SARS Press Conference Speech

By Mr. Li Kun

Vice President

China Southern Airlines

Respected leaders, guests and members of the news media:

Last Friday, the World Health Organization lifted the travel advisory for Guangdong Province and Hong Kong, marking a phased victory in the on-going struggle to contain SARS.

We are thrilled with this good news.

I would like to tab6 this special opportunity, on behalf Of the more than 32,000 employees of China Southern Airlines, to express our deepest appreciation to the Personal sacrifices to all the physicians, nurses and scientists who have been working literally around the dock to fight this disease.

Of equal importance have been the dedicated efforts made by members of the news media to communicate clear and concise facts as we all have worked tirelessly to Stamp out the rampant fear and mis-information about SARS.

And we need to give special accolades to the senior management of the Guangdong Provincial Government and our loyal Sky Pearl Club frequent flyers who have stood by China Southern Airlines throughout this crisis. '

You truly are shining examples of the best that China can show the world.

There are important issues that need to be discussed.

China Southern Airlines has been in the thick of fighting against SARS during the past several months.

There is no doubt that SARS has been an unexpected and unplanned disaster.

This disease has not only heavily threatened people's health but also has brought a major blow to the economic and social Stability Of China. The Chinese aviation industry now stands in the breach.

Faced with unparallel challenges, China Southern Airlines, under the wise tutelage Of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the State Council, the Guangdong Provincial Government and the CAAC, has made major steps to ensure the safe flight operations of our airline while actively working to fight SARS to fully guarantee the safe health of all our passengers and our airline Staff and workers.

In total, China Southern Airlines, in its battle against SARS, has made approprist6 and timely management and marketing Steps.

Rather than micromanage the specific details we have tab6n - here are some facts to considers

As of today - no passenger traveling on China Southern Airlines has contracted SARS.

Not one.

With the comprehensive efforts of our new System Operations Control Center and Aviation Health Center, China Southern Airlines established a special Task Force dedicated to fight SARS with 24-hour a day on duty and a Zero Tolerance System.

In addition, all our night crews are mandated to measure their t6mperature and undergo complete regular physical examinations. Even as we conduct internal business meetings at our headquarters here in Guangzhou, all staff and management are required to have their temperature checked prior to entering conference rooms and large gathering sites.

All our aircraft are completely disinfected after each and every night and all of our modem Airbus and Boeing aircraft are fully equipped with the industry's state-of-the-art cabin filtering System.

Finally - here are some of the prudent measures undertaken by China Southern Airline:

- China Southern Airlines has distributed more than 200,000 mini-brochures Of SARS Information Manual comport by the Guangdong Disease Prevention & Control Center at all our ticketing offices and check-in counters; - Published 100,000 SARS Information Manual mini-brochures created by China Southern Airlines to all nit6mAnonal and domestic passengers and our company staff and workers, to further enhance our passengers and company employees' self protection awareness efforts.

- China Southern Airlines has purchased 152 Portable infrared temperatures test equipment and we make double certain to check the temperatures of all passengers at all airport departure areas throughout China and around the world by our night attendants prior to passengers entering the airplane cabin.

- Since March 25th. 80 passengers Who showed higher than normal t6mpefstures have been denied boarding, - China Southern Airlines has also supplied more than 20,000 face masks and 1,000 sets of exposure suits for our employees. And in light with governmental requests, China Southern has spent more than RMB 200,000 in Setting up temporary SARS isolation areas.

And now with the lifting by the WHO Of the travel advisory on Guangdong, here are some of the additional measures undertaken by China Southern:

The fight against SARS needs to continue with total vigilance to assure our passengers a completely safe night experience while we work to regain the confidence of our passengers.

Earlier this month, China Southern Airlines created a Market Recovery & Promotional Task Force to frame the company's "Sunshine Action" plan as we rotate into this all-important recovery period which began the same day after the WHO tiff6d the travel advisory on Guangdong.

China Southern Airlines has been totally and complexly transparent to domestic and Informational business and leisure communities and global news media.

We have always been an active participant in each city we serve within China and the best partner to China to the international nations we operate to.

Our company has and will continue to support and thank the outstanding medical personnel and scientific researchers who have made untold personal sacrifices to fight SARS.

And as China begins to emerge from this disaster and foster its market recovery, its largest airline will implement the following key items:

- Free SARS insurance for all passengers. Starting immediately, all passengers flying on China Southern Airlines will automatically receive the airline's "SARS Liability Insurance" at no charge.

- Free lifetime fight. Any scientist Who discovers a vaccine for SARS will be given the honorary title Of "China Southern Airlines Most Respected Passenger and will be able to fly anywhere-anytime on China's largest airline - System wide - at no charge for his/her lifetime.

- Deeply discounted tickets & free FFP miles. Starting 1 June through 31 December 2003, China Southern Airlines will Offer deeply discounted tickets on all domestic nights for those medical Staff who were the vanguard in the SARS fight in China and will award additional 2,003 FFP miles to those medical personnel who join The Sky Pearl Club.

- Additional Sky Pear Club benefits. Effusive immediat6ly through 30 June, all Sky Pearl Club members flying China Southern Airlines will receive bonus mileage vouchers and/or free upgrade certificate.

- Special summer vacation discount. From 20 June through 15 September 2003, China southern will offer discounted airline tickets on all domestic nights to teachers and their spouses and students.

- Additional "Free & Easy Travel" travel package upgrades. Passengers can make their reservations in major Chinese hotels throughout the nation at discounted rates while they purchase their airline tickets. China Southern Airlines will Offer these discounted Packages as well as our exclusive "Ticket Plus Hotel" service via China Southern's e-business platform as well as Offering business travelers with free consumer dilatory listings in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou for car rentals, meals and entertainment.

- Enhance China Southern's "Green Cabin" service". All China Southern flights catered at our base here in Guangzhou base have been using single-use dishware; replacing all cold hors d'oeuvre and salad with snacks in all classes Of service, all meals prepared by our Nanland Catering Center here at Baiyun international Airport, have been separately and individually hand packed, in-flight face masks, cold tea and disinfecting facial tissue, additional in-flight announcements reminding passengers to complex emery health declaration forms, with special requirements for cabin attendants to test temperature of all messengers and the complete disinfection of all public areas within the flight cabin.

- Upgraded Internet Ticketing. China Southern Airlines will make efforts to increase the marketing and sales of our on-line reservations and e-ticketing.

Since the WHO lifted the travel advisory on Guangdong on 23 May, China Southern Airlines' worldwide headquarters in Guangzhou has seen a gradual improvement in its inbound and outbound passenger traffic.

We can see the local tourist market beginning to move into this recovery phase.

We believe, under the wise and Steady hand of China's Central Committed and Guangdong Provincial Government, China Southern Airlines will surely achieve a comprehensive victory in this anti-SARS air and promote the recovery of the airline travel market recovery as quickly as possible.

Thank you!

Editor: Liao Ming