China Southern will restart its service between Perth and Guangzhou on November 28, with three return services per week.
Perth has not had a direct connection to mainland China since air travel paused during the pandemic.
The China Southern service will deliver more than 41,000 seats per year into Perth.
Guangzhou is the fourth largest city in mainland China with a population of over 16 million.
“This announcement is massive for Western Australian tourism,” said Western Australia’s tourism minister, Rita Saffioti.
“China stands out as one of Western Australia’s premium markets that has historically delivered high visitor numbers and expenditure, so we’d expect this to rise significantly with the resumption of this non-stop service.
“This direct connection will not only bolster inbound tourism, but also energise adjacent sectors such as agriculture and business exchanges, solidifying our state’s reputation as Australia’s western gateway.”
The state’s premier, Roger Cook, agreed.
“Direct flight links with China mean more tourism, more business opportunities and more local jobs here in WA,” said Cook.
“The return of the Guangzhou route builds on the huge success of the seasonal Shanghai direct flight earlier this year, and shows the benefits of our government’s direct engagement with China.
“We know that securing direct flights is important not only for bringing more visitors into our state, but for strengthening our economy – opening up new opportunities for agriculture, international education and more.
“China is our biggest trading partner,” he said.
The service may also increase west coast incentive opportunities for Chinese companies considering Australia.
The resumption of Perth-Guangzhou services is being supported by the state government’s $75 million Aviation Recovery Fund, which has had a hand in 20 routes being started or restarted since travel resumed after pandemic lockdowns ended.
The reconnection in WA comes not long after Qantas announced it was pausing its Sydney-Shanghai route due to lack of demand.
