China Southern Airlines has announced that 10 China Southern Airlines co-pilots have left Guangzhou for Paris to receive initial training for ERJ145 aircraft.

The co-pilots, along with 10 captains who had already arrived in France for the training, will become the backbone of China Southern's ERJ145 flight crew which was carefully hand-picked from the China Southern Flight Department in Guangzhou as well as the airline's subsidiary companies.

The ERJ145, a Sino-Brazilian aircraft, is a 50-seater regional jet with a flight altitude of more than 10,000 meters and cruising speed of 830km/h. In 2004, China Southern will introduce six ERJ145 jets into its fleet with these 20 pilots becoming the lead flight crew.

China Southern Airlines 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, Penang, Phnom Penh, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.