Published on
September 12, 2025

Guangzhou and Madrid are framing a fresh chapter in tourism collaboration with the introduction of a nonstop service by China Southern Airlines that will link Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) and Madrid Barajas (MAD) starting December 2, 2025. Flying three times a week, the route will be performed by Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliners equipped with Business, Premium Economy, and Economy cabins, thereby opening a seamless gateway for travellers moving between southern China and Spain’s vibrant capital. By providing a single direct flight, the new connection makes Madrid more reachable for both Chinese leisure visitors and overseas travellers already in China.

Service on the Guangzhou–Madrid sector marks a pivotal advance in the airline’s long-haul growth strategy following the pandemic, pairing one of the nation’s most rapidly developing metropolitan centres with Spain’s storied epicentre of arts and history. Flights will leave Baiyun in the late morning, and the aircraft will land in Madrid in the early evening the same day. The return flight applies an overnight stop, departing the Spanish capital the following day, a scheduling strategy designed to facilitate classic multi-day stays exploring Madrid’s museums and nearby attractions.

A nonstop connection will supercharge tourism by slashing travel time and making the hop between Guangzhou and Madrid hassle-free for vacationers and business guests alike. Guangzhou, a powerhouse for commerce and art in southern China, acts as the primary launching pad for those bound for Europe. Madrid, being Spain’s capital, lines up a galaxy of cultural jewels, time-honoured sights, and mouthwatering food. Analysts expect a noticeable surge in arrivals from China, especially during the winter holiday rush, and the route will also smooth travel throughout Asia–Europe in general.

From Guangzhou, visitors can tick off Madrid’s must-see spots in a heartbeat: the Royal Palace, the Prado, Plaza Mayor, plus the lively streets of Malasaña and Chueca. Seasonal celebrations, renowned festivals, and the blossoming world of food tourism will all see a boost as Chinese travellers arrive hungry to soak up the country’s distinct heritage. On the flip side, the connection will deliver a steady flow of European adventurers and executives keen to explore southern China, with Guangzhou unlocking the entire Pearl River Delta, a galaxy of dim sum, and folkloric treasures nearby.

Flight Overview and Traveller Benefits

China Southern Airlines’ Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliners will serve the Guangzhou–Madrid route, delivering the added comfort essential for transcontinental journeys. With a thoughtfully designed three-class layout, the aircraft caters to the varied needs of international visitors: Business Class for travellers demanding the highest comfort on long sectors, Premium Economy for those who prioritise comfort at a competitive fare, and Economy Class for budget-oriented tourists. Every cabin row is outfitted with contemporary on-demand entertainment systems, high-speed Wi-Fi, and ergonomically shaped seating to streamline the journey and elevate the overall passenger experience.

The MNL0.5-hour departure from Guangzhou is timed to land in Madrid during the early evening, enabling guests to check in, freshen up, and launch a full sightseeing itinerary on the following day. By scheduling a Madrid 0 kek for the return, guests may remain in the city late into the evening, maximising sightseeing or connecting to onward itineraries in Europe or seamlessly transcending into the greatest Spanish city on the evening leg.

Economic and Tourism Implications

Direct flights between Guangzhou and Madrid are poised to boost Spain’s tourism landscape by securing a steady inflow of high-spending visitors from China. Madrid’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism underscores that strengthened international air links are a precondition for sustained inbound tourism and broader regional economic performance. As a primary tourism nexus, Madrid will reap rewards in hotel occupancy, organised day tours, gastronomy-related spending, and retail sales. From a Chinese context, Guangzhou serves as a logical southeast outbound hub, channelling millions towards long-haul international markets.

The new Madrid leg complements broader Chinese aviation and tourism policy blueprints, which encourage outward travel from Guangdong province and reinforce ties to select European economies. It tracks well with the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s recently published roadmap to broaden international air services as the industry reboots, thereby underpinning a synchronised recovery of tourism and aviation markets across Spain and China.

Connecting Culture, Business, and Tourism

The Guangzhou–Madrid air service catalyses not merely leisure visits, but cultural diplomacy and business tourism. Spain’s capital hosts a steady calendar of international trade fairs, congresses, and cultural festivals that lure Chinese executive delegations. Enhanced air frequency allows for the seamless convergence of tourism and business, enabling travellers to intersperse professional agendas with cultural programmes. The overlap of these travel motives generates a hybrid offering that magnifies economic return for the host city.

This new service also creates a positive ripple effect on regional tourism. Passengers landing at Madrid can efficiently connect to Spanish jewels like Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, or even the Canary Islands. Simultaneously, the Guangzhou travellers tap into a well-established European tourism spiderweb. Increased east-to-west mobility not only bolsters Spanish arrival statistics but also injects fresh revenues into local economies, hotel trades, and cultural and creative sectors that welcome the international public.

Future Expansion and Tourism Opportunities

China Southern has set its sights on steady, continent-smashing progress, adding further hubs, enlarging its European footprint, and turbocharging routes that cater to both holiday wanderers and business fleets. The Guangzhou–Madrid leg lies firmly inside a wide-ranging network that aims to retrieve the passenger volumes seen before the pandemic and to reboot high-yield markets worth courting. Reinforced links cradle the linkages between Asia-confidence and Europe, spinning off tourism revival and, in turn, fuelling solid trade, research, and diplomatic understanding along the Asia and Catalonia at the nexus.

This non-stop Madrid–Guangzhou service will become a tourism engine for both nations, attracting higher numbers heading to and from Spain, generating new desk orders at local enterprise rating scales, and giving voyagers refreshing chances to marry historic architecture, dazzling cuisine, and live Mediterranean culture.