Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 35: Chinese Airlines Show Stress

Is China’s slowing economy taking its toll on the country’s Big Three carriers? So far Air China, China Eastern and China Southern have held up well and posted a rather good 2015. But the fourth quarter of 2015 showed some signs of deterioration—even by the standards of this off-peak quarter. In the U.S., Alaska Airlines and Virgin America are, unlike a lot of mergers in the past, merging from a position of strength. But is that a good thing? Delta’s upcoming first quarter earnings report will surely be terrific and begs the question: Does the U.S. airline industry have an off-peak quarter anymore? Air New Zealand has some shares of Virgin Australia they want to sell you, Air France/KLM is looking for a new CEO, and we finish the show with our first lightning round of 2016.