China Southern Airlines, carried 2.6 Million passengers during last month’s Spring Festival. From January 14 through February 6, China Southern operated…
China Southern Airlines, carried 2.6 Million passengers during last month’s Spring Festival. From January 14 through February 6, China Southern operated 7,342 flights (including 910 additional flights and 200 charter flights), with passenger revenue growing 20% over the same period in 2005, for an average load factor of more than 74%.
On January 25, China Southern once again resumed the airline’s short-hop flights from Guangzhou to Taipei with a Boeing 777 aircraft. In total during the Spring Festival, China Southern operated 12 cross-straights flights – four more than during the groundbreaking 2005 flight operations.
Mr. Liu Shaoyong, President of China Southern Airlines remarked, “compared with last year’s charter flights to and from Taiwan, there have been new breakthroughs in five aspects this year. First, the cities, which are now open for charter flights, have increased from five to six. In addition to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Taipei and Gaoxiong. Xiamen was also opened for cross-straights charter flights this year.”
He added that, “Second, the number of flights has increased. There were a total of 72 flights this year alone; an increase from the 48 flights available in 2005. The seats offered to Taiwanese, by China Southern alone, increased from 1,314 to 4,536. Third, passengers were no longer limited to Taiwan businessmen and their family members (as was the case in 2005) as all Taiwanese holding valid, effective certificates were allowed to purchase tickets. Fourth, this year, the Taiwan authority permitted mainland airlines to send their staff to Taiwan, in advance, to set-up ground preparations and finally, there was an unbroken schedule continuity of flights that passengers could rely on.”
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