| OINK!
Precious Pugnacious Porker Passenger Patronage Payload Plane CHICAGO - November 22, 2005 - China Southern Airlines, (NYSE: ZNH, HKSE: 1055, SHA 600029) - www.csair.com/en - with the largest and most technically advanced aircraft fleet in The People's Republic of China recently flew a load of special ¡°passengers¡± from its cargo hub here at O¡¯Hare International Airport. Instead of Heads of State, International rock stars or Hollywood celebrities, the passengers were of the four-legged type - Canadian breeding pigs on route to Shenzhen, China. Flying pigs is becoming common-place for China¡¯s largest airline as the latest livery onboard China Southern¡¯s 747-400 - 470 porkers in all - were on route to new homes at a livestock company in Guanzhang Township, Neixiang County, Henan Province. These prized purebred porkers were accompanied onboard the China Southern cargo flight with their own ¡°Welcoming Ceremony¡± which consisted of a three-step disinfection, prepared for these swine by China Southern¡¯s cargo staff, quarantine clerks and cargo owners. At 5:30 a.m. the morning of the flight, China Southern¡¯s cargo staff parked its trailers and pallets on the apron and the cargo owner moved large flatbeds (bearing its precious live cargo) into the apron. Quarantine clerks, wearing doctor¡¯s overalls, blue headgears, surgical masks, rubber gloves and shoe coverings, guided an O¡¯Hare International Airport fire engine into position as it sprayed disinfectant over these vehicles and the parking bay for the China Southern freighter. This marked the first step in the disinfection process. After the 14-hour flight to China (including a fuel stop in Anchorage, Alaska), the 470 foreign travelers themselves received a disinfectant shower. Upon arrival in The Middle Kingdom, Chinese airport workers in Shenzhen also raised their fire hoses and showered disinfectant on the entire freighter marking the second step in disinfection. Finally, quarantine clerks inspected all swine documents to see that there were no ¡°Illegal Aliens¡± onboard and all of the swine had legal entry into China with the proper quarantine certificates. Finally, as the cabin door opened, China Southern cargo workers, wearing headgear, surgical masks and gloves, operated the life workstations and carefully unloaded the containers containing their precious porkers from the aircraft onto the pallets. Then, quarantine clerks began the final stage of disinfection as they again sprayed antiseptic around the wooden cages ¡ while animal physicians checked the quantity, type and health condition of pigs in each cage. This special shipment marked the second time this year that China Southern safely transported foreign breeding swine into China. This shipment consisted of 11 containers each weighing approximately 45 tons. Each container was three meters long, on which a three-layered wooden cage was built and more than 40 pigs were kept inside. Throughout the 14-hour journey from America to China, airline crew maintained a moderate temperature in the baggage compartment of 14 degrees centigrade and provided fresh, clean air for the baggage compartment using the aircraft¡¯s modern air conditioning system. The pigs were humanely treated and had three ¡°in-flight meals¡± during their journey. The pugnacious porkers were, however, not given an in-flight movie ¡ nor Sky Pearl Club frequent flyer mileage. According to CAAC quarantine regulations - after arrival in China - the swine were taken to a designated isolated field in Taihe, Guangzhou for 45 days (to insure they had no traces of bacteria) and then were safely transported to their final destination. The largest airline in The People¡¯s Republic of China for the past 26 years, China Southern Airlines - www.csair.com/en - connects more than 80 cities around the globe. Major business and vacation destinations served in China include: Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hong Kong, Kunming, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan and as well as international service, including: Amsterdam, Bangkok, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Penang, Phnom Penh, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. For China Southern Airlines reservations and information, please contact your local travel agent.
For Immediate Release: Contact: Mr. Jeff Ruffolo |