Date: 17 September 2024
Broker Name: MIB Securities (Hong Kong) Ltd

Operating Data for August 2024

Air China (753 HK) released its operating data for August 2024, showing positive growth in both capacity and traffic. The company’s passenger capacity, measured by available seat kilometers (ASK), recorded a 12.4% year-on-year (YoY) increase. Meanwhile, passenger traffic, measured by revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), rose by 21.7% YoY.

Breakdown by Routes

• Domestic Routes: Passenger traffic increased by 9.1% YoY.
• International Routes: The most significant growth was seen here, with passenger traffic rising by 79.9% YoY, reflecting strong recovery in international demand.
• Regional Routes: Passenger traffic also showed healthy growth, increasing by 27.3% YoY.

Comparison with Pre-Covid Levels

While international demand recovery was moderate across Chinese airlines, Air China’s international revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) stood at approximately 89% of pre-Covid levels (2019), showing that the airline is still in recovery mode but making steady progress.

Route Expansion

Air China is actively expanding its international and regional routes. Notably, the company has resumed the Shanghai Pudong – Barcelona route, offering three flights per week. This resumption marks a significant step in restoring its international network.