Expedition to Paris of Enterprises from the GBA | This "Civil Aviation Giant" is staging a comeback!

As the Olympic season concluded, one airline stands out in the fierce industry competition. To ensure everyone has the chance to fully enjoy the Olympics, they've increased their Guangzhou to Paris direct flights to a daily service. The enterprise in question is China Southern Airlines! The history of this Guangzhou-Paris route goes back further than you might imagine. In 2004, China Southern Airlines launched its first direct passenger flight from Guangzhou to Paris. As of February this year, they've operated over 11,000 flights on this route. It's fair to say that China Southern has bonded with France with frequent flight service.

But France isn't China Southern's only focus. Looking at its international routes map, the airline now operates a total of 1,327 routes, with approximately 3,000 flights to over 40 countries and regions every day. In 2023, China Southern transported 142 million passengers and handled 1.585 million tons of cargo and mail. In the first quarter of 2024, China Southern Air Logistics, a subsidiary of the airline, transported nearly 2,800 tons of cargo to countries along the Belt and Road Initiative from Beijing Daxing International Airport, setting a new record since the airport's opening. Through these routes, Chinese consumers can now enjoy cherries from Chile and Tajikistan, while Chinese-made products reach more international markets.

What's also worth mentioning is, following the listing of China Eastern Air Logistics and the IPO of Air China Cargo, the IPO application of China Southern Air Logistics was accepted by the Shanghai Stock Exchange in December 2023, one step closer to the listings of the logistics sectors of China's three major airlines on the A-share market. In the competition for the title of "China's Leading Airline," China Southern Airlines often trades the top spot with Air China.

What supports China Southern Airlines' decisive position in the civil aviation industry, isn't just about seniority, but about solid capabilities. Looking at its history, China Southern Airlines was established in 1991, yet quickly became an industry pioneer. The Guangzhou-Los Angeles direct flight launched in 1997 was the world's first non-stop commercial flight across the Pacific using a twin-engine aircraft. China Southern Airlines also pioneered the first electronic ticket, the first electronic boarding pass, and the first electronic invoice for the aviation transportation industry in China.

However, development isn't always smooth sailing, there are inevitably ups and downs. The global aviation cooled after the COVID-19 pandemic, making it a challenging time for airlines worldwide. Since turning from profit to loss in 2020, China Southern Airlines has seen a continuous decline in performance, with billion-yuan losses for three consecutive years. 2022 marked China Southern's worst performance in 20 years of listing, with an annual net loss of 32.68 billion yuan.

After the pandemic, with the introduction of favorable policies, global civil aviation gradually entered the "defrost" stage. In 2023, the total number of air passengers handled in China reached 620 million, with a year-to-year growth of 146%. The industry recovery has allowed China Southern to regain ground. In the first quarter of 2024, the airlines' net profit reached 756 million yuan, turning a loss into a profit year-on-year.

This recovery has been accompanied by bold moves from China Southern this year. In April, the airline invested 71.64 billion yuan to purchase 100 C919 planes from COMAC for commercial use. In early June, China Southern partnered with EHang to explore "air taxis," and marched into the low-altitude economy market.

Looking at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, where China Southern is headquartered, a new world-class airport cluster is rapidly emerging. Currently, the Greater Bay Area has 7 transport airports and 12 runways, handling about 180 million passengers in 2023, with a cargo and mail throughput of 8.030 million tons. By 2035, it's projected that the total number of air passengers will reach 420 million, and cargo and mail throughput will exceed 20 million tons.

Realizing the Greater Bay Area's development blueprint requires the support of many civil aviation enterprises, including China Southern. Today, the "Greater Bay Area on Routes Map" is taking shape, promising a bright future for this world-class aviation hub!

出品：南财国际传播中心 21新媒体中心 创意互动中心

策划统筹：于晓娜 丁青云

内容统筹：谭婷 谢珍

责任编辑：金珊

执行统筹：黄欣然 

设计统筹：林军明

视频统筹：白宇航

监制：施诗

英文翻译&配音：李莹亮

海外运营监制: 黄燕淑

海外运营内容统筹: 黄子豪

运营支持：曾静娇

审校：魏雯静 蒋韵 黄志明