CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES TO EXPAND WITH FOURTH AUSTRALIA-CHINA SERVICE

China Southern Airlines will introduce a fourth weekly Boeing 777 flight from Australia to Guangzhou (Canton) every Tuesday from 20 November.

The new flight will be the third weekly service by China's largest and most progressive airline on the Melbourne - Sydney - Guangzhou route.

The remaining service is operated between Sydney and Guangzhou.

Ms Annie Ye, China Southern's General Manager Australia, said the new service was part of a long-term strategy by the carrier to increase business, leisure and freight uplift between Australia and China, via the Guangzhou gateway.

Ms Ye said the new fourth frequency utilised the last capacity available to Chinese carriers under the current air services agreement between Australia and China.

"Since we started flying from Melbourne and Sydney late last year we have achieved very encouraging and consistent growth in passenger numbers, and our forward bookings indicate that this trend will continue," said Ms Ye.

"China is on the verge of significant growth," she said. "It is currently enjoying economic growth in excess of seven per cent per annum, will soon become a member of the World Trade Organisation, and is already preparing for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

"We recognise the opportunities which lie ahead, and are moving now to maximise our ability to share in market growth between Australia and China."

China Southern Airlines operates all of its services from Australia with Boeing 777 IGW (Increased Gross Weight) aircraft seating 290 passengers in a three-class cabin - 18 in Business Class, 65 in Premium Economy Class and 207 in Economy Class.

All passengers have a personal video screen and a telephone.

Flight CZ 322 departs Melbourne at 8.10am every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on the 12 hour flight to Guangzhou, via Sydney.

China Southern Airlines departs Sydney at 10.50am every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, arriving in Guangzhou nine hours later at 4.50pm local time.

The four mid-morning Sydney departures are perfectly timed for passengers arriving from elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand, en route to China.

The additional flight will also offer significant new opportunities for freight exports to China, with the morning departures from Melbourne and Sydney connecting with overnight freight flights arriving from around Australia.

From Guangzhou, China Southern offers onward connections to over 68 other Chinese destinations, including B777 services each evening to Beijing and Shanghai.