News for South Pacific

China Southern Airlines, via its official Weibo account, announced (08-Jan-2023) plans to resume four times weekly Guangzhou-Melbourne service from 24-Jan-2023, increasing to daily from 31-Jan-2023. 

China Southern Airlines, according to a FATIII Weibo post, plans (05-Jan-2023) to increase Guangzhou-Sydney frequency to daily from 30-Jan-2023.

China Eastern Airlines, according to a FATIII Weibo post, plans (05-Jan-2023) to increase Shanghai Pudong-Sydney frequency to three times weekly, operating with Boeing 777-300ER, from 19-Jan-2023. The carrier also plans to increase Shanghai Pudong-Melbourne frequency to three times weekly, operating with 787-9, from 23-Jan-2023. 

T'way Air commenced (29-Dec-2022) four times weekly Seoul Incheon-Sydney service on 23-Dec-2022, operated with A330-300 equipment. This is the LCC's first long haul international service. Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Qantas Airways and Jetstar Airways also operate the route, according to OAG. [more - original PR - Korean]

Tourism Research Australia (TRA) stated (Dec-2022) strong expenditure continued for domestic holidays and visiting friends and relatives in Sep-2022. Business expenditure improved greatly, exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the first time. The number of overnight trips for holiday purposes increased. However, visiting friends and relatives and business trip numbers remained down. In Sep-2022, Australians:

• Spent AUD5.6 billion (USD3.8 billion) while travelling for holiday purposes and took 4.2 million trips. Spend was up 51% compared to Sep-2019;
• Spent AUD1.6 billion (USD1.1 billion) while travelling to visit friends and relatives and took 2.8 million trips. Spend was up 23% compared to Sep-2019;
• Spent AUD2.2 billion (USD1.5 billion) while travelling for business purposes and took 2.2 million trips. Spend was up 10% compared to Sep-2019. The number of business trips was down 9% compared to Sep-2019. [more - original PR]

Air New Zealand plans to resume weekly Sydney-Rarotonga service from 30-Mar-2023, operating with Boeing 787-9, as per a 02-Dec-2022 GDS inventory and timetable display. 

Qantas Airways announced (02-Dec-2022) plans to resume the following services in Dec-2022: 

• Adelaide-Hobart;
• Adelaide-Gold Coast;
• Canberra-Sunshine Coast;
• Canberra-Cairns;
• Brisbane-Launceston;
• Melbourne-Merimbula;

Other schedule adjustments:

• Sydney-Queenstown frequency to increase from 10 to 14 times weekly, effective mid Dec-2022;
• Sydney-Fiji frequency to increase from mid Dec-2022;
• Sydney-Bali: A330 to replace Boeing 737 from 05-Dec-2022 to 26-Jan-2023;
• Sydney-Cairns: A330 to operate up to 19 times weekly in Dec-2022/Jan-2023, up from 11 times weekly with 737. [more - original PR]

Qantas Airways launched (03-Dec-2022) three times weekly Melbourne-Dallas Fort Worth service with Boeing 787-9, marking the first nonstop service between the destinations. The carrier also operates Melbourne-Los Angeles service. CEO Andrew David said: "Around 40% of bookings on this route are people coming from the US directly into Melbourne and this will have flow-on benefits for local businesses". Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argue said: "Qantas' new service to Dallas will be the longest route ever flown out of Melbourne, and the fourth longest in the world". [more - original PR]

Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines signed (02-Dec-2022) an MoU to form a strategic partnership, under which the carriers will progressively codeshare on each other's services and explore a wide-ranging commercial collaboration. In the initial phase, Thai and SIA will codeshare on each other's services between Singapore and Bangkok. Thai will also codeshare on SIA's flight services to Cape Town and Johannesburg, Houston, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Newark, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver by 1Q2023, subject to regulatory approval. Additional codeshare arrangements to points in both airlines' networks will be explored to support increased air connectivity to Thailand and Singapore, as well as points in Europe, India, and South West Pacific routes. [more - original PR]

Singapore Changi Airport announced (01-Dec-2022) Jetstar Asia and Jetstar Airways confirmed they will operate from the airport's Terminal 4 from 22-Mar-2023. The relocation will enable Changi to optimise the use of its aircraft gates to meet growing demand for air travel, while creating headroom for Jetstar to grow at the global hub. [more - original PR]