The agreement will improve connectivity between the UK capital and key Chinese cities via the new Beijing Daxing International Airport, which became BA’s China hub in October.
The airlines will codeshare on all direct routes between London and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Sanya, Wuhan and Zhengzhou, co-operating on scheduling and pricing, and providing travellers with more flexible flight options.
Under the joint business, there will initially be 31 direct flights a week between London and the six Chinese locations.
Customer benefits will include greater opportunities to collect frequent flyer points, the ability to book through both airlines’ web or app-based platforms, and enhanced lounge access.
British Airways’ Chair and CEO, Alex Cruz, said: “We are delighted to announce this joint business which will bring the UK and China closer together by providing British Airways and China Southern Airlines customers with a wide range of benefits.
“The agreement reinforces our commitment to boost tourism and business travel between the two countries and we look forward to strengthening the relationship further.”
