Dragonair held a special gala dinner last night in Guangzhou to celebrate the airline's recent launch of scheduled services to and from the city. More than 200 guests joined the event, hosted by Dragonair Chief Executive Officer James Tong, including local government officials, travel industry representatives and business partners.

Dragonair launched the twice-daily service between Hong Kong and Guangzhou on September 14, extending its network coverage into the fast-growing and increasingly affluent Pearl River Delta (PRD) region.

Speaking at the gala event, Mr Tong said: "We are proud to offer our award-winning service to the people in Guangzhou and the PRD region. This is an important new market for Dragonair with strong potential for both inbound and outbound business."

The twice-daily service to Guangzhou offers improved connectivity between the city and the rest of the world through Hong Kong International Airport. The seamless air-to-air connections offered through Dragonair's home hub provide travellers with more choice and greater convenience.

"Opening Guangzhou as a new destination strengthens our commitment to the Mainland market, which we have served for more than 20 years and where we are recognised as the 'airline of choice'," said Mr Tong. "We are confident that our premium service and the convenient connections we provide to the rest of the world will be well received by travellers moving to and from the PRD region."

Guests at the inaugural event were treated to a colourful celebration. Proceedings kicked off with a water drum performance, symbolising Dragonair's energetic style, and came to a close with a creative and delicate sand-painting display.

Dragonair, an affiliate member of oneworld, is a Hong Kong-based airline operating a fleet of 30 passenger aircraft and serving 29 regional destinations, including 17 cities in Mainland China. Dragonair has been recognised for its product and service quality, and was voted "Best Regional Airline: SE Asia" in the annual World Airline Survey run by Skytrax in 2007/08. Dragonair is part of the Cathay Pacific Group, providing seamless connectivity for passengers to more than 100 cities around the globe.

Dragonair Chief Executive Officer James Tong (fifth from the left), Director General of CAAC Central and Southern Regional Administration Mr Liu Yajun (forth from the left), and distinguished guests proposed a toast during the gala event to wish the airline's new Guangzhou service every success.

Water drum performance kicked off the Dragonair Guangzhou Inaugural Event, which symbolised Dragonair's energetic style.

Dragonair web site address: www.dragonair.com