9Air to offer cheap flights in South China, points beyond

9Air Co, the first low-cost carrier in Guangdong province, will start operations soon by providing tickets priced as low as 9 yuan ($1.46) to tap into the booming market in South China, company officials said on Tuesday.

"We are providing low-priced tickets, but it does not mean we are lowering services for customers," said Ji Guangping, president of 9Air Co.

The company's first flight will start on Dec 2 between Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, and Zhanjiang, a coastal city in the province's western area.

In Guangdong, there have been no low-cost flights between Guangzhou and other cities within the province.

According to Ji, the company will operate more flights from Guangzhou to other domestic destinations in South China, where there is a booming demand for low-cost flights for migrant workers and travelers.

"In the long term, our flights will cover more destinations in neighboring Asian countries and regions and Australia," Ji said.

Low-cost carriers have become increasingly popular in recent years, after aviation authorities announced policies to support development of the industry amid promising market prospects.

In the next decade, 25 to 30 percent of the routes in China will be taken by low-cost carriers. Currently, low-cost carriers represent just 5 percent of the entire market in China, according to Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

According to Ji, the company has bought 50 Boeing aircraft, the largest order from a Chinese private carrier, to prepare for the booming market demand in South China.

By 2020, more than 60 Boeing aircraft will be in operation, Ji said.

"We will provide more efficient services, such as on-time flights and an easy compensation process when flights are delayed," he said.

Industry sources said domestic low-cost carriers should not only provide low-priced tickets but increase tailored services for passengers to brace for market challenges brought about by their overseas counterparts.

A growing number of overseas low-cost carriers have also taken to the skies in the mainland market, where they aim to meet huge demand from domestic passengers for new destinations in China and other Asian countries and regions.

For example, HK Express, the only low-cost airline in Hong Kong, has opened several routes to the mainland, including Ningbo in Zhejiang province and Kunming in Yunnan province.

Along with opening more routes on the mainland, the Hong Kong company will also launch more international flights to neighboring destinations to cater to the "overwhelming demand" from mainland travelers.

"We are offering low-cost, but efficient services for travelers in Asia, especially those in the Pearl River Delta, which neighbors Hong Kong, as a growing number of people have developed an interest in traveling throughout southeast and northeast Asia," said Andrew Cowen, deputy chief executive officer of HK Express.