China Southern Airlines Presents Products of 2015

Air company China Southern Airlines has opened a number of new flights from the Tbilisi International Airport to several cities of the world. The company presented its products for 2015 at the Hualing Hotels and Preference hotel in Tbilisi. The presentation highlighted flights of Tbilisi-Urumqi-Seoul, Tbilisi-Urumqi-Guanzhou-New York, Tbilisi-Urumqi-Guanzhou-Toronto and Tbilisi-Urumqi-Guanzhou-Los Angeles. The Head of the Marketing Department of the head office of China Southern Airlines, Zhang Jun, Counselor of the Trade-Economic Chamber of the Embassy of China, Liu Bo, staff of the Embassy of China in Georgia, Council members of Tbilisi, representatives of civil aviation and tourism agencies, Tav-Georgia – the managing company of the Tbilisi International Airport, and other invited guests attended the presentation.

The event was opened by the Ambassador of China to Georgia, Yue Bin, who spoke about Georgia’s main role in the old Silk Road, its strategic location, and importance in the development of economic and trade relations between the two countries.

Head of the Marketing Department of China Southern Airlines, Zhang Jun, presented information about the main strategy and international flight network of Chinese Airlines. He said that since June 2011, when the direct flight of Urumqi-Tbilisi was opened, the air company has been working constantly on increasing the number of flights and improving the quality of service.

“Since September 2014, China Airlines had been flying direct to Lanzhou to make trips of Georgian students going there and Chinese teachers more comfortable. We do not have many tourists from Georgia yet. But if people are willing to use the transit services of our company, we will have lower prices for them. Chinese people like Georgia very much but the majority do not know its history yet. The introduction of new flights will bring the peoples of the two countries closer to each other,” Zhang Jun said.

Director of the Civil Aviation Agency, Guram Jalaghonia, said that China Southern Airlines has been operating on the Georgian air market for four years and it has not had any problems with Georgia.

“We do not have any problems either. The flights of the company are oriented on the development of tourism. We are very happy that the Chinese side is planning to increase their number [of flights]. The Chinese government is discussing the issue of a free trade agreement with Georgia, which is very important. The growth of the country’s economy, development of tourism, and creation of jobs is unimaginable without the development of airlines,” Jalaghonia said.

At the end of the meeting, a lottery was held and the lucky winner got a return ticket from Tbilisi to Beijing and the runner up, a return ticket from Tbilisi to Urumqi.

Tamar Shelia