Hainan Airlines 3Q net profit nearly doubles

China’s Hainan Airlines reported a Q3 net profit of CNY1.7b (US$251m), nearly doubled from a net income of CNY887.3m in the year-ago quarter. Operating revenue climbed 18.1% to CNY11.8b against a 5.3% increase in operating expenses to CNY9.9b. Industry analysts cited continuous market demand growth and lower fuel prices as the main reasons for the Haikou-based carrier’s much-improved performance. China’s big three carriers also posted third-quarter net profit improvements: China Southern reported a third-quarter net profit of CNY3.3b, nearly tripled from the year-ago quarter. Air China reported a net profit of CNY3.8b, up 62% year-over-year while China Eastern reported a Q3 net profit of CNY3.5b, up 95.5% from the year-ago quarter.<br/>