Mai Gao Zheng Quan·2026-02-26 12:32Investment Rating - The industry rating is "Outperform" [1] Core Insights - Aircraft manufacturers are slowly recovering their production capacity, but the backlog of aircraft orders remains at a historically high level. In January 2026, Boeing delivered 46 aircraft, while Airbus delivered 19. IBA predicts that Airbus will deliver slightly more than 900 aircraft in 2026, and Boeing is expected to deliver around 670 aircraft for the year. The demand for aircraft orders continues to be strong, with backlog levels remaining high [2][7][8]. - The secondary aircraft trading market has been strengthening since the pandemic's impact has diminished. Narrow-body aircraft, particularly the Airbus A320/A321 series and Boeing 737NG series, dominate the market. Demand comes from existing operators, as well as from dismantling traders and spare parts suppliers. The market value and rental levels for wide-body aircraft are also on the rise, driven by high engine overhaul costs and a shortage of maintenance slots. Despite limited availability of aircraft and engines for sale, the overall aircraft trading market is expected to remain strong [2][41]. - Overall, while aircraft manufacturers' production capacity has improved, it still struggles to meet the ongoing demand for aircraft. The aircraft leasing industry is expected to benefit from the tight supply-demand dynamics. The Asia-Pacific aviation market has significant growth potential, providing broader development space for Chinese aircraft leasing companies. Compared to global leasing leader AerCap, Chinese leasing companies are currently undervalued and possess higher order elasticity, making them worthy of attention [2]. Summary by Sections 1. Aircraft Supply Continues to be Tight - Aircraft manufacturers are facing production constraints due to supply chain issues and labor shortages, leading to delivery delays. The backlog of orders remains high, with a total of 15,560 aircraft orders as of the end of January 2026 [2][8]. 2. Civil Aviation Passenger Demand Update - Global aviation passenger traffic growth has slowed, with a year-on-year increase of 5.6% in December 2025, slightly down from 5.8% in November. The load factor was 83.7%, a slight decrease from 83.9% in December of the previous year [13][17]. - International routes are showing steady growth, with international passenger RPK increasing by 7.7% year-on-year in December 2025. The Asia-Pacific region's international passenger traffic remains strong, with a year-on-year growth of 7.5% [20]. 3. Aircraft Leasing Company Dynamics - As of June 30, 2025, Bohai Leasing has the highest number of owned aircraft (628), while China Aircraft Leasing has the least (151). In terms of aircraft orders, Bohai Leasing also leads with 442 orders [39][45]. - The average remaining lease term for China Aircraft Leasing is relatively long at 7.9 years, ensuring long-term stability for the company's leases [48].