Key facts
- Air China's first non-stop flight from Beijing to Brisbane departed on Monday.
Air China has launched its first non-stop flight route between Beijing and Brisbane, Australia. The service will operate four times weekly, significantly reducing travel time and aiming to boost tourism, trade, and business cooperation between the two nations.
The new direct flight route between Beijing and Brisbane is expected to significantly boost tourism and trade between China and Australia, offering greater convenience and potentially increasing economic ties and cultural exchange.
Air China has inaugurated its first non-stop flight service connecting Beijing with Brisbane, Australia. The inaugural flight, CA 795, departed from Beijing Capital International Airport early Monday morning, with subsequent flights scheduled four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The journey is expected to take approximately 11 hours, a significant reduction from the previous 12.5-hour travel time that required a transfer. This new route establishes Brisbane as Air China's third destination in Australia, alongside Sydney and Melbourne. Hou Xulun, deputy head of Air China, stated that the route expansion aims to improve connectivity between China and Australia, thereby enhancing bilateral trade, business cooperation, and tourism. The airline currently operates over 40 weekly passenger flights between the two countries. The expansion of direct flights is supported by the Australia-China open air services agreement signed a year prior, according to Australian ambassador to China, Jan Adams. Air China noted a double-digit growth in Chinese tourists visiting Australia, with a total of 2 million trips recorded between the two nations in 2016.