We know the Hainan flights are averaging around the 70% loads for SLF and much of that take up by CAISSA and party approved Tourists and Chinese students whilst maintaining healthy cargo loads.
We also know Hainan continues to route sizeable SLF loads on non op days through Brussels.
We also know Chinese airlines profitability targets are much lower that comparable western carriers due to the political imperatives placed on them from above indeed from the VERY TOP LEADERSHIP of the PRC -through The Belt and Road Initiative, and the Grand Design strategies and similar regional government imperatives set for the medium term economic growth target.
All of those have aviation as their primary driver right now and not a little amount of Keynesian economics attached me thinks.
It is however noticeable that daily operations haven’t returned after summer season one, however loads have been consistently about 70% or so.
Someone mentioned low take up by UK departing traffic and that many continue to prefer one stop routes via the usual hubs with J traffic particularly taking the time hit to “BENEFIT” from awards or better said advance paid for bribes offered for the higher fares AND inconvenience.
The Chinese aren’t quite a swayed by a a promise of few free miles with strings attached , sandwich and glass of something cold at x2 x5 or even x10 base fares in large numbers yet , unless of course the party is paying the tab one way or another and ALL those will be boarding the traditional communist liveried planes that’s how it works.
In the same breath that person also complains that the lunch time UK departure is in its self somehow more inconvenient !
As for those mid night Beijing departures a very sizable slice of the EU bound flights depart at this time, and allow for a host of inbound Chinese cities to funnel in both SLF and boxes to be loaded west.
The long hold on Shanghai looks to be easing from my sources as the Air China and China Eastern war is side stepped in a very Chinese way.
The new entrant approach - let’s pretend Juneyeo is just such a new entrant for a minute............
Oh news flash its really just another Air China shell - As usual the CAAC will ignore that technicality I am sure.
And who has the current Shanghai - Manchester traffic rights ! Problem solved me thinks .
See you in the spring of 2020 !
MANTRA Chinese aviation ain’t all it appears in its multi coloured differing named carriers and certainly isn’t a western profit driven business model.