China Southern Airlines will move from seasonal services between Adelaide and Perth and Guangzhou to year-round operations and add a third daily flight from Sydney, increasing direct connections between the Australian capitals and China from March 2026.
China Southern will add a record third daily flight year-round on the direct Sydney-Guangzhou route from 5 April 2026, increasing capacity by almost 125,000 extra seats over the season, plus a fourth daily service during the busy Lunar New Year period.
This marks the highest frequency ever on the route and establishes Sydney Airport as the airline’s largest market in Oceania with all services operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, featuring 28 Business Class seats and 269 Economy Class seats.
China Southern Airlines Regional General Manager ANZ Jason Sun said: “We are pleased to be growing our Sydney–Guangzhou services to three flights a day all year round with a fourth daily service added during the busy Chinese New Year period.”
“This expansion represents the highest level of service China Southern Airlines has ever operated between Sydney and Guangzhou, introduced at a time when travel demand is at its strongest and delivers an improved experience for passengers.”
The Chinese carrier has offered thrice-weekly direct seasonal services from Adelaide and Perth to Guangzhou between November/December and March since 2024.
Perth Airport has a holiday boost with an additional fourth flight between 14 December 2025 and 1 March 2026, while Adelaide Airport has a fourth weekly service between 15 December 2025 and 3 March 2026.
Adelaide Airport will also receive a fourth weekly service during the peak travel period between 6 April and 5 May 2026, operating on China Southern’s Boeing B787-8 Dreamliner.
Adelaide Airport Managing Director Brenton Cox said the year-round service connects South Australia with its largest international tourism market in terms of visitor spend.
It will also offer enhanced connectivity to China Southern’s network of more than 220 destinations in China, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
“This is fantastic news for travellers with a year-round connection with mainland China. The 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.
China Southern Airlines Regional General Manager ANZ Jason Sun said: “We are delighted to announce the extension of our Adelaide-Guangzhou route from seasonal to year-round operations.”
“This significant enhancement not only underscores China Southern’s long-term commitment to the South Australian market but also reflects the steadily growing demand for travel and trade between Greater China and Adelaide.”
The move to year-round services will offer 85,000 seats annually between Perth and Guangzhou, connecting the WA capital with its fourth-largest international market.
Perth Airport Chief Commercial & Aviation Officer Kate Holsgrove said China Southern’s commitment to a year-round service follows the success of restarting seasonal flights in November.
“Not only is this great news for our passengers, it is great news for WA’s economy,” she said.
“In March this year, Perth Airport signed an important Sister Airport partnership agreement with Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. The agreement includes a commitment to improve passenger flow, enhance cargo movements and facilitate through-check services for passengers.”
The additional Sydney–Guangzhou daily flight will depart at 12:55am and arrive at 12:25pm from 30 March 2026.
The Adelaide-Guangzhou nonstop flight operates on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing at 10:25pm and arriving at 9:55am the following morning.
CZ’s Perth–Guangzhou direct service operates on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, departing at 11:25pm and arriving at 7:15am the next day.
For more info, visit csair.com
KARRYON UNPACKS: China Southern’s year-round commitment to Sydney, Adelaide and Perth signals the airline’s confidence in Australia’s tourism recovery and trade links, offering advisors renewed opportunities to capture client demand for China and strengthen regional connectivity.
