China Eastern Airlines (00670) saw its stock price plummet 6.22% during intraday trading on Monday, reflecting significant downward pressure on the aviation sector.

The sharp decline is primarily attributed to soaring jet fuel prices in the Asia-Pacific region, which have surged 16.6% from the previous week and 129.8% compared to the previous month's average. Fuel costs are a critical component for airlines, accounting for roughly one-third of operating expenses for Chinese carriers like China Eastern, which currently have no hedging strategies in place to mitigate these price increases.

Analysts note that the rapid rise in aviation fuel has significantly outpaced the global benchmark Brent crude oil. J.P. Morgan maintains a cautious outlook on Chinese airlines, suggesting that sustained high oil prices could lead to losses or break-even results for major carriers in 2026, adding to the negative sentiment surrounding the stock.