Low Fuel Prices Help Air China Nearly Double Profits

Air China said on Thursday its net profit jumped 98.1 percent from a year earlier in the first nine months thanks to lower fuel price and robust travel demand.

Air China made 6.28 billion yuan (US$988.17 million) in January-September, in line with its own forecast. It made 3.17 billion yuan a year earlier, according to a stock exchange filing.

Air China's Hong Kong-listed shares closed down 2.14 percent on Thursday ahead of the results, lagging a 0.6 percent drop in the Hang Seng Index.

China Eastern Airlines also reported strong 9-month results, while China Southern Airlines expected to more than triple its earnings during the period due to lower fuel costs.