Second Chinese airline secured by $200m aviation fund

China Eastern Airlines is putting on more direct weekly flights in one Australian state, and the move is tipped to generate about $314m.

Queensland is tipped to enjoy about $314m in Chinese tourist dollars over three years after more flights between Brisbane and Shanghai were secured.

China Eastern Airlines has agreed to fly non-stop to Brisbane airport three times a week, growing to five services per week within three years.

China Eastern Airlines will be increasing the number of flights into Queensland. Picture: Supplied / China Eastern

The airline has also committed to daily seasonal flights from December 8 until early 2024.

Aside from the tourist spending, the agreement is also tipped to support 1270 Queensland jobs.

The state’s Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said it would help with Queensland’s international tourism recovery post-Covid.

“The message potential visitors are hearing in China from Tourism and Events Queensland’s (TEQ) tourism marketing is ‘Queensland is good to go’,” Mr Hinchcliffe says.

“We’re seeing that reflected in strong Queensland holiday bookings from Guangzhou and now new tourism opportunities for visitors to fly direct from China’s biggest city, Shanghai.

“Rekindling Chinese travellers’ love of Queensland’s iconic tourism experiences is critical to TEQ’s industry blueprint for building an $11bn international visitor economy by the 2032 (Olympic) Games.”

Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe says the Shanghai/Brisbane route will help with the industry’s post-Covid recovery. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Brisbane airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff said the deal was a sign Queensland tourism was ready to roar back to life.

“Shanghai is China’s largest city and a commercial hub, making it a key city for business and leisure travel,” Mr de Graaff said.

“With two carriers now set to resume services from mainland China, we’re forecasting China will likely regain its spot as Queensland’s No.1 source for inbound tourists in 2024.”

This is the 26th international route secured under the Palaszczuk government’s $200m Attracting Aviation Investment Fund, a partnership between the state government and Queensland’s four international airports.