Hong Kong's No 2 airline Dragonair announced yesterday it would raise the number of flights to Beijing to eight per day from Sunday when it strengthens its fleet size to 23.

The carrier will take delivery of a new Airbus A321 today, which will be deployed on its Beijing and Shanghai routes.

"The new aircraft will enable us to further improve our customer service on the Beijing and Shanghai routes as well as strengthen our leading position in the market," said Stanley Hui, Dragonair's chief executive officer.

The airline now operates seven Beijing flights daily.

Dragonair's move to increase services comes after rival Cathay Pacific's decision to make its first flight to Beijing on December 2, after more than a decade of absence.

Cathay, which will operate three return services a week, said it has already received bookings.

Yesterday, China Southern Airlines said it would introduce a winter schedule and increase more domestic and international flights from October 26 to March 26.

During the period, the carrier will not only resume all domestic and international flights suspended by the SARS epidemic but enhance services to Guangzhou, Shenzhen and southwestern China like Kunming and Chongqing, the company said.

Its short-haul Guangzhou-Hong Kong flights will be adjusted to five times per day all year around, from the existing five daily flights during peak seasons and four daily flights during slow seasons.

The carrier plans to launch new services from Guangzhou to Jiuzhaigou - a popular scenic spot in the southwestern province of Sichuan - next month, following the recent opening of a new airport there.

On the international front, it will increase services from the southern city of Guangzhou to Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City by one fight each day.

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