China Southern airline has signed a five-year contract with the Lufthansa Systems to upgrade its flight service system, the company said on Wednesday.

Lufthansa Systems, a Germany-based IT service provider, will provide the Chinese carrier with NetLine, an up-to-date flight scheduling and network planning system that will be finished in later half of the year.

Officials with China Southern said introduction of the system will help the company build an efficient service network, cut operation costs and air fares to meet the surging demand for flights in the country's aviation market.

Headquartered in Kelsterbach near Frankfurt, Germany, Lufthansa Systems is a wholly-owned by the Lufthansa Group. The company is one of the world's leading IT service providers for the airline and aviation industries worldwide.

China Southern is one of China's largest airline in China and operates flights in more than 80 cities around the world.

Source: Xinhua