World’s Most Valuable Airline Brands  China Southern Ranks 6th, First in China

▲ China Southern Airlines. (Photo / Provided by China Southern Airlines, same for the following)

Reported by Yu Jiayun / Taipei

According to the UK’s The Telegraph, British independent brand evaluation and consulting firm Brand Finance recently released the “2017 Top 50 Most Valuable Airline Brands in the World” ranking, with China Southern Airlines placing sixth and earning an AAA brand rating, ranking first among Chinese airlines.

According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in 2016 China Southern’s fleet exceeded 700 aircraft, maintaining the largest fleet size in Asia and rising to fourth globally. In 2016, the airline safely transported 115 million passengers and completed 2.36 million safe flying hours, maintaining the best safety record in mainland China’s civil aviation industry. As the highest-ranked airline on the list from the mainland, China Southern has leveraged its large fleet to further improve its international route network and accelerate transformation. In 2016, it launched 13 new routes, including Guangzhou–Toronto, Guangzhou–Adelaide, Shenzhen–Sydney, and Shenzhen–Wuhan–Dubai, operating 940 weekly round-trip flights. Additionally, in 2017, it will launch a new Guangzhou–Mexico City route, continuously enriching its international route network.

▲ The A320neo is China Southern Airlines’ latest aircraft model.

▲ Each seat is equipped with a USB power outlet.

In addition to continuously expanding its route network, China Southern is also actively enhancing passengers’ flying experience. The airline plans to use its latest aircraft, the A320neo, on the “Taipei–Shanghai Pudong” route from March 3 to March 25, 2017, providing passengers with a safe, comfortable, and convenient flying experience. The A320neo, one of the world’s best-selling and most efficient single-aisle aircraft, will see China Southern introduce a total of 74 of these planes over the next four years, injecting new vitality into its innovation and transformation efforts.