China's three biggest airlines face 8.5b yuan currency losses

Hong Kong

CHINA'S three biggest airlines are poised to report losses totalling 8.5 billion yuan (S$1.73 billion) from currency swings this year as a weaker yuan proves a drag amid rising traffic and cheaper fuel. The silver lining: The losses are narrowing.

Flagship carrier Air China Ltd may face three billion yuan in foreign exchange losses while China Southern Airlines Co, Asia's biggest by passengers, is looking at a potential hit of four billion yuan and China Eastern Airlines Corp may lose about 1.5 billion yuan, accord…