For the first time, Australia will connect directly to Beijing Daxing Airport, with flights launching on 13 December 2024. This new service marks a significant boost for travel professionals eager to offer more convenient access to China’s capital region.
The direct route, operated by China Southern Airlines, will give Aussies direct access to Beijing Daxing, one of China’s most important and modern aviation hubs.
This new connection promises smoother travel for both business and leisure passengers, offering an Airbus A333 experience, with 28 Business Class seats and 258 Economy Class seats. The flights will cater to the increasing demand for streamlined travel between Australia and northern China.
Surge in demand fuels direct route
The timing of this new service comes as travel between Australia and China continues to rebound. According to Greg Botham, Group Executive for Aviation Growth & Strategy at Sydney Airport, the Chinese travel market has seen remarkable recovery, reaching 90% of pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2024, with a 97% surge in July. As international travel picks up, this new service will address growing demand, while also expanding opportunities for travel professionals to offer more direct routes to clients.
“These new flights will not only add much-needed capacity, but also provide a strong impetus for further recovery,” Botham said, noting that the direct service further strengthens Sydney Airport’s position as a central hub for traffic to and from China.
For travel professionals, these new routes simplify itineraries and offer seamless travel to northern China, making it easier to build packages around Beijing, Tianjin, and the fast-developing Xiong’an New Area.
Beijing Daxing: A growing hub for international travel
Since its opening in 2019, Beijing Daxing has quickly risen to prominence as one of China’s premier aviation hubs. Dubbed the biggest airport in the world, the airport’s impressive 700,000 square metre terminal is designed to handle up to 100 million passengers annually by 2050, making it a key player in China’s long-term travel strategy. For now, it serves 216 routes to 197 destinations, with Sydney set to become its first direct link to Oceania.
What makes it particularly attractive for Australian travellers is its central location. Positioned between Beijing, Tianjin, and Xiong’an, the airport provides easy access to several of northern China’s most significant business and cultural centres. For travel professionals, this makes it easier to sell tailored travel packages—whether for corporate clients attending meetings in Beijing or leisure travellers seeking to explore China’s cultural heritage sites.
Key details
For those in the travel trade, the Sydney-Beijing Daxing route offers a streamlined, more direct option for clients travelling to northern China. The four-times-weekly service will operate on the following schedule:
- Flight CZ5025 Beijing Daxing – Sydney: Departs at 01.05, arrives in Sydney at 15.25
- Flight CZ5026 Sydney – Beijing Daxing: Departs at 20.55, arrives in Beijing at 05.15 the following day
But Sydney won’t have exclusive rights to the route with Melbourne to offer a three-times-weekly service on the following schedule from 14 December:
- Flight CZ8049 Beijing Daxing – Melbourne: Departs 00.30, arrives in Melbourne at 14.55
- Flight CZ8050 Melbourne – Beijing Daxing: Departs 21.00, arrives 05.30 the following day
Bookings are already open, and travel professionals can start offering these flights immediately through China Southern Airlines.
The launch of these flights is expected to increase both business and leisure traffic between Australia and China, strengthening the travel corridor and providing new opportunities for the industry. For travel professionals looking to cater to clients interested in exploring northern China — whether for business in Tianjin or heritage tourism around Beijing — this direct service opens up an array of options.
