Hainan Airlines Holding overtook Spring Airlines to become the most profitable Chinese listed airline in the first nine months of 2025, as all seven publicly traded carriers benefited from record summer travel.

The Haikou-based airline reported a 31% rise in net profit to ¥2.8 billion (≈$393 million) for the nine months ending September 30, compared with the same period last year. Revenue increased 3% to ¥53.4 billion (≈$7.5 billion), according to its Oct. 30 financial report.

China’s civil aviation sector carried a record 147 million passengers during the summer peak from July 1 to August 31, up roughly 4% year-on-year, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.