China Southern Airlines refocuses on presence in Sri Lanka
Thursday, 27 June 2013 00:44
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Hemas Transportation, through its subsidiary Discover the World Marketing Sri Lanka, announced that they would launch China Southern Airlines to the Sri Lankan market, through its General Sales Agency agreement with China Southern Airlines.
China Southern transported more than 80 million passengers in 2011, ranking as the carrier first in Asia, third in the world and topping all Chinese airlines for 33 consecutive years. Today, China Southern is the world’s largest four star-ranked airline with operating hubs at Guangzhou and Beijing International Airport.
“This agreement clearly demonstrates China Southern’s strategy of always exploring new methods to expand sales coverage and services. China Southern and Discover Sri Lanka will work together to offer sales and promotional support to identified travel agencies to strengthen the airline’s existing efforts,” said Kasturi Wilson, Managing Director of Hemas Transportation.
The Sri Lankan market has increased to China over the last few years. This market is largely for trade and commerce but the tourism market to China is also expanding. The Canton fair in particular, which is held in the home base of China Southern, attracts over 2,000 Sri Lankan visitors annually.
“We will continuously seek innovative ways to serve our customers with the value of China Southern’s unmatched products and services to expand these opportunities,” said Wang Quanhua, Vice President of CS Airline’s holding company.
China Southern Airlines has direct frequencies connecting China of which five flights per day are out of Bangkok, Thailand, four flights per day out of Singapore, four flights per day out of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and one daily out of Hong Kong operates to Canton (Guangzhou).
Hence, Sri Lankan travellers can connect to China Southern effectively via Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong with immediate connections to their onward destinations to China.
Discover the World Marketing Sri Lanka is a subsidiary of Hemas Group and a member of the Hemas Transportation sector, which is the largest aviation services company in Sri Lanka. Discover Sri Lanka is also affiliated to Discover USA, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona and part of a worldwide network with 74 offices in 52 countries. Discover the World USA is a large travel representation company with annual client revenues exceeding $ 500 million. The company represents 46 major travel corporations.
China Southern Airlines (CS) operates on more than 660 air routes, with 1,930 flights covering 191 destinations in 33 countries across the globe. The Chinese carrier maintains the highest safety level and the best safety record. It also leads the world in safety management.
With the accumulative 10.37 million hours of safe flight operations and 223 months of aviation safety support, China Southern (not including Xiamen Airlines) continues to have the best safety record in China’s aviation industry.
In its cooperation with Sky Team, China Southern Airlines has a global route network reaching 926 destinations, connecting 173 countries across the world. The China Southern fleet consist nearly 500 modern aircraft including B 777, B 747, B 757, B 737, A 330, A320, A 321, A319, A 300 and Airbus A 380 Superjumbo and Boeing 787 Dreamliner
China Southern Airlines also announced 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.
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 Chinese have become the single biggest source of global tourism income after spending $ 102 billion while travelling abroad in 2012. The total is 40% higher than the year before, and puts them well above the next two highest-spending countries, Germany and the US. The figures come from the UN World Tourism Organisation.
It says higher incomes, looser travel restrictions and a strengthening currency are behind the surge.
“The impressive growth of tourism expenditure from China reflects the entry into the tourism market of a growing middle class from these countries, which will surely continue to change the map of world tourism and that of its airlines.”
