Darwin Reopens Direct Flights To Mainland China China Southern Expands Services To Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane And Perth Amid Strong Chinese Tourism Rebound

Published on August 30, 2025

Direct flights from mainland China are group to resume for nan first clip successful astir six years, reopening nan aviation recreation corridor to nan Northern Territory. China Southern Airlines will commence nonstop flights from Guangzhou to Darwin successful December. In addition, nan hose will grow its Australian web pinch services to Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. The reopening of nonstop flights from China to Darwin coincides pinch nan accelerated betterment of Chinese tourism to Australia, which is now astatine afloat throttle. Australian tourism work providers are witnessing a surge successful request for leisure travel, taste activities, and premium services. For some Darwin and Adelaide, nan flights are anticipated to importantly heighten tourism and trade, strengthening Australia’s position arsenic a superior destination for inbound Chinese tourism.

This is awesome news for nan Northern Territory superior which is now group to reconnect pinch mainland China aft astir six years of a recreation hiatus. In December, China Southern Airlines will motorboat nonstop flights from Guangzhou to Darwin. The improvement is simply a important measurement successful nan Northern Territory capital’s world aviation renaissance and astatine nan aforesaid clip nan hose is besides expanding its operations successful Australia pinch nan resumption of flights to Adelaide.

Beginning December 3, Darwin International Airport will big thrice-weekly Boeing 737-8 services originating from Guangzhou. Meanwhile, services to Adelaide Airport will restart connected December 1, operating 3 times per week utilizing Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The Darwin schedule is presently disposable done March 27, 2026, providing travelers pinch astir 4 months of seamless connectivity.

This motorboat marks Darwin arsenic nan sixth Australian metropolis successful China Southern’s network, complementing its existing routes to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The metropolis has been without nonstop mainland Chinese flights since early 2020, pursuing nan suspension of Donghai Airlines’ Shenzhen route, which had operated for astir 2 years.

Data from Sabre Market Intelligence highlights nan value of nan Darwin–China corridor. In 2019, nan way accommodated 30,800 two-way passengers, but pandemic disruptions saw numbers plummet to virtually zero. By 2024, nan fig had modestly recovered to 2,290 passengers, reflecting gradual but dependable request resurgence.

Air postulation betwixt Australia and China is experiencing a beardown and sustained recovery. OAG Schedules Analyser information shows that two-way capacity successful August 2025 is approaching 300,000 seats, up from 253,000 nan erstwhile year. By December, this fig is expected to scope 453,000 seats, surpassing pre-pandemic December 2019 levels of 428,400 seats.

For Darwin, China Southern’s return complements an ongoing world web rebuild. Earlier successful 2025, Qantas launched 4 play Darwin–Singapore flights timed to link pinch its Airbus A380 London services and partner networks crossed Europe and Asia. Indonesia AirAsia reinstated its Bali–Darwin way successful March, followed by nan preamble of Kuala Lumpur–Darwin flights successful June. These developments collectively heighten Darwin’s position arsenic a increasing bluish Australian hub.

China Southern’s introduction offers strategical advantages for travelers from confederate China seeking entree to bluish Australia’s iconic attractions. The bluish attack is little congested than Sydney aliases Melbourne, providing a much streamlined recreation acquisition for leisure visitors.

The airline’s wintertime 2025-26 Australian schedule will see flights from Guangzhou to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, alongside a Shenzhen–Sydney service. Seasonal routes from Beijing Capital to Melbourne and Sydney, operated successful wintertime 2024-25, are presently not listed but whitethorn return depending connected marketplace demand.

The description aligns pinch a robust rebound successful Chinese outbound tourism. In nan twelvemonth ending March 2025, Australia welcomed 860,000 visitors from China, who collectively spent A$9.2 cardinal ($6 billion). Trip.com Group reports that Australia emerged arsenic nan astir celebrated long-haul destination for Chinese travelers during nan 2025 Lunar New Year and maintained its position arsenic nan apical prime successful nan Southern Hemisphere passim 2024.

Supporting this trend, Trip.com and Tourism Australia entered a caller three-year collaboration successful July, aimed astatine strengthening destination trading and offering recreation packages tailored to nan Chinese market. This strategical effort underscores nan country’s increasing entreaty arsenic a premier world tourism destination and highlights Darwin’s emerging domiciled successful connecting China pinch bluish Australia’s unsocial experiences.