| China Southern Participates In Critical Anti-Hijacking Drill;
First Real Life Security Exercise Held At New Guangzhou Airport GUANGZHOU, China – December 20, 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, has fully participated in the first-ever anti-hijacking drill staged at the new Baiyun International Airport. The first, large-scale anti-hijack drill was held recently at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and carried out by the newly created Guangdong Province Anti-Hijack Team. “We were honored to have fully participated in this important security operation that - although we pray the day never comes - one day may help save many lives,” said Mr. Si Xian Min, President, China Southern Airlines. More than 800 law enforcement representatives from more than 10 different organizations including the Armed Police Force Corp, Guangdong Province Public Security Agency; Central and South China Air Traffic Management Bureau, General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) and China Southern Airlines … together with two helicopters and more than 80 automobiles … joined together in the mock crisis emergency simulation. By 9:30 a.m., Guangdong Province Anti-Hijack Team received an emergency call from Baiyun International Airport where it was reported that a China Southern Airlines Boeing 757 aircraft was being “hijacked” by four terrorists just after the aircraft took off from a Mainland city. The pilot told the team that the plane needed to land at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport as it was quickly running out of fuel. He further reported that there were three male and one female “terrorists” on board and believed that the hijackers were armed and had laced the aircraft’s interior with explosives. By 10:00 a.m., the “hijacked” China Southern Aircraft had “landed” at Baiyun International Airport and the armed Anti-Hijack Team was immediately alerted and quickly besieged the runway. Two police helicopters were immediately dispatched and circled over the runway … while fire engines and ambulances were standing by. One of the terrorists took a male passenger hostage and moments later in full view … shot that passenger to death. The blank cartridge gunshot served to do nothing more than ratchet up the real world tension. The Anti-Hijack Team was determined to take action. Covered by other teams, the armed police quickly rushed to the right side of the jet … and seconds later with a triggered “explosion” of the forward and rear cabin doors, the armed force stormed the cabin. They “shot” two of the terrorists and seized another. Unfortunately, one of the male terrorists managed to mingle with other passengers. After the police seized control of the aircraft, the crew immediately dispatched passengers safely down an evacuation chute while demolition experts immediately inspected the cabin and found “bombs” squirreled away by the hijackers, which were safely removed and destroyed far down the tarmac. Within moments, a police dog sniffed out the last of the escaping terrorists among the passengers and the police immediately brought him down. Fire engines, ambulances, police cars … all raced to the aircraft as helicopters were busily transporting simulated patients to nearby hospitals. “Like the Boy Scouts, one cannot be well prepared enough,” said Mr. Si. The largest airline in The People’s Republic of China for the past 26 years, China For China Southern Airlines reservations and information, please contact your local travel agent.
For Immediate Release: Contact: Mr. Jeff Ruffolo |