In November last year, China Southern Airlines announced that it would not be renewing its contract with SkyTeam. The transition has been smoothly implemented over the course of this year to ensure the move does not affect the business or customers in any way. China Southern Airlines has been part of the SkyTeam alliance for eleven years, using the partner airlines to fly its passengers. The airline is believed to be a good candidate for the OneWorld Alliance, but Senior vice-president Wu Guoxiang has gone on record to say the airline will not join OneWorld at this point in time and is likely to stay independent for a few more years. OneWorld has confirmed that there are no current discussions regarding China Southern Airlines joining the alliance.
Asia’s largest airline has bigger ambitions
Guoxiang goes on further to point out that for the airline to grow, it is important to have the freedom to build relationships with any carrier it wishes to. He has said that now it is Asia’s largest carrier, and in three to five years it will be the biggest carrier in the world.
Is China Southern Airlines member of OneWorld Alliance?
Despite there being no OneWorld Alliance membership, China Southern Airlines has already created partnerships with several airlines that are OneWorld carriers. These include American Airlines, Finnair and British Airways.
China Southern Airlines plans for the future
China Southern Airlines is definitely one to watch as its plans to achieve big goals are put into place over the next few years. Already the largest airline in China, it expects to be the largest airline in the world by 2022. Currently the airline operates 615 aircraft. The plan is to increase the fleet size to 1000 within three years, then to 2000 by 2035. It is believed that new worldwide destinations will be added to the route network, as well as increasing the frequency of its main long-haul flights and important domestic routes. It remains to be seen whether or not China Southern Airlines will eventually join an alliance, be it OneWorld or another, but it is likely. The airline has not ruled it out in the future, and such a membership would bring with it opportunities for greater expansion and more worldwide destinations.
Unrest within OneWorld Alliance
We have recently seen some issues being raised with airlines within the alliance having issues with each other. American Airlines has been pushing for the US government to implement restrictions on Middle Eastern airlines, one of which is fellow OneWorld member Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker has been threatening to leave the alliance. OneWorld has been speaking with Al Baker in attempts to smooth over the relationship, stating that Qatar Airways is a valued member of the alliance and has a lot to contribute. American Airlines has also cancelled its codeshare agreement with OneWorld member Air Berlin. So perhaps it is wise for China Southern Airlines to remain independent for now and simply observe what happens with OneWorld over the next few years.
John is a passionate traveler who has traveled to over 46 countries on more than 30 different airlines. He loves surfing, booking hotels and flights using his frequent flyers points, and exploring new cultures. John lives in London.
