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China airline boosts Perth service

Revolutionary: A China Southern Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Picture: Boeing

In a significant boost for tourism in WA, Asia's biggest airline China Southern will introduce the revolutionary Boeing 787 to its Perth service today as it increases services and offers better connections to its global network.

China Southern Airlines, which started three times weekly flights from Guangzhou to Perth in 2011, will add a fourth service from July 16 and change some of the departure times to offer faster connections to Europe and the US.

Two of the four weekly flights will move from a morning departure to a late evening departure.

See China Southern’s safety and product rating here

China Southern Airlines' regional managing director Australia and New Zealand Louis Lu said yesterday that the airline was "delighted to confirm the increase from thrice-weekly to four-weekly service on the Perth to Guangzhou route".

"China Southern Airlines is the only direct air service between Perth and China and the upgrade to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner will provide even further capacity for business and leisure travellers to fly direct from Perth to Guangzhou and connect to over 160 domestic destinations within China and beyond," he said.

Mr Lu also highlighted China Southern Airlines' long history of commitment to Perth, starting in 1993 with the establishment of the China Southern Airlines West Australian Flying College at Jandakot Airport. It is one of the biggest pilot training schools in the southern hemisphere.

"Perth is a very important part of the China Southern Airlines network, not only for our passengers but also for the development of China Southern Airlines crew with the ongoing investment of China Southern Airlines West Australian Flying College," he said.

"We have over 200 officers, engineers and support staff graduating every year."

China is Perth's third biggest international tourism market in visitor spending.

Tourist numbers have leapt 63 per cent since 2011 to 37,400 last year.

As the third biggest airline in the world, China Southern Airlines has expanded at a rapid rate from 10 million passengers in 1994 to 101 million last year.