OREANDA-NEWS. February 18, 2011. China Southern Airlines, (NYSE:ZNH) (HKSE: 1055) (SHA: 600029) - www.csair.com/global - a member of SkyTeam and the largest airline in The People's Republic of China has earned Four-Star status from SKYTRAX (www.airlinequality.com) the world’s most prestigious airline performance evaluation organization, reported the press-centre of China Southern Airlines.

With this ranking, China Southern is today the world’s largest four star-ranked airline.

SKYTRAX introduced the World Airline Star Rating® program in 2000 to rank airlines based on evaluations of front-line products and service quality including:

Airport lounges

Passenger transfers

In-flight service and

Cabin amenities

At a ceremony in Guangzhou, Mr. Edward Plaisted, Chairman of SKYTRAX conferred the Four-Star award to Mr. Tan Wan’geng, President & CEO, China Southern Airlines saying, “It is an honor and privilege for me to be here today, to share the celebration of China Southern Airlines’ achievement. To meet our Star ranking targets, China Southern Airlines has to provide a world-class product both on the ground and in the air.

He added that, “it is a tribute to the hard work of management and staff of China Southern Airlines that they have been able to achieve a Four-Star airline ranking - and I hope all of you here today will be able to appreciate these standards when you next fly with China Southern Airlines.”

“We’re delighted to be named a Four-Star airline by SKYTRAX, an acknowledge of China Southern’s strong commitment to providing superior cabin service. Currently, the world has 30 Four-Star airlines and seven Five-Star airlines, accounting for 15% of all airlines worldwide. Each of these airlines are leaders in airline service innovation and customer service quality. China Southern is honored to be part of this elite group and deliver the best customer service in the sky,” said Mr. Si Xian min, President of China Southern Air Holding Company & Chairman of China Southern Airlines.

Mr. Si added that, “Today’s Four-Star ranking is indicative of China Southern’s continuous efforts in enhancing its airline product and as a fundamental element of the airline company development. In 2009, China Southern was named Best Airline China 2009 by SKYTRAX for its superior air service among Chinese carriers. In 2008 and 2009, China Southern was named as Best Business Class Airline in China by TTG Magazine for two years in a row. “

About China Southern Airlines
For more than 32 years, China Southern - www.csair.com/global - has been the largest airline in The People’s Republic of China and is headquartered at the ultra-modern Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. China Southern operates a fleet of 414 modern aircraft and serves 172 cities in 30 countries and regions, forming an extensive network with Guangzhou and Beijing as its hubs.

China Southern is a member of SkyTeam and together with the alliance’s thirteen member airlines offers its 384 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 13,000 daily flights covering 898 destinations in 169 countries.