CHINA Southern Airlines has announced it will launch nonstop flights between Perth and Guangzhou, in what will be the first year-round service between mainland China and WA since the airline ceased flights in 2020.
Before the pandemic, China Southern brought 33,000 visitors into the state during the route’s last full year of operation in 2019.
WA Tourism Minister, Rita Saffioti, welcomed the news, saying China stands out as a premium market that has a track record of delivering high visitor numbers and expenditure.
“We expect this to rise significantly with the resumption of this nonstop service,” she said.
The new flights will also act as an important gateway for Aussie travellers looking to explore China, with Guangzhou acting as a big transit hub for international visitors.
The announcement comes on the back of a trial of seasonal direct flights to Shanghai by China Eastern Airlines earlier this year, with the demand clearly showcasing the commercial viability of WA to mainland China services.
MEANWHILE, Rex is preparing to boost its presence in Perth with the launch of a new service between WA and Melbourne. The carrier will use an Embraer E-190 to operate three flights per week between Perth and Adelaide, with one-way economy fares starting from $249.
The news marks Rex’s second new interstate route from Western Australia’s capital in four days, after it announced flights between Melbourne and Perth last week.
