China Southern Airlines flight CZ3001 takes off at the Daxing International Airport in Beijing, Sept 25, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

China Southern Airlines, the largest airline by fleet size in Asia, plans to resume international passenger flights to a number of regions starting on Friday, with demand to Australia and New Zealand becoming robust.

With flights to North America, Europe and Southeast Asia also expected to be resumed, the carrier's international flights are expected to reach 1,600 in March.

Flights from Guangzhou, Guangdong province to Sydney and Melbourne in Australia and Auckland in New Zealand were resumed on Friday.

Those from Guangzhou to Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide in Australia and Christchurch in New Zealand, and those from Shenzhen, Guangdong province to Sydney and Melbourne are planned to return in June.

Flights from Guangzhou to Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland will be increased in June.

Starting on March 19, the flights from Guangzhou to Los Angeles and San Francisco in the United States will be resumed and increased afterward.

The airline will operate four flights between Guangzhou and London in Britain a week starting on March 22, with those to Manila in the Philippines, Bangkok in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to be resumed.

International cargo flights by China Southern will surpass 250 in March.