China Southern & Emirates Working Together for a More Prosperous Future

On January 31, 2019, China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “China Southern”) and Emirates signed a Memorandum of Understanding and a Codeshare Cooperation Agreement in Guangzhou. The two parties also announced that they will further strengthen business cooperation to provide passengers with seamless travel services of better quality.

Under the plan subject to governmental approval, the two parties will officially start codesharing on 18 routes from March 31 2019, including Guangzhou-Dubai flights operated by both airlines, flights from Guangzhou to Fuzhou, Chongqing, Kunming, Xiamen, Qingdao, Chengdu, Nanjing and Xi’an operated by China Southern, and from Dubai to Cairo, Mahe Island(Seychelles), Lagos, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Kuwait and Muscat operated by Emirates. Through connecting networks, China Southern’s passengers can conveniently transfer to 3 cities in Africa and 5 cities in the Middle East via Dubai, while Emirates’ passengers to 8 cities in mainland China via Guangzhou. With the codeshare cooperation, China Southern will further improve its network coverage in Africa and the Middle East. Passengers can enjoy seamless transfer services without having to check in for connecting flights.

“Strengthening cooperation is the long-term strategy of China Southern”, said Mr. Han Wensheng, Chief Operating Officer of China Southern Airlines. “Emirates is our first bidirectional partner in the Middle East, and we are very pleased to enter into a codeshare partnership with Emirates. It signifies a key step for China Southern in the process of building new international partnerships. While codesharing is only the start of our cooperation, cooperative opportunities in a wider range of fields such as freight, frequent flyer benefits, lounge access, and airport collaboration will be explored in the future.”

“We’re pleased to establish a partnership with China Southern Airlines, allowing Emirates’ customers to benefit from increased choice, flexibility and ease of connection to different cities across China’s provinces, by connecting in Guangzhou. Today’s signing is especially monumental for Emirates, as it represents the first codeshare agreement between Emirates and a China-based airline. The addition of the eight domestic routes in the initial stage expands our reach in China beyond the three Chinese hub cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimisation & Aeropolitical Affairs. “In addition to enhancing our global network, China Southern’s customers will be able to seamlessly travel to destinations within the Middle East and Africa and beyond on a single ticket.” 

United Arab Emirates is located at the intersection of the “One Belt and One Road”. The codeshare cooperation with Emirates is China Southern’s latest response to the "One Belt and One Road" initiative. China Southern currently operates flights from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Urumqi to Dubai, a key component of its route network, with more than 5,000 seats invested weekly during peak season. China Southern will remain committed to establishing and enhancing cooperation with carriers in countries along the “One Belt and One Road”, and strive to build the “Silk Road in the Air” to drive interconnectivity as well as facilitate exchanges for these countries and their peoples.