From March 30, Brisbane will have year-round twice-daily flights to Guangzhou on China Southern Airlines.
This increase will deliver 114,000 more seats into Brisbane annually and is worth $498 million to the Queensland economy.
Meanwhile Fiji Airways will begin flying between the Gold Coast and Nadi three times a week from June 11.
“What’s particularly exciting about this route is that, on top of gaining another spectacular holiday destination for locals, this connection with Fiji will further open up the Gold Coast to the world,” said Amelia Evans, CEO of Queensland Airports Limited, which operates Gold Coast Airport.
“Fiji Airways has strong links into the United States and Canada, so this service will also give travellers the option to fly from North America to the Gold Coast via Fiji.”
The Gold Coast-Fiji route has a $51 million worth for Queensland.
Both of these routes were supported by the state government’s aviation incentive initiative, the $75 million Connecting Queensland Fund.
In Melbourne, the first flight on a new route between Shenzhen in China and Melbourne touched down in Melbourne towards the end of December, marking the start of a new connection.
Shenzhen Airlines will operate the route three times a week year-round, offering more than 95,000 seats between the two destinations annually.
“We know that every time the tyres of an international flight touch the tarmac at Melbourne Airport, Victoria is half a million dollars better off, so this new service will deliver benefits right across the state,” said Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus.
“Shenzhen is one of China’s largest technology hubs and a fascinating gateway for Australians looking to explore the booming cities of the Pearl River Delta or beyond.”
And Perth will have an increased connection to Mauritius from July, with Air Mauritius adding a third weekly service on the route.
