0340 GMT - Chinese airlines face strong travel demand leading up to the Lunar New Year holiday amid soft airfares, HSBC analysts say. They note booking volumes for long-distance destinations have risen by high double digits on year, citing Trip.com data. HSBC projects the three major Chinese airlines, Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines, will report profit for 2025, but notes it is less bullish than consensus given headwinds. HSBC reckons that any push by airlines to raise prices could hurt travel momentum due to subdued Chinese consumer sentiment. It also thinks high-speed rail poses intense competition to air travel, while yuan weakness against the dollar may be another downside risk. In the near term, rising oil prices could weigh on airlines' 1Q earnings despite booming holiday traffic, HSBC adds. (hoishan.chan@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 22, 2025 22:40 ET (03:40 GMT)
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