China's Hainan Airlines reports surging passenger transport volume in H1

BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Ltd. (Hainan Airlines), one of China's major air carriers, saw soaring passenger traffic in the first six months of the year, according to the company's mid-year report.

In the first six months of 2023, Hainan Airlines transported 28.46 million passengers, a remarkable surge of 173.9 percent from the previous year. The company also saw its total transport turnover grow 133.38 percent year on year to 4.62 billion tonne-kilometers, data from Hainan Airlines shows.

The report also reveals that the company's operating revenue was over 27.63 billion yuan (about 3.85 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of the year. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange losses, Hainan Airlines said it achieved profitability during the period.

The airline also reported significant recovery in its international routes, with key operational data seeing remarkable growth. Its passenger transport volume skyrocketed 2,280.23 percent year on year, and its revenue passenger kilometers surged 1,475.05 percent year on year.

As of Aug. 30, Hainan Airlines operated over 100 regional and international routes this year, including flights to 31 foreign cities.