Summary
- China Southern Airlines operated the Airbus A380 but ended superjumbo operations completely in November 2022.
- China Southern also had Boeing 747-400 freighters in its fleet, with the last one exiting in December 2020.
- The airline received the Chinese-built COMAC ARJ21 in 2020 and currently operates 26 of them.
Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines has an extensive domestic and international route network and is one of China’s three major airlines. The carrier serves over 230 destinations with a fleet of over 600 aircraft, mainly consisting of modern jetliners like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. Since its founding in 1988, the airline has operated various aircraft types from various manufacturers in China, Europe, Russia, and the US.
1
Airbus A380-800
October 2011 – November 2022
One of the most interesting aircraft types operated by the Guangzhou-based carrier is none other than the Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft. China Southern has a long history with the superjumbo, placing its first order for the type back in 2008. It received its first A380, registration B-6136, in October 2011, becoming the first and only Chinese airline to fly the A380. China Southern only took five examples, with the following delivery dates:
Aircraft reg |
Delivery date |
---|---|
B-6136 |
October 2011 |
B-6137 |
December 2011 |
B-6138 |
February 2012 |
B-6139 |
September 2012 |
B-6140 |
February 2013 |
Photo: Aerovista Luchtfotografie | Shutterstock
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the A380 fell out of favor with several airlines. Record-low travel sped up its retirement from some airline fleets. However, China Southern held on to the superjumbo throughout the pandemic, deploying it on high-demand domestic routes and using it for repatriation flights. It was notably the only A380 operator that did not ground the aircraft.
However, it was not long until the carrier decided to end all A380 operations. The superjumbo operated its last revenue flight for China Southern on November 6, 2022. The final flight from Los Angeles International (LAX) to Guangzhou (CAN) was operated by B-6139. The youngest A380, B-6140, had operated its final flight just a day earlier. While the other four quadjets remain at the Mojave Air & Space Port, B-6140 has found a new life as Global Airlines’ first aircraft. It has taken up registration 9H-GLOBL.
2
Boeing 747-400 Freighters
May 2002 – December 2020
The other notable aircraft that has graced China Airlines’ fleet is the “Queen of the Skies.” However, the airline operated the freighter version of the jumbo. According to ATDB.aero, the carrier owned two Boeing 747-400Fs throughout its history but also operated a few others on wet lease contracts.
Aircraft reg |
Delivery date |
---|---|
B-2473 |
June 2002 |
B-2461 |
September 2002 |
China Southern launched a dedicated cargo center in Shenzhen in 2000 and ordered two 747 Freighters in 2001. At the time, it operated a single 747-400F wet-leased from Atlas Air. The first 747-400F was delivered on June 19, 2022, making China Southern the first Chinese airline to operate the type. The quadjet was also the first all-cargo aircraft in the carrier’s fleet.
The 747s were parked in late 2020. B-2461 was the first one to go, exiting the fleet in September 2020. It remains active, operating cargo flights for Air Central with the same registration. B-2473 served China Southern for longer, exiting the fleet in December 2020. It is now operated by SF Airlines but is currently parked at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO).
3
COMAC ARJ21
June 2020 – present
Active aircraft |
26 |
---|---|
Average age |
1.6 years |
The ARJ21 is a regional jet built by Chinese manufacturer COMAC. Its development began in 2002, with the first prototype being rolled out in December 2007. The ARJ21 (Advanced Regional Jet) took to the skies for the first time in November 2008 before entering service with Chengdu Airlines in June 2016.
China Southern and the country’s two other major airlines, China Eastern and Air China, received their first ARJ21s on June 28, 2020, in what COMAC called “the official entry of the ARJ21 into mainstream international airline fleets.” However, China Eastern’s ARJ21s are operated by its subsidiary OTT Airlines.
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The first ARJ to enter China Southern’s fleet is registered B-605W. The second aircraft, registered B-605X, was delivered in September 2020. The Guangzhou-based carrier currently has 26 examples in its fleet. Last year, China Southern launched its second COMAC ARJ21 base after receiving its 16th ARJ21. The airline also has 100 COMAC C919s on order.
4
McDonnell Douglas MD-80
2003 – 2010
The McDonnell Douglas MD-80, affectionately known as “the Mad Dog,” was developed as a stretched variant of the DC-9. Keeping the DC-9’s five-abreast layout, the MD-80 became popular in many different regions worldwide. American Airlines, the largest operator of the type, retired the aircraft in September 2019 with a Super-80 sendoff. By then, China Southern had retired the MD-80.
The Guangzhou-based carrier operated 23 MD-80s. Planespotters.net notes that the first two were delivered in November 2023, while ch-aviation suggests they arrived in March 2003. Nonetheless, the type was essential to China Southern’s fleet, operating flights on several domestic routes and to regional destinations in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea.
The aircraft remained in China Southern’s fleet until the early 2010s. Some ex-China Southern MD-80s are stored, while others are preserved in different locations. According to ATDB.aero, five examples remain active with the following carriers:
- B-2126: Iran Air
- B-2139: Iran Airtour
- B-2140: Iran Airtour
- B-2147: Iran Air
- B-2151: Iran Airtour
5
Xian Y-7 Turboprop
1991 – 1995
Last but not least on our list is the Chinese-built Xian Y-7 passenger turboprop. The aircraft was based on the popular Antonov An-24, which China Southern Airlines also operated. China gained interest early in the An-24s production and imported several examples. Impressed by its capabilities, China also negotiated licenses to produce the aircraft and its engines. The Xian aircraft factory commenced the project in 1966, with the first Chinese-assembled AN-24T taking its first flight in December 1970.
Production for the Y-7 started in 1977, but the turboprop did not make its maiden flight until February 1984. While it isn’t very clear when China Southern received or retired its Xian Y-7s, ATDB.aero notes that it had five of the turboprops in its fleet. They were all delivered sometime in April 1994, with some exiting the fleet in 1995.
One example, registered B-3456, is preserved at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). The other examples are either derelict, stored or have unknown fates. Other interesting aircraft operated by China Southern include the Boeing 777 (active), Airbus A300 (retired), and Embraer E190 (retired).
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