China Southern Airlines Hires Japanese-Based Flight Attendants; First International In-Flight Crew for China's Largest Airline.

Business/Travel Editors

GUANGZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 2002

China Southern Airlines (NYSE:ZNH) (HKSE:1055), the largest airline in the People's Republic of China, is pleased to announce that it has hired its first international, Japanese-native flight attendants for its new Boeing 777 daily service between Guangzhou and Tokyo and Osaka.

"If the welcome is either Nihao or Konnichiwa -- no matter the language -- a friendly smile and warm greeting will beckon travelers flying between Guangzhou and Tokyo/Osaka on China's largest airline," said Mr. Li Kun, Vice President, China Southern Airlines.

In late May, China Southern Airlines officially inked the employment contracts of more than a dozen Japanese flight attendants who joined China Southern's in-flight team. This marked the first time that China's largest airline has gone outside of China to retain full-time flight attendants from another country.

"With China Southern Airlines launching extensive service to Tokyo and beyond destinations in Japan, hiring Japanese flight attendants is key to improving our airline's market share in Japan and expanding China Southern's marketability in the lucrative Sino-Japanese air market," said Mr. Li.

The 13 newly hired flight attendants arrived in Guangzhou from Osaka and were selected from a job pool of more than 400 Japan-based candidates. Five of the flight attendants have earned Bachelor degrees and eight graduated junior college with majors including Economy, Education, English, Literature and Psychology.

The majority have solid English skills and a few -- such as Ms. Sogade Tomomi -- have worked previously as flight attendants. Ms. Tomomi, who spent one year in Beijing Normal University studying Chinese, worked as a flight attendant for All Nippon Airlines ... and Ms. Tatsuda Rina was previously a flight attendant for Garuda Indonesia.

The new flight attendants have signed single-year employment contracts with China Southern Airlines. Prior to starting as a flight attendant, each novice to China Southern Airlines will be required to take a three-week, in-flight training program, including 20 flight hours with a senior in-flight cabin crew instructor.

After completing the cabin crew in-flight course, the new Japanese flight attendants will be assigned slots for China Southern Airlines' daily Boeing 777 service between Guangzhou/Osaka and Guangzhou/Tokyo. In addition to daily service from Guangzhou to Osaka and Tokyo, China Southern is pleased to offer direct Airbus A320 air service between Guangzhou and Fukuoka, Japan.

The largest airline in the People's Republic of China for the past 23 years, China Southern Airlines (www.cs-air.com/en) 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, as well as international service, including: Amsterdam, Bangkok, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Osaka, Penang, Phnom Penh, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

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