Spring Airlines Leads China’s Listed Carriers in Profit and Salaries

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Spring Airlines maintained its position as the most profitable publicly traded airline in China last year. It also paid the highest average salary per employee among listed carriers, according to recent financial reports. The industry’s financial results showed improved performance for publicly listed airlines in 2025, with several airlines returning to profitability. Spring Airlines reported a net profit of 2.3 billion yuan (roughly $340 million), marking a 2% increase from the previous year and securing its top spot for the second consecutive year. Juneyao Airlines ranked third, with a net profit of 1 billion yuan (around $147 million), which was a 14% increase.

Among listed airlines, Spring Airlines also recorded the highest average annual employee salary at 427,100 yuan (approximately $62,797). Juneyao Airlines followed, with an average labor cost of 334,000 yuan per employee. It was noted that many Spring Airlines workers not only earn some of the highest salaries in the industry but also benefit from indirect shareholdings that allow them to partake in the company’s profits. At the time of the company’s listing, its four main shareholders were all individuals, mostly executives and key personnel from Spring Airlines and Shanghai Spring International Travel Service Group. This incentive structure has played a significant role in motivating employees and helping the airline sustain strong profitability even after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interestingly, the airline’s highest-paid employees were not the top executives. In the airline sector, senior flight staff often earn more than corporate managers. The 2025 financial report revealed that the company’s three highest-paid executives—two vice presidents and a chief pilot—each received annual salaries over 2 million yuan (around $294,068), making them the highest-paid among listed airline executives. All three have flying backgrounds and are classified as flight personnel, earning more than the airline’s chairman and president.

Last year, the chairman received an annual compensation of 1.1 million yuan (approximately $162,284), while the president earned 1.5 million yuan (roughly $220,482). Only a few other airline executives earned over 2 million yuan annually, including Zhu Tao, chairman of Hainan Airlines Holding, who made 2 million yuan, and Yu Chengji, president of Juneyao Airlines, with a total yearly compensation of 2.2 million yuan.