China Southern returns to Adelaide

Adelaide will once again see direct flights into China when China Southern Airlines restarts flights to Guangzhou on December 12, 2024 – almost five years after the route was suspended in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic.

It’s a milestone for Adelaide, which currently has no non-stop flights to mainland China. This has made Singapore Airlines the go-to for a one-stop flight via Singapore, while Cathay Pacific has yet to resume flights to the City of Churches.

China Southern will run three Boeing 787 flights each week, with departures from Guangzhou at 10:15pm every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday reaching Adelaide at 9:55am the following day. The return flight will leave Adelaide at 11:30am, arriving in Guangzhou at 6:05pm that same day.

Guangzhou, the capital of China’s Guangdong province, is a vital hub for both tourism and commerce.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas described China Southern’s return as a “win” for South Australia’s tourism and trade, with an estimated $69m expected to flow into the state each year. 

“It’s a critical route to open up one of the largest markets anywhere in the world,” Malinauskas said.

“We’ve seen a stabilisation of the Australia-China relationship over recent times and that has translated materially for our state.”

“Whether it be the lifting of tariffs, whether it be the increased trade, whether it be Chinese students returning to our universities – this is critical for our prosperity as a state but also our positioning as being a serious economy with a strong growth trajectory in front of us.”

Zhixing Sun, China Southern Airlines’ Australia and New Zealand Regional General Manager, said the airline was eager to expand its “Canton Route, and bring more travellers from China and around the world to South Australia.”

Known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and status as a major economic centre, Guangzhou also acts as a key gateway to other star destinations in southern China such as Shenzhen and Macao.

From Guangzhou, passengers will also have the option of onwards flights spearing out across the Chinese mainland as well as connections to key destinations across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and North America.

Emirates is also back on the Adelaide Airport departure board from October 28, helping reconnect South Australians with not only Dubai but the rest of the world – especially Europe and the UK.