China Southern Airlines Reports June Capacity Dip and Fleet Updates

China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd. (HKEX: 01055) has disclosed its operational data for June 2026.

The group's passenger capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers, saw a year-on-year decrease of 1.18%. This decline was driven by domestic and regional routes, which fell by 3.99% and 5.76% respectively, while international capacity grew by 6.84%.

Passenger traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers, also declined, dropping by 2.48% compared to the same period last year. Domestic and regional traffic decreased by 5.51% and 9.63%, while international traffic increased by 6.39%.

The overall passenger load factor for the month was 84.03%, representing a decrease of 1.13 percentage points from June 2025. The load factor fell for domestic, regional, and international routes by 1.35, 3.39, and 0.35 percentage points, respectively.

Operational Performance in Cargo

In cargo operations, capacity measured in Available Freight Tonne Kilometers decreased by 3.07% year-on-year. Cargo and mail traffic, measured in Revenue Freight Tonne Kilometers, was down 2.18%. The cargo load factor improved, rising by 0.51 percentage points to 55.40%.

Route Network and Fleet Developments

During June 2026, the airline group introduced new key routes, including Guangzhou-Urumqi-Frankfurt-Urumqi-Guangzhou and Fuzhou-Amsterdam-Fuzhou, both operating with a frequency of two weekly flights.

The group expanded its fleet with the addition of eight new aircraft, comprising three A320NEOs, two A321NEOs, one B787-9, one B737-8, and one C919. Concurrently, four aircraft were retired, including one A321, one B787-8, one B737-700, and one B737-800.

As of the end of June 2026, the total fleet size operated by China Southern Airlines stood at 973 transport aircraft.