Airline profile · Southeast Asia & Pacific

China Southern Airlines

ChinaFull-service carrierSince 1995

CZIATA code
CSNICAO code

China Southern Airlines (IATA CZ, ICAO CSN) is a full-service carrier based in Guangzhou, with hubs at Guangzhou Baiyun and Beijing Daxing. It left SkyTeam on 1 January 2019 and is not in a global alliance. The group operated 972 aircraft at the end of December 2025 and carried about 174 million passengers that year.

Founded
1995
Headquarters
Guangzhou, China
Country
China
Main hubs
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) · Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)
Airline type
Full-service carrier
Alliance
None
Loyalty
Sky Pearl Club
Parent
China Southern Air Holding Company Limited (CSAH)
Ownership
Majority-owned by China Southern Air Holding Company Limited, a state-owned enterprise. Shares are listed on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges.
Callsign
CHINA SOUTHERN
Website
csair.com

How travel agents book China Southern Airlines

GDS distribution

China Southern has a long-standing content agreement with Travelport: a 2012 multi-year deal gave agencies on Galileo and Worldspan access to its fares and inventory, and the airline has since renewed Travelport digital-media and merchandising services.

NDC

No public NDC programme details verified at time of writing.

Direct channels

Direct bookings on csair.com and the China Southern app.

Notes for travel agents

Because China Southern is not in an alliance, through-fares and lounge access depend on its individual codeshare and interline partners rather than alliance agreements.

On ReservationHub

ReservationHub gives agencies GDS content from Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport plus NDC and low-cost channels in one platform. See the full list on our integrations page.

History of China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines Company Limited was incorporated in Guangzhou on 25 March 1995, and its shares trade in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The airline is majority-owned by China Southern Air Holding Company, a central state-owned group whose other airlines include Xiamen Airlines, Chongqing Airlines and Guizhou Airlines.

China Southern was formerly a member of SkyTeam. It decided not to renew its alliance contract and left SkyTeam with effect from 1 January 2019, citing its own strategy and changes in how airline alliances were evolving. It has since relied on bilateral codeshares and joint ventures with individual airlines.

In October 2020 China Southern moved all its Beijing flights to the new Beijing Daxing airport, where it is the largest carrier. It has grown its international network from Guangzhou towards Southeast Asia, Australasia, South Asia and the Middle East, and started flying the COMAC C919. In February 2026 it agreed to sell ten Boeing 787-8s to the lessor Avolon.

Milestones

  1. 1995China Southern Airlines Company Limited incorporated on 25 March.
  2. 2019Left SkyTeam with effect from 1 January.
  3. 2020Moved all Beijing flights to Beijing Daxing in October.
  4. 2025Launched Guangzhou to Riyadh on 2 September with Airbus A330s.
  5. 2025Group fleet reached 972 aircraft at the end of December.
  6. 2026Agreed to sell ten Boeing 787-8s to Avolon in February.

Fleet

Airbus A320neo Airbus A321neo Airbus A330 Boeing 737-8 Boeing 737-800 Boeing 777 Boeing 787 COMAC C919

Aircraft types in service as of 2026

China Southern reported 972 aircraft at the end of December 2025 and 974 at the end of July 2026. Its monthly filings show steady deliveries of Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets, Boeing 737-8s and COMAC C919s, with older A321s and 737-700s being retired. In February 2026 the group agreed to sell ten Boeing 787-8s to Avolon, which reduced its fleet to 963 aircraft at the end of that month. The company's own profile pages list Boeing 787, 777, 747 and 737 and Airbus A330 and A320-family aircraft but give older totals.

Network and hubs

China Southern's home base is Guangzhou Baiyun, and it is the largest carrier at Beijing Daxing. Its company profile cites 224 destinations in 40 countries and regions and about 3,000 daily flights, though this figure is undated. In 2025 the group carried about 174 million passengers, 21.1 million of them internationally, and grew international flights by about 18%.

From Guangzhou it serves the Middle East, including Dubai, Doha, Istanbul and, since September 2025, Riyadh. In South Asia it flies Guangzhou to Dhaka twice daily from July 2026 and Beijing Daxing to Dhaka three times a week, and moved Guangzhou to Lahore to daily flights from 1 January 2026.

China Southern Airlines: frequently asked questions

What are China Southern's airline codes?

China Southern Airlines uses the IATA code CZ and the ICAO code CSN, with the radio callsign CHINA SOUTHERN. Its ticket prefix in the IATA airline register is 784, so its tickets begin with 784. Flights are shown as CZ followed by the number, for example CZ375 to Riyadh.

Is China Southern still in SkyTeam?

No. China Southern decided not to renew its SkyTeam contract and left the alliance with effect from 1 January 2019. It is not a member of Star Alliance, oneworld or SkyTeam and works instead through bilateral codeshares and joint ventures with individual airlines.

Does China Southern fly to Bangladesh and Pakistan?

Yes. China Southern flies Guangzhou to Dhaka, which rose to twice daily in July 2026, and Beijing Daxing to Dhaka three times a week. It also flies Guangzhou to Lahore, which became daily from 1 January 2026. Agents should check current schedules before selling.

What is China Southern's frequent flyer programme?

China Southern's loyalty programme is Sky Pearl Club. The airline reported more than 60 million members in December 2020 and added a Sky Pearl Platinum tier in July 2020. Because the airline left SkyTeam, members no longer earn alliance-wide benefits.

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Book a meeting

Sources

  1. China Southern Airlines — Company profile
  2. China Southern Airlines — Company profile (csair.cn)
  3. China Southern Airlines — Announcement on leaving SkyTeam
  4. China Southern Airlines — 2025 annual results announcement (HKEX)
  5. China Southern Air Holding — Company profile
  6. iTiger — China Southern December 2025 operating data
  7. FilingReader — China Southern July 2026 operating data
  8. AirInsight — Of China's big three, only China Southern makes a profit in 2025
  9. Newsgd — China Southern inaugurates Guangzhou-Riyadh direct flight
  10. Newsgd — China Southern boosts Guangzhou-Dhaka services
  11. ProPakistani — China Southern to increase Lahore flights
  12. Travolution — Travelport inks China Southern Airlines deal
  13. IATA — Airline members list
  14. FAA — JO 7340.2 Contractions, ICAO aircraft operator designators

Profile updated by the ReservationHub team. Airline details change: confirm schedules, fares and policies with the airline before booking. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.