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China Southern Airlines will resume non-stop flights to Adelaide at the end of the year.
The carrier, one of China’s “big four” airlines, will operate three 787-8 Dreamliner flights to Guangzhou per week starting 12 December, returning to Adelaide following a four-year break after it paused services in March 2020 due to COVID-19.
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“The three weekly China Southern Airlines flights will make South Australia that much more enticing for potential visitors from China, an international market once worth $384 million to our state’s visitor economy,” said SA’s tourism minister, Zoe Bettison.
“South Australia’s international market is now at an all-time high of $1.3 billion, and this momentum will continue thanks to the return of another important major international airline.”
China Southern will be Adelaide’s ninth international airline when the service begins in December, with the airport also currently served by Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways, Jetstar, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Vietjet.
Emirates will return to the city from 28 October, while Qantas has yet to resume international operations from Adelaide despite the urgings of the SA government. According to Premier Peter Malinauskas, the government has been working through the South Australian Tourism Commission to bring mainland China services back to Adelaide.
“Building airline capacity has been a priority for the government from the start, as we work to bring back international visitors in South Australia who are not just here for a holiday, but those ready to invest in businesses, education, and exports,” he said.
Adelaide Airport’s managing director, Brenton Cox, said the airport is “incredibly excited” to reconnect with mainland China.
“This service will stimulate travel, generate trade, connect communities, and is an essential link in our network vision that will grow our State’s economy,” he said.
“This is a significant win for our exporters, with the wide-body Dreamliner able to carry South Australian products such as fresh seafood and produce direct to one of China’s largest cities, and in turn providing easier one-stop access to markets throughout China.”
China Southern is looking to rebuild and expand its ‘Canton Route’ services to Australia, said Zhixing Sun, regional general manager for China Southern Airlines in Australia and New Zealand, with the airline also set to return to Perth on 28 November.
“In 2016, we launched the Guangzhou–Adelaide route, utilising Guangzhou as a passenger hub to provide travel services between China and major cities around the world,” he said.
“China Southern Airlines is looking forward to strengthening the cooperation with various sectors in South Australia, continuing to expand the ‘Canton Route’, and bringing more travellers from China and around the world to South Australia.”
