Southern Airlines flies landmark Boeing plane

A China Southern Airlines' Boeing 777-300ER made its maiden passenger flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai on Sunday morning. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A China Southern Airlines' Boeing 777-300ER made its maiden passenger flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai on Sunday morning.

The airline, the only one in the world that operates both the AirbusA380 and Boeing 787, has bought ten 777-300ER planes from Boeing. The others will be delivered by 2016.

The plane will be used for long-haul flights.

The airline has equipped its 777-300ER planes with the latest entertainment system by TopSeries AVANT. The system made its debut on the Sunday flight.

First and business-class passengers can relax in leather chairs and use a joy stick to maneuver controls on an large-screen entertainment system in front of them.

The airline's Boeing 777-300ER is China's first Boeing 777 that is divided into four independent cabins – first-class, business, premium economy and economy.

"We offer passengers bigger and more private space. The advanced equipment also throws up new challenges for flight attendants," said purser You Xiangyu.

Aircraft commander Meng Qingrong pointed out that as passengers have higher expectations, airlines must keep upgrading their services.

"High-speed rail is more competitive in terms of short-distance journeys, while airlines are stronger in the long-haul market. Similar to other domestic airlines, CSAIR is launching more international services to build a global network of routes, which requires better facilities to satisfy passengers' need for a comfortable journey," Meng told China Daily.

"We will launch a direct flight service from Guangzhou to New York this summer. The Boeing 777-300ER will be used on this route."

Meanwhile, the airline's Boeing 777-300ER is equipped with Wi-Fi capability on board, which will be put into operation once its given clearance.