China Southern Airlines, the largest airline in China for the past 29 years, says it has recorded 5.7% growth in passenger traffic based on released consolidated results of the Company and its subsidiaries for the six months ended June 30, 2008.

China Southern Airlines which operates flights to Lagos, Nigeria as strategic entry point into Africa, says it carried 27,9563 million passengers and handled 427,700 tonnes of cargo and mail, representing increases of 5.7 and 6.0%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2007.

The Group also recorded an average passenger load factor of 73.1%, representing a 1.2% year-on-year increase and an average load factor of 64.6% reflecting an increase of 1.8 percentage-point year-on-year. The airline also  achieved a record of 5 million safe flying hours  during the period.

Looking ahead into 2008, Chairman of the company,  Mr. Liu Shao Yong, says the Group plans to optimize its routes structure and strengthen  its  marketing and sales efforts as part of measures to increase revenue.

He states that the airline intends to raise revenues from first and business class  cabins, while “reducing production costs and the scale of infrastructure investment thereby enhancing the Group’s operating standards and creating better returns for our shareholders.”

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