China's Q1 Aviation Cargo Volume Up 10.9% YoY; Brokers Highlight Airline Sector Opportunities Ahead of May Day Holiday

Gate News message, April 17 — China’s Civil Aviation Administration held an April safety committee meeting on April 8, highlighting strong first-quarter performance across the aviation sector.

In Q1 2026, the industry completed 3.771 million flight hours (up 5.2% year-over-year), 1.406 million flights (up 3.4%), and 428 billion ton-kilometers of cargo volume (up 10.9%). Passenger traffic reached 200 million (up 6.5%), while the sector maintained stable safety operations.

With Q2 bringing the May Day holiday and Dragon Boat Festival, brokers have expressed optimism about airline fundamentals. China Tai Securities notes that for the summer-autumn flight season, domestic carriers’ planned capacity declined year-over-year, reflecting the Civil Aviation Administration’s price-support strategy, while international capacity increased amid favorable visa-free policies and overseas expansion trends. Huatai Securities highlighted that near-term oil price pressures have eased, carriers’ cost pass-through is effective, and valuations are becoming attractive. Looking ahead, the industry remains in a supply-demand improvement cycle, with the three major carriers plus Spring Airlines, Lucky Air, and Air China retiring just 5 aircraft in Q1 (down 0.15% from end-2025), keeping supply growth low. On the demand side, business travel recovery, growing outbound tourism, silver economy travelers, family trips, and holiday effects should support strong performance. Huatai Securities suggests that investors may consider positioning in the aviation sector.

Related Hong Kong-listed airline stocks include China Eastern Airlines (00670), China Southern Airlines (01055), Air China (00753), Cathay Pacific Airways (00293), and China Airlines Information Network (00696).