China Southern Airlines will launch flights from Beijing to Lagos, Nigeria via Dubai, starting on December 30.

The flight will use the airline's new Airbus A330 aircraft, featuring China Southern's Premium Business Class service offering mini-pod, flat bed seating. Outbound flights will depart Beijing every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday with the return flight departing Lagos on every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with arrival at Beijing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Chinese government figures show that bilateral trade between China and Africa this year will exceed US$50 billion, or five times more than the amount in 2000. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and Beijing has pledged to loan the West African country US$7 billion.

The new route will meet the needs of growing Sino-African diplomatic and trade ties and facilitate common development of the Chinese and African economies. Lagos' Murtala Mohammed International Airport is located in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, and is the major airport

serving the city of Lagos, southwestern Nigeria and the entire nation. Murtala Mohammed International Airport consists of an International and a domestic terminal, located about 1km from each other. Both terminals share the same runways. The domestic terminal was relocated to the old Lagos domestic terminal in 2000 after a fire and a new domestic terminal is currently under construction.