China Southern Airlines takes delivery of its newest Boeing 737-800

China Southern Airlines has taken delivery of  its 10th “Next Generation” 737-800 aircraft last week. The new aircraft will be put in operations in China Southern Airlines’ share-holding company - Guizhou Airlines at Longdongbao Airport. The new aircraft marks the first such advanced aircraft for Guizhou Airlines which held a major delivery ceremony today.

On hand for this ceremony was China Southern Airlines’ Mr. Jiang Ping, Vice President as well as local government representatives.

“The delivery of this new aircraft foretells of a strong aviation infrastructure for Guizhou Province and new push for the Western Development of China,” said Mr. Jiang.

The new 737-800 aircraft operated by Guizhou Airlines will offer 167 seats in a two-class configuration, with eight First Class seats and 159 Economy Class seats.

The new 737-800 aircraft will replace the same number of existing 737 series aircraft currently operated by China Southern Airlines and will significantly lower the average age of the airline’s fleet - already one of the youngest civil aviation fleets in China.

Boasting a total population of more than 14.57 Million (1998), Guizhou Province is home to 49 ethnic groups with 48 ethnic minorities with a combined population of 8.22 Million which accounts for 56.45 percent of the total population. Guizhou is rich in raw material industries. Total assets in this sector were worth RMB 36 Billion in 1998, including RMB 8.2 Billion for metallurgy, RMB 7 Billion for nonferrous metals, RMB 600 Million for gold and RMB 16 Billion for the chemical industry.

Guizhou is a rising tourist destination, unique natural scenery with rich ethnic traditions, splendid culture and history as well as pleasant climate draw tourists to the province. Now with more than 120 tourist sites, including national scenic areas of the Huangguoshu Waterfalls, the Dragon Palace, the Golden Brocade Cave, the Red Maple Lake, the Maling River Valley and the Shizhang Cave on the Chishui River, four national nature reserves (the Fanjing Mountain Botanic Garden, the Maolan Karst Primeval Forest, the Chishui Primeval Forest and the bird reserve at Caohai), eight national cultural relic sites and many villages with distinctive ethnic minority customs and ways of life. Guizhou Province's awesome Longgong Caves form a network which passes through some 20 mountains.