An international air freight terminal and new logistical and maintenance facilities are part of the new investment.
The building of China Southern Airlines’ new base in Shenzhen has started. Due to its proximity to Hong Kong’s Special Administrative Region, the city in South China’s Guangdong Province makes an excellent starting point for ground transit.
On Friday, May 19, 2023, a ceremony was conducted to mark the start of building on the property. Over the following five years, it is anticipated that total investment in the project will amount to 2.4 billion yuan ($341 million).
What features will the new facility have?
Buildings designated for flight operation, aircraft repair, cargo transportation, and a logistics center will be located at this future China Southern Airlines station. An international cargo terminal will also be included in the 338,000 square meter area. The new facility will offer workshops for technology advancements in flying and maintenance and include a lab for creating safety protocols for emergency reaction in passenger cabins.The first phase of the project consists of a 210,000 square meter area with a cost estimate of 1.6 billion yuan ($228 million). By 2028, this initial phase is anticipated to be finished.
For a new base, why Shenzhen?
Shenzhen has long been a key city for China Southern, and to satisfy demand towards the end of 2022, the airline will base two brand-new Airbus A350s at the Chinese airport. Last year, the carrier’s market share at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (SZX) exceeded 33%. Currently, China Southern offers flights from the airport to popular local and foreign destinations like Dubai, Hanoi, and Jakarta.
Even the resumption of flights from Shenzhen to Sydney and perhaps even flights to Moscow in June is apparently planned.The modern international airport in Shenzhen has regional land, air, and marine connections and services the larger bay area. One of the first to resume ferry service to downtown Hong Kong and Macau at the start of this year was the Shenzhen Airport Ferry Terminal. Jihe Expressway, National Road 107, and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen highway are all conveniently accessible from the airport and connect it to Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhongshan, and Zhuhai, respectively.
When it comes to garnering recognition on a global scale, Shenzhen Airport has done fairly well for itself. For the years 2021 and 2022, Skytrax certified the airport as a “Five Star Airport” worldwide. The airport most recently received recognition as “World’s Most Improved Airport” from the same accrediting organization. China Southern operates from bases at Beijing Daxing Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in addition to its recently disclosed base.Not just China Southern but other carriers have recently made investments in Shenzhen.
This year, the international passenger routes there have all been increased and restored by Cebu Pacific from the Philippines, Lion Air from Indonesia, and Cambodia Airways. The airport’s route network connects to 20 locations across 17 nations, and more new connections, including one with Hainan Airlines to Brussels, are on the way.
