Qatar Airways and China Southern Airlines have announced a major expansion of their codeshare partnership, increasing flight frequencies between Doha and Beijing ahead of China’s Golden Week holiday.
The move strengthens connectivity between China and more than 170 destinations worldwide through Doha’s Hamad International Airport, which was voted the “Best Airport in the Middle East” by Skytrax in 2025.
Expanded flights and codeshares
From 16 October 2025, Qatar Airways will place its code on China Southern’s three weekly direct flights between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Doha. At the same time, China Southern will extend its “CZ” code to Qatar Airways-operated services beyond Doha, covering 15 destinations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. These include Amman, Athens, Barcelona, Cairo, Dar es Salaam, Madrid, and Munich.
Qatar Airways already shares codes on China Southern flights between Guangzhou and Doha, launched in April 2024. With this new expansion, China Southern will also add its code to Qatar Airways flights from Doha to Chengdu Tianfu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, pending regulatory approval.
Strategic importance
Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori, said the partnership continues to “set new benchmarks in the industry.”
“This latest expansion ensures that every Qatar Airways route to China is now accessible to China Southern Airlines’ passengers,” he said. “Timed with Golden Week, it provides Chinese travellers with unrivalled access to over 170 destinations across our global network.”
For China Southern, Beijing Daxing marks the second Chinese gateway served with non-stop flights to Doha, after Guangzhou. It complements existing services from Beijing operated by Qatar Airways and Xiamen Airlines, offering travellers multiple daily connections.
China Southern President and CEO, Han Wensheng, highlighted Beijing Daxing’s role in the airline’s international growth strategy:
“Together with Qatar Airways, we are expanding opportunities for Chinese passengers to reach destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas through Doha’s Hamad International Airport,” he said.
Growing China-Qatar connectivity
With this expansion, Qatar Airways and its two Chinese partners – China Southern and Xiamen Airlines – will collectively operate 64 weekly flights across eight gateways in Greater China. The airlines describe this as one of the most comprehensive networks in the region.
All flights are operated with modern aircraft, equipped with Starlink’s free-for-all in-flight Wi-Fi, enhancing the passenger experience.
The partnership will also extend beyond passenger flights. Both airlines have signalled further cooperation in cargo operations and loyalty programmes, aimed at building a sustainable framework that benefits travellers and trade alike.
Broader context
China’s Golden Week, beginning in early October, is one of the busiest travel periods in the country, with millions of passengers flying domestically and abroad. The timing of the expansion reflects a push to capture this surge in demand.
For Qatar Airways, strengthening ties with Chinese carriers supports its long-term strategy to cement Doha as a global hub, linking Asia with Europe, Africa, and the Americas. For China Southern, the move enhances its international presence while offering passengers greater access to global destinations via the Middle East.
As international travel demand continues to rebound, the expanded cooperation between Qatar Airways and China Southern underlines how partnerships are reshaping aviation networks, with Doha emerging as a critical crossroads between East and West.
