Article from BTNews 1 AUGUST 2016
China Southern for Adelaide
A new direct air service linking Guangzhou with Adelaide is on the cards after a deal between the government of South Australia and China Southern Airlines. Flights are planned to start in December.
Cathay Pacific serves Adelaide from Hong Kong but the new service will provide the first direct flights from mainland China.
South Australia’s premier, Jay Weatherill, said: “Having a direct flight from the mainland will create jobs that extend well beyond Adelaide Airport – helping our hospitality sector to take advantage of a growing market.”
Adelaide has already this year seen the introduction of daily flights by Qatar Airways, which Weatherill said had opened connections to more than 140 destinations including 25 European cities.
The South Australian government signed an initial agreement with China Southern in April with the aim of establishing direct passenger services but these were not then expected to start until next year.
More than 32,000 Chinese visitors travelled to South Australia in the year to December 2015 – a 4.7% increase over the previous year.
Adelaide is also a popular education destination for Chinese students, with about 12,000 choosing to study in South Australia in 2015.
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