China Southern Airlines has launched express routes linking Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, with Wuhan and Changsha in central China. The new services are in response to the start of the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed rail service that begins operations on 26 December.

The Guangzhou-based airline will offer 14 daily flights between Guangzhou and Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, and 16 between Guangzhou and Changsha, capital of Hunan province.

Until 28 March 2010, it will offer promotional tickets on both routes. Tickets for the Wuhan-Guangzhou flights cost Rmb390, about half the price of a first-class train ticket and Rmb100 less than a second-class ticket. The Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway will take three hours, according to official reports, compared with one-and-a-half hours by air. However, this excludes the extra travelling and waiting time involved in flying.

Other carriers, including Air China and Hainan Airlines, have also cut ticket prices on these routes.