First 787 Dreamliner to Boost China Southern’s International Development

GUANGZHOU, China - June 2, 2013 - China Southern Airlines , the largest airline in The People's Republic of China and a proud member of SkyTeam, is pleased to announce the delivery of the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to its fleet.

Nine additional 787 Dreamliners are slated for delivery to the China Southern Airlines fleet by the close of 2014.

With today's delivery ceremony here at Baiyun International Airport Guangzhou, China Southern also makes aviation history – becoming the first Chinese airline to own and operate the 787 Dreamliner. In addition to today's delivery of the 787 Dreamliner, China Southern is now the only aviation company in the world to own and operate both the 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A380 superjumbo aircraft concurrently.

The delivery 787 airplane departed from Boeing’s manufacturing base in Seattle the morning of June 1 and arrived in Guangzhou after more than 12-hour flight.

At the delivery ceremony on the airport tarmac, Mr. Tan Wangeng, Party Secretary and General Manager of China Southern Air Holding Company said that the arrival of 787 Dreamliner was, “sensational and would propel China Southern’s strategic transformation in addition to boosting the sound development of the Chinese civil aviation industry.”

China Southern’s 787 Dreamliner features a classic three cabin layout with each aircraft equipped with four First Class, 24 Business Class and 200 Economy Class seating.

After the delivery festivities are concluded, the 787 Dreamliner will undergo a three-day test flight before being put into service on the airline's Guangzhou-Beijing route, starting Thursday June 6.

When the aircraft and air crews are well-prepared for long-distance routes, the Dreamliners will be put into service on China Southern Airlines routes from Guangzhou to Paris, Vancouver, London and Auckland.



“These marvelous new aircraft will make a significant contributions to Guangzhou’s hub construction in addition to being a vital part of our 'Canton Route' services”, said Mr. Tan.

China Southern