China Southern Airlines (中国南方航空) is an airline based in Guangzhou in the Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China. Its main operations hub is at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, although some of its international flights operate from Beijing Capital International Airport.

Code Data

• IATA Code: CZ
• ICAO Code: CSN
• Callsign: China Southern

History

China Southern Airlines acquired Zhongyuan Airlines in 2000, and China Northern Airlines and China Xinjiang Airlines in 2003.

In 2004, the company achieved a turnover of around 40 million passengers, becoming one of the top ten passenger carriers in the world. Among all Chinese airlines, it boasts the largest fleet with the most bases, most extensive domestic networks and highest flight frequencies. Renowned for its excellent passenger services, the airline has won Five-star Diamond Award for flight services and has been honoured as China's best airline by TTG Asia Magazine.

Since 2003, China Southern Airlines acquired China Northern Airlines and China Xinjiang Airlines , became one of the largest civil aviation groups of China.

It signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 28, 2004 with SkyTeam Alliance, which it will then be able to join, thus becoming the first mainland Chinese airline to enter a global airline alliance.

Incidents and Accidents

• November 24, 1992, China Southern flight CZ3943, a Boeing 737 jetliner (Reg. B-2523) crashed in to a hill near Guilin, Guangxi, killing all 141 on board, due to an engine thrust malfunction.
• May 8, 1997, China Southern flight CZ3456, a Boeing 737 jetliner (Reg. B-2925) crashed on approach into Shenzhen's Huangtian Airport killing 35, with 9 injured.
  

Services

see China Southern Airlines destinations

Fleet

The China Southern Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (at March 2005):

• 1 Airbus A300B4
• 9 Airbus A319-100 (further 3 on order)
• 26 Airbus A320-200 (further 1 on order)
• 5 Airbus A321-200
• 2 Airbus A330-200 (further 2 on order)
• 26 Boeing 737-300
• 12 Boeing 737-500
• 8 Boeing 737-700
• 12 Boeing 737-800
• 2 Boeing 747-200
• 21 Boeing 757-200
• 10 Boeing 777-200
• 3 Embraer ERJ-145
• 23 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
• 12 McDonnell Douglas MD-90

Delivery of the first Airbus A330-243 to China Southern Airlines took place on 25 February 2005, with the second in March 2005. It is the first operator of the type in China and has a further two on order due for delivery in the first half of 2005. The aircraft seats 266 passengers and will be operated mainly on medium and long range routes, including some possible new international routes.

China Southern Airlines has agreed a leasing deal for 9 Boeing 737-800 from GECAS for 7 years, with deliveries to be completed by February 2006 (ref: Airliner World, March 2005).

An agreement has been signed with Airbus for the purchase of 5 Airbus A380-800 aircraft for delivery in time for the 2008 Olympics. It is the first committment for the type from a Chinese carrier. China Southern has also signed initial agreement for the purchase of 13 Boeing 787 aircraft, of which 3 would be for its affiliate Xiamen Airlines. The aircraft would be delivered between 2008 and 2010 (ref: Airliner World, April 2005).

External Links

• China Southern Airlines
• China Southern Airlines Fleet Detail
• China Southern Airlines Passenger Opinions