Ambassador Zhang Jun Attends Guangzhou-Amsterdam Inaugural Flight Celebration Ceremony
On June 8, 2011, Ambassador Zhang Jun attended Guangzhou-Amsterdam Inaugural Flight Celebration Ceremony hosted by China Southern Airlines and addressed the audience. Also present were Mr. Zhang Zifang, EVP&COO of China Southern Airlines, Mr. Mark Dierikx, Chief of the Bureau of Air and Marine Affairs of Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, Mr. Eberhard van der laan, Mayor of Amsterdam, Mr. Peter Frans Hartman, Chief Executive Officer of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Mr. Ad Rutten, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operations Officer of Schiphol Group, Mr. Leo M. van Wijk, Chairman SkyTeam and other representatives from business community.
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Ambassador Zhang congratulated the inaugural flight of Guangzhou-Amsterdam airline, stressing that the new airline is of great importance not only to China Southern Airlines, to Guangzhou and Amsterdam, but to Sino-Dutch relations as well. With concerted efforts of governments and the peoples of the two countries, Sino-Dutch relations have maintained strong momentum. Economic and trade cooperation has been deepening, and people-to-people exchanges have become more and more frequent. Sino-Dutch relationship is currently in the best period in history. Launching of the new airline is the result of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, and also shows broad prospects for bilateral relations.
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Ambassador Zhang said that people-to-people exchanges are the driving force for the development of Sino-Dutch relations. Only through contacts of the two peoples can China and the Netherlands increase understanding and mutual trust. China Southern Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines both shoulder great responsibility in this respect. He hoped that the new airline could bring closer the distance of the two peoples, and hence promote further the bilateral relationship.
Mr. Zhang Zifang, on behalf of China Southern Airlines, expressed his gratitude for the strong support to Chinese embassy in the Netherlands as well as governments at various levels, tourism boards and airport authorities of the Netherlands, emphasizing that China Southern Airlines will avail this opportunity to further enhance its investment in European market, and try its best to offer passengers the most comfortable and convenient service.
Mr. Eberhard van der laan, Mr. Peter Frans Hartman, Mr. Ad Rutten, and Mr. Leo M. van Wijk also congratulated the launching of this new airline and expressed confidence in cooperating with China Southern Airlines. They believed the new airline will serve as a new bridge for the communication and exchanges between the two peoples and play an important role in deepening bilateral cooperation.
Before the ceremony, Ambassador Zhang Jun met with Mr. Zhang Zifang and Dutch guests.
China Southern Airlines plans to put Airbus A330 into this new airline, and arranges 3 flights a week. Together with the existing flight from Guangzhou to Amsterdam via Beijing, the number of China Southern Airlines' total flights from Guangzhou to the Netherlands amounts to 10 every week.
