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China Southern Airlines is returning to Perth with a Guangzhou service to commence later this year.
The non-stop flights, beginning 28 November, will use China Southern’s 276-seater 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Services will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and are expected to bring 86,000 seats and 5,000 tonnes of cargo capacity into the Perth market.
“China already represents Western Australia’s fourth biggest market, with 54,000 visitors in 2023 injecting $230 million into the economy, and we know that non-stop services will have a positive impact to visitation numbers,” said Perth Airport’s chief commercial and aviation officer, Kate Holsgrove.
“The return of this service is a result of a significant amount of work in partnership with Tourism WA and State Government and we look forward to further developing our partnership with China Southern Airlines.
“Fresh produce, business and leisure tourism are all key export focus areas, and a direct link between China and Perth will undoubtedly further connect Western Australia and benefit the entire economy.”
WA’s Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister, Rita Saffioti, hailed China Southern’s return as a win for the state’s tourism sector.
“China stands out as one of Western Australia’s premium markets that has historically delivered high visitor numbers and expenditure, so we’d expect this to rise significantly with the resumption of this non-stop service,” Minister Saffioti said.
“This direct connection will not only bolster inbound tourism, but also energise adjacent sectors such as agriculture and business exchanges, solidifying our state’s reputation as Australia’s Western Gateway.
“Of course, this is also a huge win for our local Chinese community in WA and will certainly provide greater connection with family and friends back home.”
China Southern first flew to Perth in 2011 as part of the airline’s “Canton Route” international strategy launched in 2009. The carrier’s regional general manager for Australia and NZ, Jason Sun, said returning to Perth is important to that strategy.
“In 2019, China Southern Airlines transported 47,900 passengers to Western Australia (Perth),” Sun said.
“China Southern Airlines is highly attentive to the recovery of the China-Australia market and the preparations for the resumption of the Perth route in the post-pandemic period.
“With this resumption, China Southern Airlines aims to strengthen the cooperation with the Western Australian government and Perth Airport, continuously enhancing the ‘Canton Route’ and bringing more passengers from around the world to facilitate China-Australia exchanges.”
