According to the latest World Air Transport Statistics by the International Air Travel Association, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are the top two global airlines.

China Southern also ranked Asia's No.1 carrier in terms of the total number of passengers, while Japan Airlines Co is now the second-larg est carrier in Asia.

The Chinese carrier also has Asia's biggest fleet of 392 planes, Xinhua said.

China Southern posted a net profit of RMB 1.42 billion in the first quarter this year. It reported a net profit of RMB 358 million in 2009, whereas it suffered a net loss of RMB 4.8 billion in 2008 due to the global financial crisis.