China's three top airlines still in the red despite sector recovery

Regulator warns that excess competition is eating into earnings

20250715 Air China and China Southern Airlines

Air China and China Southern Airlines receive narrow-bodied C919 aircraft, manufactured by state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, in Shanghai last August. Both carriers, along with China Eastern Airlines, have reported losses for the first half of the year. © AP

KENJI KAWASE

July 15, 2025 17:29 JST

TOKYO -- China's big three state-owned airlines continued to report net losses for the first half of the year even as regional peers show signs of recovery.

While the three carriers cite various factors for their losses, China's top regulator has cautioned that airlines need to address excessive competition among themselves, which has eaten into their earnings.