China Southern invests in northeastern hub

SHANGHAI: China Southern Airlines, Asia's largest carrier by passenger numbers, said yesterday it would invest 10 billion yuan in Liaoning Airport Group in a bid to build an aviation hub in the northeast Asia-Pacific region.

With the investment, China Southern would be entitled to a 40 percent stake in the airport group, with the remaining 60 percent would be owned by Liaoning's provincial government.

The carrier said it would build a new terminal at Shenyang Taoxian airport, the largest airline hub in northeast China within Liaoning Airport Group. It also plans to base 100 planes at the airport by 2010, and open five to eight new international routes in the next five years.