China Southern expands Central Asian footprint with Guangzhou–Bishkek launch

Image: Airports of Kyrgyzstan

China Southern Airlines has added a new destination in Central Asia. On March 29, the airline operated its inaugural flight from Guangzhou to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, according to Airports of Kyrgyzstan, the country’s airport management company.

Regular service on the route will run twice weekly using Boeing 737 aircraft.

The launch of this route marks an important step in expanding our route network and strengthening Kyrgyzstan’s international connectivity. We see strong potential for this route, both in terms of passenger traffic and cargo development,

said Manasbek Samidinov, Chairman of the Board of Airports of Kyrgyzstan

China Southern already operates high-frequency flights from Beijing to Bishkek, with six weekly rotations.

Among Chinese carriers, China Southern now boasts the largest route network in Central Asia, serving eight destinations across all five countries in the region: Tashkent and Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Almaty and Astana (Kazakhstan), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), and Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan).

The airline is also actively building partnerships in the region:

• In Kazakhstan, China Southern has signed a codeshare agreement with the country’s flag carrier, Air Astana.
• In Uzbekistan, it has signed a memorandum of understanding with national carrier Uzbekistan Airways, paving the way for strategic cooperation in areas such as interline and codeshare agreements, as well as cargo services.
• On the cargo side, My Freighter, Central Asia’s largest cargo airline based in Uzbekistan, holds an interline agreement with China Southern.

China Southern Airlines is China’s largest airline by annual passenger volume. Its main hubs are Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport.