First Hong Kong Airlines service lands in Sydney
The first flight of a new daily service between Hong Kong and Sydney touched down over the weekend.
The Hong Airlines services boost capacity on the Sydney-Hong Kong route by nearly 20 per cent, with Hong Kong also serving as an aviation hub between Australia and Europe.
“This inaugural service comes on the back of the first expansion in bilateral air traffic rights between Australia and Hong Kong in 19 years and we thank the Albanese Federal Government for its role in enabling this important agreement, which reflects the strength of our longstanding cultural and economic ties,” said Sydney Airport CEO, Scott Charlton.
“Expanding traffic rights delivers far-reaching benefits – from greater choice and connectivity for passengers to stronger opportunities for tourism, trade and investment.
“A daily service like this is estimated to generate up to $120 million annually for the local economy, reinforcing the critical role aviation plays in driving prosperity across the region.”
Virgin Australia resumes long-haul flying
Meanwhile Virgin Australia’s new long-haul international services between Australia and Doha, courtesy of the airline’s partnership with Qatar Airways, have begun from both Sydney and Brisbane.
The first Sydney service took off on June 12, while the first Brisbane-Doha service took off last Thursday. A service between Perth and Doha will start this week, while flights between Melbourne and Doha are scheduled from December. Flights from all four Australian cities are daily.
Once all of the services are in the air, the new flights are expected to generate $3 billion for the Australian economy over the next five years.
The flights are being operated via a wet lease arrangement with Qatar Airways, who will provide both the aircraft and the crew for the new services.
Etihad to increase frequency out of Sydney
Also in Sydney, Etihad Airways is increasing its services between Sydney and Abu Dhabi by three services a week from July 1, rising from daily services to 10 flights a week.
The new services will see double daily flights between the two destinations on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Etihad will also start replacing its Boeing 777-300ERs with Airbus A350-1000s from October 1, with the new aircraft burning 25 per cent less fuel and producing fewer carbon emissions than previous models.
By February 2026, all aircraft on the Sydney-Abu Dhabi route will be Airbus A350-1000s. The combination of the newer aircraft and the additional services will deliver a significant increase in the number of seats in higher class cabins available on the route.
“We are delighted to bring more premium travel options to Australia with the arrival of our A350 on this important route,” said Etihad’s chief revenue and commercial officer, Arik De.
“When the schedule is fully deployed early next year, we will have grown overall seat availability by ten per cent, and premium seat count by over 20 per cent.”
Abu Dhabi is also a significant connector between Australia and Europe.
Melbourne to see increase in flights to South America
Melbourne Airport is set to have daily flights to South America for the first time ever from December when LATAM increases its Melbourne-Santiago services.
The new flights will add 1,800 seats a week between the two continents.
According to Melbourne Airport, the daily service will “initially operate as a seasonal service”, suggesting it may become a year-round fixture.
