Shenzhen Airlines introduces 3rd point to China

Flies Quanzhou, considers Kalibo and Cebu as next stop
September 5, 2009

Shenzhen Airlines, the 5th biggest airline in China, announced the launching of its third point in China after Nanning and Shenzhen, to Quanzhou in September 21, 2009.

The airline controlled by Shenzhen Huirun Investment Co. and Yiyang Co. Ltd.,was launched in 1993 by the local government of Shenzhen before it was privatized in 2005.

Shenzhen Airlines started flying to Manila in October 2007. It will fly Quanzhou four times a week with departure at 11AM for Manila and return flight at 2PM.

The airline uses 115 fleets of boeing 737's and Airbus 320's that carried 15 million passengers in 2008 and employs more than 12,200 employees.

"With our national network in place we are now developing international flight routes in Northeast and Southeast Asia. We now fly to Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam, Singapore, Osaka and the Philippines. There will be more coming. The international operations now are focused on Southeast Asia" said Li Kun, the airline President.

Li Kun, who spent 27 years at China Southern Airlines before joining Shenzhen in December 2005 said they will open Kalibo and Cebu as part of its route network expansion after CAAC granted them more rights to fly the Philippines from the latest Air Services Agreement with China.

"We will open more international routes from China to Manila and we are also considering flying to Kalibo and Cebu on regular flight" says Li on the launching of Jinjiang flight, Shenzhen Airlines first regular scheduled flight to the country.

More than 160,000 Chinese visited the Philippines last year, pushing China as a major emerging market just behind the United States, Japan and South Korea, according to the data provided by the Department of Tourism.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said the launch of direct air links reflects "a growing demand" from the Chinese market, a stable source of tourists in time of the global crisis.