China Southern Airlines inaugural flight to Melbourne, direct from China, will arrive tomorrow morning at 06.55. The new service will arrive and depart from Melbourne twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. Chris Barlow, CEO, Melbourne Airport is excited about the new China Southern service to Melbourne. This is excellent news for Victorian tourism. New services, such as China Southern s, only help build on the already impressive international passenger numbers into Melbourne, he said.
China represents the second largest growth market in North East Asia.
China gave Australia Special Destination Status in 1999, making travel by Chinese nationals to Australia easier. The new China Southern services are a step to place Melbourne at the doorway of millions of tourists. Mr. Wang Chang Shun, president, China Southern Airlines is also pleased about the new service. I believe this new service will provide further impetus for increased economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two great nations of China and Australia, he said. China Southern Airlines, the largest airline in the People s Republic of China, carried over 15.1 million passengers in 1999 more than any other Chinese airline.