Flag carrier Air China has said it expects to have returned to profitability in 2009, helped by a rebound in domestic passenger demand and lower average fuel prices.
The Beijing-based carrier, which reported a net loss in 2008 said it saw "steady growth" in the air travel market during the year and it was able to cut overall operating costs.
Online Wall Street Journal reports that fuel hedging plans are helping the results. In October, Air China reported a net profit of $55,978 million for the nine months ended Sept. 30, reversing a net loss of $118 million in the year-earlier period, helped by fuel-hedging gains and growth in travel demand.