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Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines Establish Strategic Partnership Through Code-Share Agreement

Posted on: Monday, 26 November 2007, 03:00 CST

Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines (NYSE:ZNH) (HKSE:1055) (SHA:600029) establish a strategic partnership by signing a code-share agreement today, giving customers more choices and seamless travel to destinations served by the two airlines.

Starting 27 November, customers of Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines will enjoy 35 weekly flights between Kuala Lumpur and Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.

This partnership complements the earlier signed agreement allowing Malaysia Airlines' customers to travel on China Southern flights to 90 destinations in China from Guangzhou and 38 from Beijing.

At the same time, China Southern Airlines' customers flying into Kuala Lumpur can connect to all domestic points served by Malaysia Airlines and MASwings, further strengthening Kuala Lumpur as the gateway for Chinese travelers into Malaysia.

The two airlines will also be able to tap feeder traffic from the domestic routes of the respective countries.

Malaysia Airlines Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dato' Sri Idris Jala said, "We are pleased to be a part of this strategic partnership which is in line with our customer value proposition to delight our customers. This agreement enables us to offer customers with more travel options, further strengthening our presence in Malaysia and China.

"This will further boost our hub-and-spoke network, and enable us to leverage on the strong growth of Chinese outbound travelers. We expect to see a 7% growth in passenger volume for our China-Malaysia bound flights."

Mr. He Zongkai, Vice President, China Southern Airlines said, "China Southern Airlines feels very proud to work together with Malaysia Airlines. We have been committed to this market since the first day we commenced operations. The partnership with Malaysia Airlines fits with this commitment. This agreement will give customers more flexibility in terms of frequencies, connections and pricing. My colleagues and I in China Southern look forward to offering true China Southern hospitality to customers flying to any of hundreds of destinations within China and around the world."

"In addition, now that we are in SkyTeam, customers will be offered even more travel choices to China and beyond through our partnerships with SkyTeam members," he added.

Moving forward, Malaysia Airlines and China Southern customers' can expect to connect to more destinations through the two airlines. In addition, the carriers are looking into enhancing the code-share agreement to enable their frequent flier members to earn and redeem miles when they travel on each other's services.

Malaysia Airlines flies to Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Xiamen and Hong Kong. Together with its code-share partners and the 4 times weekly flights to Macau, Malaysia Airlines will offer 98 weekly frequencies between Malaysia and China.

About Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines (www.malaysiaairlines.com), the national carrier of Malaysia, is recognized as one of Asia's largest, flying some 15 million passengers to some 100 destinations across 6 continents annually.

It holds a lengthy record of service and best practices excellence, having received more than 100 awards in the last 10 years. In 2007 alone, Malaysia Airlines won the "World's Best Cabin Crew" award by Skytrax UK, the leading research advisors to the world airline and air transport industry. It is also ranked as a Five Star Airline by Skytrax. This coveted position placed it among an elite handful of world class carriers, 5 to be precise, that have distinguished themselves among passengers for providing excellent service and hospitality. Malaysia Airlines was also recently named Asia's Leading Business Class Airline by the London-based World Travel Awards.

About China Southern Airlines

The largest airline in The People's Republic of China for the past 28 years, China Southern Airlines - www.csair.com/en or www.csair.com/global - connects more than 80 cities around the globe. Major business and vacation destinations served in China include: Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hong Kong, Kunming, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan and as well as International service, including: Amsterdam, Bangkok, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Lagos, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Penang, Phnom Penh, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

For China Southern Airlines reservations and information, please contact your local travel agent.

Jointly issued by: Malaysia Airlines & China Southern Airlines

Source: Business Wire

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