On Wednesday, China Southern Airlines announced a new direct non-stop service between Guangzhou and New York, a move the airline sees as a boon to its growing international operations.

China Southern's maiden flight out of Guangzhou arrived in New York at John F. Kennedy International Airport early Wednesday morning, welcomed by a water cannon salute. Si Xianmin, chairman of China Southern, Chen Gang, executive vice-president, and Li Jun, assistant president, were among the company officials aboard the flight.

The new 15-hour nonstop service will consist of four round-trip flights a week between JFK and Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, the capital and largest city of Guangdong province.

Guangzhou is a key manufacturing and commercial hub. Its proximity to Shenzhen and Hong Kong makes it a popular destination for tourists and business enterprises.

Guangzhou-based China Southern is one of the world's largest airlines by number of passengers, carrying more than 90 million travelers in 2013, according to company data. It ranks No 1 in Asia with the largest fleet and number of passengers transported.

The establishment of the New York-Guangzhou route is China Southern's first new US route since the airline began operating in the country in 1997. Its last new North American route was between Vancouver and Guangzhou in 2012, but the airline also flies to Los Angeles, Chicago and Anchorage, Alaska.

China Southern operates more than 1,900 flights daily to 190 destinations in 40 countries.

jackfreifelder@chinadailyusa.com