China Southern Airlines launches daily Guangzhou – Melbourne service

Melbourne Airport for China Southern Airlines launch to Guangzhou

Melbourne Airport has welcomed the return of the second of the ‘Big Three’ Chinese airlines. China Southern Airlines has launched a daily service on the Guangzhou to Melbourne route, increasing to 10 flights a week from 1 February 2023. The service was celebrated with a spectacular route launch cake.

Melbourne Airport has welcomed the return of the second of the ‘Big Three’ Chinese airlines. China Southern Airlines has launched a daily service on the Guangzhou to Melbourne route, increasing to 10 flights a week from 1 February 2023.

China Eastern Airlines became the first of the country’s ‘Big Three’ carriers to resume regular flights to Melbourne, with a 787 operated by its fully-owned subsidiary Shanghai Airlines arriving from Shanghai.

Xiamen Airlines, which has flown the only continuous service into Melbourne from mainland China through the pandemic, has increased its frequency from once a week to three times a week.

Other Chinese carriers are also returning, with Sichuan Airlines recommencing flights from Chengdu, Air China flying three times a week from Beijing, and Beijing Capital Airlines restarting service from Qingdao.

“It’s so exciting to see China’s major carriers returning to Melbourne and the growth in the airport workforce that comes with that,” said Jim Parashos, Chief of Aviation, Melbourne Airport. “These services will help bring hundreds of mainland Chinese tourists, business leaders and students into Victoria every day, so the employment and economic benefits go much further than Melbourne Airport. To have so many carriers return so quickly shows the confidence China’s airlines have in Victoria and the importance they place on Melbourne in particular. By March we’re hopeful of being at almost 50% of pre-pandemic capacity from mainland China, which while very welcome, also underscores how much further we have to go.”