China Eastern Airlines vs HNA Group
China Eastern Airlines holds the stronger position because its operations are largely shielded from AI replacement and copying, while HNA's core airline unit sits inside a wind-down shell with a much thinner defense against rivals.
China Eastern Airlines
State-backed Chinese carrier flying at a loss while rivals turn a profit
HNA Group
Former Chinese conglomerate, now a creditor-owned shell after its businesses were sold off
Dimension by dimension
| Dimension | China Eastern Airlines | HNA Group |
|---|---|---|
| Staying power of the core product | China Eastern keeps flying at scale, carrying about 150 million passengers in 2025, up from 140.57 million the year before. | HNA Group itself is being wound down; only its airline arm, Hainan Airlines, continues under new owner Fangda. |
| Exposure to AI absorbing the product | China Eastern's flying business is unlikely to be absorbed by AI. | HNA's airline business is only partly shielded from AI absorbing parts of what it offers. |
| How easily a giant could copy them | China Eastern's position is blocked from easy copying by a giant. | A larger player could likely copy what Hainan Airlines does. |
| Pressure from rivals | China Eastern faces pressure from China Southern's bigger domestic capacity and from high-speed rail pulling short-haul travelers, giving it more direct rival exposure than Hainan Airlines. | Hainan Airlines faces pressure from Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern's larger state-backed networks. |
| Competitive protection overall | Despite its financial troubles, China Eastern's scale and market position give it stronger overall competitive protection than HNA. | HNA's thin defenses as a wind-down entity leave its airline unit with weaker overall protection than China Eastern. |
| Financial footing | China Eastern posted FY2025 revenue of RMB139.94bn but a net loss of RMB1.95bn, though that loss narrowed from RMB4.8bn in 2024. | Hainan Airlines Holding posted FY2025 revenue of RMB68.47B and a net profit of RMB1.98B, though about 53% of that profit came from non-recurring items. |
Questions people ask
- Is HNA Group still operating as an airline?
- HNA Group itself is a wind-down shell, but its airline arm, Hainan Airlines, continues to operate under new owner Fangda. China Eastern, by contrast, remains a full state-backed carrier flying at scale.
- Which Chinese airline is more profitable, Hainan Airlines or China Eastern?
- Hainan Airlines Holding reported a net profit of RMB1.98B for FY2025, though over half of that came from non-recurring items. China Eastern posted a net loss of RMB1.95bn for the same period, though the loss narrowed from RMB4.8bn the year before.
- Can AI replace what HNA or China Eastern do?
- HNA's airline business is only partly shielded from AI absorbing parts of its offering, while China Eastern's flying business is unlikely to be affected by AI at all.
- Could a big tech company copy Hainan Airlines or China Eastern?
- A larger player could likely copy what Hainan Airlines does, while China Eastern's position is described as blocked from easy copying.
Other comparisons with these companies