Airline trust profile
China Southern Airlines CZ
Independent · Hub: Guangzhou
At a glance
Key facts about this carrier
China Southern Airlines (CZ) is mainland China's largest airline by fleet, based in Guangzhou, operating independently since leaving SkyTeam in 2019.
- Left SkyTeam in January 2019; currently unaligned with any global alliance.
- Largest airline in China by fleet size and passenger volume, hubbed at Guangzhou (CAN).
- Extensive domestic and regional Asian network plus long-haul routes to Europe, Oceania, and North America.
- Codeshare and equity partnership with American Airlines on transpacific routes.
Why this tier
China's largest airline by fleet (972 aircraft as of December 2025), operating without alliance membership after departing SkyTeam in 2019 - now pursuing bilateral partnerships with oneworld carriers including American Airlines and British Airways. International capacity grew 17.6% in 2025 and the airline is integrating domestically-built C919 narrowbodies (10 in fleet by March 2026).
Strengths
- Largest fleet in China at 972 aircraft (December 2025) with massive domestic network
- 17.6% international capacity growth in 2025 and profitable full-year results
- First major Chinese carrier to scale the domestically-built C919 (10 aircraft by March 2026)
Watch-outs
- No alliance membership since departing SkyTeam in 2019 - limits seamless global ticketing
- Sold entire Boeing 787-8 fleet, reducing dedicated long-haul widebody capacity
- Overall capacity growth was flat at 0.1% in 2025 with domestic capacity declining 2.3%
Best used for
- Intra-Asia connections
- Transpacific
- Australasia
Consultant intelligence
Operational notes
Hub and Connections
CAN (Guangzhou Baiyun) is the primary hub. PEK/PKX (Beijing) is a secondary hub. CAN is the gateway for connections to Southeast Asia and Oceania. MCT at CAN is 90 minutes for international connections. Left SkyTeam in January 2019. No alliance membership. Has bilateral partnerships with American Airlines, Delta (limited), and others independently.
Baggage
No alliance-wide interline baggage since leaving SkyTeam. Bilateral interline agreements with select partners. Domestic Chinese routes use weight concept (20kg economy). Americas routes use piece concept (2x23kg). Bags may not check through on non-codeshare connections. Verify interline status per specific partner.
Terminal Notes
CAN Terminal 2 for all China Southern operations (opened 2018). Large, modern terminal but can be congested. PKX (Beijing Daxing) is the newer Beijing airport used by China Southern. China Southern lounges at CAN T2 and PKX. CAN immigration processing can be slow during peak hours.
Operational Notes
CAN is subject to summer thunderstorm and typhoon delays (May through October). ATC flow control delays common across Chinese domestic routes. China Southern is the largest Asian carrier by fleet size. Seasonal schedule expansion to Oceania and Southeast Asian leisure destinations in northern winter. Departure delays from CAN are frequent, particularly in the afternoon.
Use this airline on your trip
Build a route on China Southern Airlines.
AirTreks specialists know which legs each carrier handles best. Pick your stops; we'll route through the right airline.