China Southern Group Realizes Year-round Aviation Safety in 2023
January 2, 2024 - At 21:55 on December 31, 2023, as the CZ3100 flight from Beijing Daxing International Airport landed on time in Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China Southern Group realized year-round aviation safety in 2023.
Throughout the year, China Southern Group completed 2.84 million flight hours in total and is estimated to have transported 142 million passengers safely. It has ensured aviation safety for 290 consecutive months and aviation security for 355 consecutive months, maintaining the best record in Chinas civil aviation industry. Among Chinas major airlines, China Southern Group has been one of the best for eight consecutive years in terms of flight punctuality rate and various service indicators.
In 2023, despite of challenges and pressure, China Southern Group has made new progress and achievements in various aspects including safety, production and operation with pioneering spirit and enterprise.
Implementing national strategies and plans, and facilitating the dual circulation of domestic and international markets
2023 was a significant year for the start of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. Over the past year, China Southern Group firmly implemented national strategies and plans, actively responded to the Belt and Road Initiative, and served the new development paradigm in which domestic and overseas markets reinforce each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay.
In 2023, China Southern Group focused on enhancing market confidence and contributing to regional economic development. It opened a total of 127 new domestic passenger routes, including Guangzhou-Kashgar, Beijing Daxing-Korla, and Beijing Daxing-Yiwu. China Southern Group also made efforts to increase the frequency of existing international flights and resume international routes to promote high-level opening-up. It carried out the first international flight nationwide following the implementation of the new entry policy and opened the first regular commercial air route from Chinas mainland to the South Pacific islands. Moreover, it launched and resumed 92 international and regional passenger routes, such as Beijing Daxing-London, Beijing Daxing-Moscow, Guangzhou-New York, and Guangzhou-Port Moresby， with the aim to contribute to building up Chinas strength in transportation through the companys diversified route network and services featuring affinity and refinement.
China Southern Group has made great efforts to ensure smooth logistics transportation, with a total cargo and mail volume of 1.583 million tons throughout the year. Additionally, China Southern Air Logistics Company Limited accelerated the transformation into a modern comprehensive logistics service provider, introducing three B777F freighters, opening eight all-cargo routes, and operating over 6,000 cargo flights in total throughout the year. With a route network covering more than 1,000 cities in over 170 countries and regions worldwide, China Southern Air Logistics is endeavored to provide high-quality and efficient aviation logistics products, promote economic and cultural integration and exchanges, and cater to peoples aspirations for a better life.
Steadily improving flight operation quality and continuously enhancing brand reputation
Under the philosophy of "civil aviation for the people", China Southern Group kept deepening the construction of an integrated operation management system and optimizing its flight operation with a focus on the sore points and challenges in providing passengers with smooth travel experience. Following the principles of refined operation, precise control and adjustment and lean flying, the company made continuous efforts to enhance fight regularity, improved its collaborative contingency plans for typical weather conditions like typhoons in summer as well as snow and ice in winter, and successfully completed important tasks of supporting major events such as the "Two Sessions", FISU World University Games 2023, and the Asian Games and Asian Para Games 2023.
China Southern Group has been striving to provide "humanized, digitalized, refined, personalized and convenient" services and thoroughly implementing the service philosophy of "affinity and refinement". In 2023, it adopted various measures to minimize flight cancellations, delays, and schedule adjustments. It optimized flight delay warning and handling mechanisms, as well as improved on-site service efficiency for flight delays. Additionally, China Southern Group launched 16 "China Southern Air Shuttle" products to further enhance after-sales service. Special ground services were provided for new passengers at 15 domestic self-operated stations. The check-in cutoff time was reduced to 40 minutes at 18 self-operated stations. The "digital boarding pass" service was offered at 41 domestic airports with annual passenger throughput exceeding 10 million in China.
China Southern Group developed the "Sunshine China Southern" corporate cultural system and brand concept in the new era. It actively promoted fine traditional Chinese culture and observed the core socialist values, launching themed initiatives such as "Poetic Captain", "Mid-Autumn Festival on the Plane", and "Chaozhou Opera in Air". China Southern Group also launched themed passenger planes such as "China-ASEAN Expo" and "Hainan Island International Film Festival", so as to continuously enhance its brand reputation and influence. China Southern Group has received the "Best Airline Award" in the annual Civil Aviation Passenger Service Evaluation (CAPSE) for six consecutive years, ranked the first in the aviation industry in the Chinese Brand Power Index for 13 consecutive years, and been recognized as an AAA-level enterprise in the market quality credit evaluation held by the China Association for Quality for the third time. It also won the 2023 "Five-Star Diamond Award" for airlines granted by the World Brand Lab, and ranked the 12th among Chinese central state-owned enterprises in terms of brand building capabilities and the 6th among the top 50 most valuable airline brands by Brand Finance in 2023, standing at the forefront of the industry.
Shouldering its mission as a central SOE and fulfilling its corporate social responsibilities
China Southern Group has proactively implemented the requirements to meet the "Dual Carbon" goals. In 2023, its fuel consumed per ton kilometer decreased by 2.1% year on year, leading the Chinese civil aviation industry. The company issued a three-year implementation plan for green development and continuously enriched its "green flight" products. Up to now, its "Green Flight" on-demand meal service has been provided for over 11.98 million passengers. In addition, China Southern Group conducted research on sustainable aviation fuel in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Airbus, while participating in the establishment of the Global Sustainable Transport Innovation Alliance. It also successfully fulfilled its carbon emissions commitments for the carbon markets of Guangdong Province and the European Union.
China Southern Group has been promoting rural revitalization on all fronts. In 2023, the groups executives made multiple visits to Hotan, Xinjiang and signed a framework agreement for promoting high-quality development and rural revitalization. The company also launched a themed aircraft "Xinjiang Hotan Rural Revitalization".
China Southern Group continues to provide paired assistance as an airline. Throughout the year, China Southern Group has provided paired assistance funds totaling over 77.08 million yuan. Through innovatively holding talent training, steadily promoting industrial revitalization, actively offering consuming assistance and other efforts, China Southern fully demonstrated its commitment to rural revitalization and social responsibilities.