China Southern to fly Airbus SAS A380s to Paris

China Southern Airlines Co will fly Airbus SAS A380s on a Beijing-Paris route beginning in October, ending a yearlong wait to use superjumbos on international services from the Chinese capital.

The Paris route, which will require two A380s, will be operated with Air China Ltd, China Southern Chief Financial Officer Xu Jiebo said on Wednesday. The terms of the agreement with Air China are still being discussed, he said.

Air China, Beijing's biggest carrier, will stop flying its own planes to Paris, according to Citigroup Inc.

Using A380s on international routes may help China Southern narrow losses from the planes' operation, Citigroup analyst Vivian Tao wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday. China Southern has so far only used the aircraft domestically because of delays in getting regulatory approval for overseas routes.

China Daily-Agencies