New direct flights between Melbourne and key Chinese cities opens a plethora of opportunities for companies looking to tap into Melbourne’s vibrant economy.
Extra non-stop flights from Shanghai and new flights from Nanjing will be landing soon at Melbourne Airport, thanks to support from the Victorian Government.
Minister for Jobs and Industry, Natalie Hutchins, announced that China Eastern Airlines will increase flights to Melbourne Airport from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and introduce new flights out of Nanjing Lukou International Airport from July this year.
Backed by the Victorian Government and Melbourne Airport, these flights will strengthen connections with China’s biggest city and financial hub Shanghai as well as Nanjing, the capital of our sister-state Jiangsu Province.
Victoria’s sister-state relationship with Jiangsu is our most enduring and has been the cornerstone of our cultural and economic ties to China for more than 40 years.
These new flights will offer extra seats for business travellers between the two countries and provide nearly 3,650 tonnes of extra air freight export capacity each year, strengthening China’s status as Victoria’s largest trading partner with two-way merchandise trade in 2023 worth $39 billion.
Victoria’s visitor economy continues to thrive with Melbourne becoming Australia’s first capital city airport to exceed pre-pandemic international capacity in December 2023 and global travelers generating $6.4 billion in tourism expenditure across the state last year.
From new Air India flights from Mumbai to Turkish Airlines flights from Türkiye, the Government continues to support international airlines to add new routes to our Victorian airports to attract more visitors, create more jobs and bolster our economy.
Learn about China’s trade and bilateral relationship with Victoria