China Southern Airlines will move to year-round double-daily services between Auckland and Guangzhou from August using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The move builds on the summer peak season double-daily service on the "Canton route" and could be worth close to $100 million for the New Zealand economy.
It will lift the year-round flights from 10 to 14, which the airline said was in response to high demand from Chinese tourists.
"We have great confidence in the Auckland-Guangzhou route due to the high level of tourism demand between China and New Zealand," China Southern Airlines' New Zealand general manager Mike Ma said.
This airline started flying the Guangzhou to Auckland route in April 2011 with three services a week.
"We have seen strong returns on our investment in the New Zealand market," he said.
Norris Carter, Auckland Airport's general manager of commercial flights, said the latest increase in services would add 95,000 seats on the Auckland to Guangzhou route and contribute $97 million to the New Zealand economy,
"China is one of New Zealand's top visitor markets and China Southern Airlines has recognised the opportunity that this represents.
"Within three years it has increased flights on this route to double-daily in the peak season, and now to this latest offering of double-daily year-round. It is truly impressive to see a route grow so quickly."
China Southern is the third biggest airline in the world and has expanded at a rapid rate from 10 million passengers in 1994 to 101 million last year.
It is trying to broaden its appeal to Kiwi passengers by offering new food, wine and more English speaking crew on flights to and from this country.
New Zealand is increasingly popular with other mainland Chinese airlines.
China Eastern flew a summer service to Auckland and Air China -- based in Beijing -- is in talks to form a joint venture with Air New Zealand which is likely to see direct links to the Chinese capital.
By Grant Bradley of the New Zealand Herald
