WA Government announces special non-stop flights between Perth and Shanghai over Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year celebrations will kick off early next year as China Eastern Airlines brings back its special three-week non-stop flights between Shanghai and Perth.

Supported by Western Australia’s Cook Government in partnership with Perth Airport, thousands of Chinese visitors are expected to travel non-stop to WA on board China Eastern Airlines’ special direct flights throughout China’s biggest national holiday.

Ten additional inbound flights are scheduled over the 2025 Chinese New Year period from 24 January to 14 February 2025, with three services to run per week – bringing an extra 2,320 seats into Western Australia.

“This year’s direct Shanghai flights delivered a major tourism boost, bringing thousands of additional visitors and pumping more money into local businesses and the economy,” Premier Roger Cook said. “It’s great to see these flights back for another season, as part of our ongoing efforts to secure more direct flights into WA.

“Every direct flight we secure to WA delivers more local jobs and a stronger, diversified economy for WA’s future.”

The announcement comes as China Southern Airlines prepares to re-launch its non-stop service between Guangzhou and Perth in November, bringing an additional 41,000 inbound seats to Western Australia each year.

China is the State’s biggest market by visitor spend, with 66,000 visitors from China spending $303 million in WA in year ending March 2024.

This special Chinese New Year service connecting Shanghai to Perth is in addition to the 20 international destinations the Cook Government has secured or re-launched non-stop flights with since borders reopened.

“This is fantastic news for visitors, our Chinese community and of course, Western Australian tourism,” Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti said.

“The Chinese market is critical for our tourism industry as our top market for visitor spend, so we’re very excited this service is returning for Chinese New Year in 2025.

“Of course, we also have China Southern Airlines resuming flights between Guangzhou and Perth in November, so there’s a lot of opportunity for us to continue growing our Chinese visitor market, which brings in hundreds of millions to our local economy each year.”

The Australian Hotels Association (WA) is among those welcoming today’s announcement. 

AHA(WA) CEO Bradley Woods said the flights were poised to bring an additional 2,320 visitors to our state, building on China’s position as WA’s top market when ranked by visitor spend. In the year ending March 2024, Chinese visitors injected $303 million into the local economy. 

“The resumption of special non-stop flights between Perth and Shanghai for the second year in a row is a significant boost for Western Australia’s tourism and hospitality sectors. These extra flights during the Chinese New Year period will not only bring thousands of additional visitors but also strengthen our cultural and economic ties with China and boost our local economy,” Woods said. 

“The WA Government’s proactive approach in securing these flights is commendable, and we are confident this will lead to further opportunities to drive tourism growth. 

“China Eastern Airlines’ commitment to resuming these seasonal flights underscores the growing demand for travel between WA and China. We expect this initiative to greatly benefit local businesses, particularly in accommodation and hospitality, during one of the busiest travel seasons in China,” he said.