Guo Zhiqiang, China Southern Airlines' chief marketing officer in China, speaks at the Mudan Banquet Hall in New York on Friday. Jack Freifelder/China Daily

China Southern Airlines today announced a new direct flight between Guangzhou and New York starting on Aug 6, a move the airline sees as a boon to its growing cache of nonstop offerings.

Guo Zhiqiang, China Southern Airlines' chief marketing officer in China, addressed an audience of close to 100 at the Mudan Banquet Hall in Flushing, New York, touching on China Southern's future plans and the amenities offered on the company's new, 16-hour nonstop flight to the capital and largest city of Guangdong province.

"Among the airline companies in China, China Southern Airlines was the first one in the southern part of China to have a direct flight between the US and China," Guo said in an interview with China Daily.

Attendees at the event included members of the New York City Council, officials with the city's marketing and tourism bureau and members of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's office.

James Choi, China Southern's chief representative in New York, said direct flights will be a prominent feature for the company going forward.

"We are the newcomer here, so we are interested in this direct-flight market," Choi said. "I believe that the US-China market is expanding, and we will definitely see more and more airlines with direct flights from the US to China."

On Thursday, Cathay Pacific Airways announced a new direct flight between Hong Kong International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.