The Beijing base of China Southern Airlines (CSA) opened for business on Wednesday, marking a "breakthrough" in the firm's bid to build the base into a major aerial hub in the Chinese capital.

 

With a budget of more than 1.09 billion yuan (US$136 million), the base is part of the company's strategy to expand its foothold in the north from its headquarters in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

 

General manager Liu Shaoyong said the airline would improve its domestic air route network and steadily explore the international market in the next five years.

 

The company planned to build up a fleet of Airbus A319, A320, A330 and A380 aircraft to increase flights from Beijing to southwest and east China, and to launch routes from Beijing to Europe and the United States.

 

CSA has a 21 percent share of the Beijing market. From January to September, it carried 6.5 million passengers in and out of the capital.

 

The airline is expected to generate 4.3 billion yuan in revenues from Beijing flights, accounting for around 10 percent of its total revenues.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2006)