Investment Rating - The investment rating for the airline transportation industry is "Positive" [2]. Core Viewpoints - The industry has maintained a high passenger load factor since the beginning of 2025, with domestic airlines focusing on low growth in capacity while increasing investment in international routes. The supply remains tight with a net fleet growth rate below 3%. The passenger load factor has improved year-on-year and compared to the same period in 2019, particularly in domestic routes. Domestic turnover has shown steady growth, while international turnover has significantly recovered to 2019 levels. Ticket prices have turned positive during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, with demand remaining robust. The fourth quarter is expected to see improvements in year-on-year comparisons due to a low base from the previous year, which will support the recovery of unit revenue for airlines [12][13][36]. Summary by Sections Investment Suggestions - The report suggests focusing on airlines such as China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Spring Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines due to the expected recovery in unit revenue and profitability [13][36]. Passenger Load Factor and Ticket Prices - The passenger load factor remains high, with the industry achieving a load factor of 87.5% in August 2025, up 0.6 percentage points year-on-year and 0.9 percentage points compared to 2019. Domestic turnover increased by 3.5% year-on-year, while international and regional routes have recovered to 100.4% of 2019 levels [15][19]. - Ticket prices have shown a positive trend, with the average domestic ticket price reaching 942 RMB during the National Day holiday, reflecting a year-on-year decrease of only 1.5%. The average ticket price for early October 2025 was up 2.2% year-on-year [4][23]. Oil Prices and Exchange Rates - The average aviation fuel price in October 2025 was 5572 RMB per ton, a slight decrease of 0.1% year-on-year. The Brent crude oil price has also decreased, with an average of 64.25 USD per barrel in October, down 16.7% year-on-year. The Chinese Yuan has appreciated against the US Dollar, with the exchange rate at 7.0968 RMB per USD as of October 16, 2025 [5][36][40]. Airline Operations and Fleet Growth - Airlines have continued to invest in international capacity, with domestic and international passenger load factors remaining high. In September 2025, the domestic load factor for major airlines showed significant year-on-year increases, with China Eastern Airlines leading with a 3.4 percentage point increase compared to 2019 [41][44]. - In terms of fleet growth, Air China had the highest net increase in aircraft in September 2025, adding 5 aircraft, while other airlines also showed modest growth [6][41].

Core Insights - The airline industry is experiencing high passenger load factors and a slowdown in capacity growth, with a focus on increasing international routes [1][4] - Domestic flight turnover has shown steady growth, while international turnover has significantly recovered to pre-pandemic levels [1][4] - Average ticket prices have seen a narrowing decline, indicating potential improvements in revenue per seat for airlines [2][5] Supply and Demand - The industry passenger load factor remains high, with a year-on-year capacity growth slowdown. As of July 2025, the industry’s ASK and RPK increased by 5.5% and 6.1% year-on-year, respectively, with a load factor of 84.5%, up 0.5 percentage points year-on-year [1] - Domestic flight turnover increased by 3.9% year-on-year, while international and regional flights have returned to 100.3% of 2019 levels [1] Ticket Pricing - Average ticket prices for the year-to-date (as of September 15, 2025) are 864 RMB, down 8.8% year-on-year. The average ticket price during the summer travel period in July and August fell by 8.8% and 7.3% year-on-year, respectively, with a narrowing decline in August [2] Fuel and Exchange Rates - The average price of aviation fuel in Q3 decreased by 11.2% year-on-year, with the domestic aviation fuel price dropping to 5545 RMB per ton in September, down 7.6% year-on-year [3] - The Chinese yuan has appreciated against the US dollar, with the exchange rate moving from 7.1884 RMB at the end of 2024 to 7.1027 RMB by September 16, 2025 [3] Operational Performance - From January to August 2025, most airlines saw slight increases in domestic capacity, with Spring Airlines showing a growth rate of 4.7%. The passenger load factor for major airlines has shown significant year-on-year increases, with Eastern Airlines up by 3.5 percentage points [4] - In August, Air China had the highest net increase in aircraft, adding six planes, while other airlines also reported net increases [4] Investment Recommendations - The industry is expected to see improvements in unit revenue due to high passenger load factors and narrowing ticket price declines. The implementation of measures to reduce price competition may further support ticket price recovery [5] - Airlines such as China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Spring Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines are recommended for investment focus [5]

Core Insights - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a 5.5% year-on-year increase in global air freight demand for July 2025, with international demand growing by 6.0% [1] - Air freight capacity also saw a year-on-year increase of 3.9%, with international capacity rising by 4.5% [1] - The demand for air freight in the Asia-North America route decreased by 1.0%, while most major trade routes experienced growth [1] Air Freight Demand and Capacity - Global air freight demand increased by 5.5% year-on-year, while capacity grew by 3.9% [1][3] - The load factor for the overall market improved by 0.7%, reaching 45.1% [3] Regional Performance - Asia-Pacific airlines experienced the highest growth in air freight demand at 11.1%, with capacity increasing by 7.3% [4] - European airlines saw a 4.1% increase in demand and a 4.0% rise in capacity [4] - North American airlines had the slowest growth at 0.7%, with a capacity decline of 0.6% [4] - Latin American airlines reported a 2.4% increase in demand and a 3.8% increase in capacity [4] - Middle Eastern airlines had a 2.6% increase in demand and a 5.9% rise in capacity [4] - African airlines saw a 9.4% increase in demand, but capacity slightly decreased by 0.1% [4] Trade Route Insights - The Europe-Asia trade route experienced a significant growth of 13.5%, marking 29 consecutive months of growth [5] - The Asia-North America route has seen a decline for three consecutive months, with a decrease of 1.0% [5] - The Middle East-Asia route grew by 8.5%, continuing a five-month growth trend [5] - The intra-Asia route also showed strong performance with a 10.3% increase, maintaining 21 months of growth [5]