A direct chartered flight to Adelaide in South Australia from China has the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) a-buzz. For other destinations in Australia, say Sydney, it would not be that big a deal but for Adelaide it is a major step forward.
SATC acting CEO Jo Podoliak, said the China Southern Airlines flight was an important first step in opening up South Australia as a holiday destination for travelers from the massive Chinese market. But note this was a charter. Not the first in a series of scheduled flights.
Podoliak said, “China has now overtaken Japan as Asia’s largest source of visitors to South Australia, and we expect this growth to continue.
AviationRecord.com reports China Southern has two major hubs – at Beijing and the brand new Baiyun International Airport at Guangzhou. The airline has 342 aircraft serving 841 cities in 162 countries, and is ranked as the 4th largest airline in the world.