China Southern Airlines, the nation's largest carrier by fleet size, on Monday launched a new service from the southern city of Guangzhou to Dubai in the UnitedArab Emirates.

The new Boeing 777B service, flight number CZ383, departs Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from Guangzhou at 8:10 p.m. BeijingTime, arriving in Dubai the next day at 01:10 a.m. local time.

The return flight, CZ384, leaves Dubai at 2:50 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and reaches Guangzhou at 2:50 p.m. Beijing Time, the company said.

It is the second international flight launched by China Southern this year, following the opening of the Guangzhou-Katmandu service on Feb. 5.

China Southern will open eight other direct international services this year, all departing from Guangzhou. The destinations will include Rangoon, Delhi, Sendai and Sapporo.

As a result, the company's international flights from Guangzhou will be expanded from 136 per week to 182, it said.