- Perth to China direct flights resume from November
- China Southern to recommence non-stop service between Guangzhou and Perth
- Service to provide more than 41,000 inbound seats each year from mainland China
- Marks 20th international destination connected to Perth since the pandemic
Western Australia will once again have an ongoing direct flight to China from November 2024, with China Southern Airlines today announcing resumption of its non-stop service between Guangzhou and Perth.
Supported by the Cook Government's $75 million Aviation Recovery Fund, the service will operate three times per week from 28 November, bringing an additional 41,000 inbound seats to Western Australia each year.
It will be the first year-round non-stop service between mainland China and Western Australia since the airline ceased services due to the pandemic, and follows the successful seasonal Shanghai direct flight through China Eastern Airlines earlier this year.
It also follows missions by both the Premier and the Tourism Minister to China over the past six months, with securing new direct flights a key focus of both visits.
China Southern operated the Guangzhou to Perth route from 2011 until the pandemic, bringing 33,000 visitors to the State in 2019 alone.
Guangzhou is a large port city in Southern China located approximately 120 kilometres north-west of Hong Kong on the Pearl River.
The city acts as a transit hub for Chinese and international visitors with China Southern Airlines servicing 97 destinations throughout China, and 53 international destinations, including North and Central America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
China was WA's largest market for visitor spend in 2019, with 73,000 Chinese visitors spending $367 million in 2019. It is also the State's biggest trading partner, with goods exported from WA to China totalling $147.7 billion in 2022-23.
The resumption of this service marks the 20th international destination connected to Perth with new or resumed non-stop flights since borders reopened, further strengthening WA's status as Australia's Western Gateway.
Tickets for the flights are now on sale. To book and for more information, visit csair.com/en.
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"Direct flight links with China mean more tourism, more business opportunities, and more local jobs here in WA.
"The return of the Guangzhou route builds on the huge success of the seasonal Shanghai direct flight earlier this year, and shows the benefits of our Government's direct engagement with China.
"We know that securing direct flights is important not only for bringing more visitors into our State, but for strengthening our economy - opening up new opportunities for agriculture, international education and more.
"China is our biggest trading partner, and my Government will continue to drive opportunities to grow our economy and create local jobs."
Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
"This announcement is massive for Western Australian tourism.
"China stands out as one of Western Australia's premium markets that has historically delivered high visitor numbers and expenditure, so we'd expect this to rise significantly with the resumption of this non-stop service.
"This direct connection will not only bolster inbound tourism, but also energise adjacent sectors such as agriculture and business exchanges, solidifying our State's reputation as Australia's Western Gateway.
"Of course, this is also a huge win for our local Chinese community in WA and will certainly provide greater connection with family and friends back home."
