China Southern Plans to Have 1,000 Aircraft by 2020

According to Routes Online, China Southern Airlines plans to expand its fleet to 1,000 jets by 2020, and 2,000 aircraft by the end of 2035. As of Jun. 30, the airline owns a fleet of 786 aircraft.

Earlier this week, Mr. Wan Geng Tan, the President of China Southern Airlines told the World Routes Conference that: “China’s aviation market is growing rapidly, it driven by outbound tourism. The growth rate of outbound tourist is 20 percent in the past years and there could be reached 200 million tourists by 2020, 50 percent of the Chinese tourist are tending to take China-based airlines, this provides us with plenty  of opportunities for development.”

As a result of the rapid expansion, more widebody aircraft will be needed in the near future. Currently, the airline’s fleet is made up of 12 percent widebody aircraft and the airline plans to expand this number to 15 percent by 2020.

Tan said: “The airline tends to cooperate with the budget carrier even the business model and the management are totally different, the mainstream airlines need in partnership with them and China Southern Airlines is looking into the possibility of establishing [a] joint venture. The airline is facing a stiff competition with the international airlines and low-cost carriers are fighting for a market share.”

Also, Tan has revealed that the airline is planning to expand its route map to destinations in Latin America and Africa in the next three years, most likely in Brazil and Argentina. In Africa, the expansion of the airline will be in line with China’s “One Belt One Road” policy to deepen relations with its allies. In addition, the airline plans to increase the frequencies on flagship routes to New York, London, and Paris.

Beijing Daxing Airport, set to open in late 2019, will become the largest airport in the world. Tan said Daxing Airport will become the second hub of the carrier.

According to a report from the online travel agent Ctrip and China Tourism Academy, Chinese tourists made more than 71.3 million trips in the first half of 2018, a 15 percent surge year over year.

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Will Lee

A writer from Hong Kong

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