China Southern Airlines launches direct flights to Mexico

A direct air route linking south China's Shenzhen with Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, will be launched on Saturday, China Southern Airlines has announced.

The first flight on the route will take off from Shenzhen Baoan International Airport at 9 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday, and the flight time will be approximately 16 hours, the airline said.

The flight, covering over 14,000 kilometers and running twice weekly, is currently the only direct passenger route from China to Mexico, and from China to Latin America.

Outbound flights will depart from Shenzhen at 9 p.m. local time every Tuesday and Saturday, and arrive in Mexico City at 11 p.m. local time. Inbound flights depart from Mexico City at 1 a.m. local time every Wednesday and Sunday, and arrive in Shenzhen at 12:20 p.m. local time the following day.

Mexico is China's second-largest trading partner in Latin America. With its long history and rich tourism resources, Mexico is also a popular destination for Chinese tourists.

Guests attend an event celebrating the launching of a direct air route linking south China's Shenzhen with Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, at the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on May 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

According to Hou Ming, deputy general manager of the Shenzhen Company of China Southern Airlines, the airline has signed cooperation agreements with airlines like Aeromexico. These agreements enable connecting flights that not only reach major cities within Mexico but also extend to South American cities such as Sao Paulo in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Lima in Peru. This flight network will reduce travel time and distance for passengers heading to destinations like Antarctica. 

Additionally, the route enhances convenience for Latin American travelers flying between China and key Asian cities such as Singapore, Bangkok, and Seoul.

The route overtook China Southern Airlines' Guangzhou to New York route, which covers a distance of 12,871 kilometers, as the furthest nonstop commercial flight to depart from a Chinese airport. It is also the world's 8th longest flight, according to a list compiled by aviation analytics database Official Aviation Guide.

Mexico City stands as one of the most important political, economic, and financial centers in Latin America. 

China is Mexico's second-largest trading partner and Mexico is China's second-largest trading partner in the Latin American region, which indicates vast prospects for cooperation between the two countries. 

A passenger checks in for a flight to Mexico City at Shenzhen Baoan International Airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, May 11, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

"The opening of the route will better cater to diverse needs such as tourism, business, and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations, bringing positive outcomes for strengthening practical cooperation and enhancing bilateral relations," said Jesus Seade, ambassador of Mexico to China, at a ceremony marking the inaugural flight at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport on Saturday.

The Shenzhen-Mexico City route is the third intercontinental route that China Southern Airlines operates from Shenzhen, following routes to Sydney and Moscow. 

On May 5, the Shenzhen airport increased the frequency of the previously launched Shenzhen-Mexico City e-commerce special cargo route to four times a week, and the total weekly capacity of the route now exceeds 400 tons per week.

From January to April this year, the Shenzhen airport achieved a turnover of 19.88 million passengers, a year-on-year increase of 26.1% that ranked it fourth in the country.

In the first quarter of this year, the airport introduced and resumed four new international passenger routes to Cairo in Egypt, Sapporo and Nagoya in Japan, and Nha Trang in Vietnam. Additionally, it increased the frequency of its international flights to Barcelona, as well as to Kuala Lumpur and Sabah in Malaysia.

In terms of cargo routes, the airport inaugurated and intensified nine new international cargo routes in the first quarter of this year, expanding the airport's reach to cities across 26 countries and regions on five continents. The total number of its international cargo routes has reached 37, with weekly international cargo flights now surpassing 320.