It’s been a month since China reopened its borders to international travel (yes, we’re already approaching mid-February!). And as demand for travel to China slowly returns, so too do flights to the country. Here’s the state of air capacity to China a month on from this momentous event…
Out of Sydney Airport, four Chinese airlines are now operating flights to Mainland China up from three in January.
China Southern Airlines upped its Sydney-Guangzhou flights from three times per week to daily from 31 January, with a mix of A359 and B787-9 aircraft. It will then increase flights to 10 per week from 28 March 2023.
China Eastern Airlines also upped passenger flights between Sydney and Shanghai from three per week to daily services from 1 February, using its A359 planes.
Xiamen Air, which gradually grew Sydney-Xiamen services from two times per week to four times per week from 29 January, added twice-weekly Sydney-Fuzhou flights on 5 February, utilising a mix of B787-8 and B787-9 jets.
Air China recommenced two-times weekly passenger services between Sydney and Beijing on 3 February following a three-year absence from the NSW capital. With flights to increase to three per week, China’s flag carrier will use its 301-seater A333 aircraft on the route.
Sydney Airport told Karryon there will likely be further updates in the coming weeks to Mainland China-bound flights.
Out of Victoria
China Eastern became the first of China’s major airlines to resume regular services to Melbourne on 24 January, operating four-times weekly services to Shanghai with its B787.
However, Melbourne Airport told Karryon that China Eastern would be moving to daily services from 26 March.
The only Chinese airline to fly out of Melbourne prior to borders reopening, Xiamen Airlines upped its once-weekly service to Xiamen to three times per week from 19 January.
China Southern, China’s largest airline, recommenced daily flights to Guangzhou on 1 February and is due to operate 10 flights per week from 26 March.
Flying to Chengdu, Sichuan Airlines returned to Tullamarine on 31 January and will increase services to three-times weekly from 21 February.
Meanwhile, Air China restarted three-times weekly services to Beijing on 1 February.
The latest Chinese carrier to recommence flights to China is Beijing Capital, which will fly to Qingdao twice a week from 14 February and three times per week from March.
“It’s so exciting to see China’s major carriers returning to Melbourne and the growth in the airport workforce that comes with that,” Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos said when China Eastern returned.
“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.”
Brisbane and beyond
Brisbane Airport told Karryon it continues to “actively engage” with its airline partners about future services between Mainland and Brisbane.
Across the ditch, Air New Zealand upped its own capacity to China, with the national carrier increasing Shanghai services from three to four times per week on 4 February.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty said last month that the extra flight takes the weekly capacity to 1,200 seats.
She added that the carrier saw “very strong demand across January for our flights into China”.
“Most flights are full or close to full.”
