File photo taken on Nov 2, 2010 shows a plane of China Southern Airlines.[Photo/Xinhua]

WELLINGTON - China Southern Airlines will begin flying to Guangzhou from Auckland three times a week from next April.

Auckland Airport made the announcement at a news conference on Sunday afternoon.

China Southern Airlines will run three flights between the cities (via Melbourne) each week, offering 88,000 more seats annually than are currently available.

Auckland Airport's chief executive Simon Moutter said better connections to the city are critical for trade and tourism.

He expected the new services to inject 50 million NZ dollars ($37.5 million) into New Zealand's local visitor economy alone.

The service is due to start by April 30, 2011.