China Southern locks in first Chinese flight deal with Queensland since pandemic

Queensland’s biggest tourism market is a sleeping dragon no more, with a landmark deal to return flights to one of Asia’s biggest cities.

Queensland has unlocked the missing piece in tourism’s recovery with a landmark deal to restore direct flights to China.

Secured as part of the state government’s $200m aviation war chest after top-level negotiations involving Brisbane Airport boss Gert-Jan de Graaff, China Southern Airlines will fly into the River City four times a week from November 17 to coincide with China’s peak travel season.

China was Queensland’s biggest international tourism market before the coronavirus pandemic, a $1.6bn juggernaut that disappeared virtually overnight.

Brisbane Airport Corporation’s Stacey Pollard (Head of Terminal Operations), Vickey Wong and a lion dance troop from LTL Group celebrate the return of China Southern flights.

Queensland has fared better than almost any other state in the recovery, with domestic travel already back to 2019 levels and many other emerging international markets showing positive signs, but China has been viewed as the missing link.

While Chinese travellers have been returning to Australia in dribs and drabs – with news this week tour groups would also resume heading Down Under – direct flights are viewed as rolled gold by the tourism industry because they are more enticing for potential travellers.

The return of China Southern is expected to generate almost $500m for the state economy over the next three years, with the flight schedule to eventually ramp up to daily services. With more than 15 million residents, Guangzhou is China’s fifth biggest city and the gateway to a huge part of the country in the southern region of the Asian superpower.

Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe. Picture: Glenn Campbell

China Southern was the first Chinese airline to fly into Brisbane, with a decade-long agreement before Covid brought international travel to its knees. China Southern is the largest airline in Asia by fleet size and the largest in China in terms of passenger numbers.

It takes the number of international destinations with gateways directly into Brisbane to 28.

In addition to the tourism and business travel benefits, the return of Chinese flights will be a shot in the arm for Queensland exporters who have struggled to penetrate China without a direct aviation link.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the new deal was “a game-changer”.

“This is an incredibly important step in rebuilding Queensland’s international visitor economy after the pandemic,” he said.

“Previously, flights from Guangzhou have landed a lion’s share of inbound travellers from mainland China, Queensland’s biggest source of overseas visitors and contributors to our visitor economy. Queensland is Australia’s favourite holiday destination, and we’re keen to see Chinese travellers falling in love all over again with our awe-inspiring visitor experiences.” China Southern regional general manager Australia and NZ Jason Sun said

Guangzhou is a spectacular destination in southern China. Picture: Supplied by China Southern Airlines.

Queensland was a vital part of the airline’s past and future. “During the challenging times presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, although we withdrew flights, we never gave up on this market and waited patiently for the right timing to come back,” he said.

Mr de Graaff said the announcement restored the state’s direct connection to its most lucrative market.

China Southern will operate the new-generation Airbus A350 aircraft to Brisbane, with the planes designed to be 50 per cent quieter and far more comfortable for long-haul travel than previous aircraft.