- Special non-stop flights between Shanghai and Perth to return for second year to celebrate Chinese New Year
- Tickets now on sale
- China Eastern Airlines' special service expected to significantly increase visitor numbers, with 10 additional flights planned
- Secured by the Cook Government in partnership with Perth Airport
Chinese New Year celebrations will kick off early next year as China Eastern Airlines brings back its special three-week non-stop flights between Shanghai and Perth.
Supported by the Cook Government in partnership with Perth Airport, thousands of Chinese visitors are expected to travel non-stop to Western Australia on board China Eastern Airlines' special direct flights throughout China's biggest national holiday.
Ten additional inbound flights are scheduled over the 2025 Chinese New Year period from 24 January to 14 February 2025, with three services to run per week - bringing an extra 2,320 seats into Western Australia.
The announcement comes as China Southern Airlines prepares to re-launch its non-stop service between Guangzhou and Perth in November, bringing an additional 41,000 inbound seats to Western Australia each year.
China is the State's biggest market by visitor spend, with 66,000 visitors from China spending $303 million in WA in year ending March 2024.
This special Chinese New Year service connecting Shanghai to Perth is in addition to the 20 international destinations the Cook Government has secured or re-launched non-stop flights with since borders reopened.
Tickets for the flight are now on sale. For more information, visit China Eastern Airlines (oa.ceair.com)
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"This year's direct Shanghai flights delivered a major tourism boost, bringing thousands of additional visitors and pumping more money into local businesses and the economy.
"It's great to see these flights back for another season, as part of our ongoing efforts to secure more direct flights into WA.
"Every direct flight we secure to WA delivers more local jobs and a stronger, diversified economy for WA's future."
Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
"This is fantastic news for visitors, our Chinese community and of course, Western Australian tourism.
"The Chinese market is critical for our tourism industry as our top market for visitor spend, so we're very excited this service is returning for Chinese New Year in 2025.
"Of course, we also have China Southern Airlines resuming flights between Guangzhou and Perth in November, so there's a lot of opportunity for us to continue growing our Chinese visitor market, which brings in hundreds of millions to our local economy each year."
