China Southern invests in northeastern hub

The parent company of China Southern Airlines, the country's largest carrier by fleet size, said it will invest more than RMB10 billion ($1.46 billion) in Liaoning Airport Group to help fund its expansion

With the investment, China Southern would be entitled to a 40% stake in the airport group, with the remaining 60% would be owned by Liaoning's provincial government.

The carrier said it would build a new terminal at Shenyang Taoxian airport, the largest airline hub in northeast China within Liaoning Airport Group.

It also plans to base 100 planes at the airport by 2010, and open five to eight new international routes in the next five years.