reduce costs, contributing to further profit growth for airlines. Key airlines to focus on include China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Spring Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines [3][13]. Summary by Sections 1. Investment Recommendations - The industry has seen sustained high passenger load factors since early 2025, with both domestic and international routes performing well. The off-peak season is not as weak as expected, with high load factors and a slight recovery in ticket prices, indicating a potential significant recovery in airline unit revenue. The implementation of self-regulatory measures is expected to mitigate low pricing practices, further supporting ticket price recovery and enhancing airline profitability [3][13]. 2. Off-Peak Passenger Load Factor and Ticket Prices 2.1 Supply and Demand - The capacity growth rate has rebounded, leading to an increase in passenger load factors. In October 2025, the industry’s Available Seat Kilometers (ASK) and Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK) increased by 6.2% and 8.9% year-on-year, respectively, with a load factor of 87.4%, up 2.2 percentage points year-on-year [4][15]. 2.2 Ticket Prices - Ticket prices have weakened in December, with the average domestic ticket price at 839 yuan, down 7.0% year-on-year. The average ticket price for domestic routes, including fuel, was 709 yuan, down 6.2% year-on-year [4][23]. 2.3 Oil Prices and Exchange Rates - The average price of aviation fuel has slightly increased in December, with the domestic aviation fuel price at 6045 yuan per ton, up 3.9% year-on-year. The exchange rate of the Chinese yuan has appreciated against the US dollar, with the exchange rate at 7.0602 yuan per dollar as of December 16, 2025, down 1.78% from the end of 2024 [5][37]. 3. Airline Capacity and Load Factors 3.1 Operational Status - In November, most airlines maintained stable capacity growth, with significant increases in international capacity. The passenger load factors for both domestic and international routes have shown year-on-year improvements, significantly increasing compared to 2019 levels [4][43]. 3.2 Fleet Expansion - In November, Air China and China Southern Airlines each added 7 aircraft, marking the highest net increase among the six major airlines. From January to November, China Southern Airlines, Air China, and China Eastern Airlines saw net increases of 47, 26, and 21 aircraft, respectively [4][7].