Asia’s second-biggest airline has announced it will run the first-ever direct flights between Adelaide and Shanghai, with the new connections set to open up more opportunities for travellers and local businesses.
China Eastern, with a fleet of nearly 800 aircraft, has committed to operating three flights per week commencing mid-next year.
The new route will connect Adelaide to Shanghai, the world’s third-largest city.
China Eastern, with a fleet of nearly 800 aircraft, has committed to operating three flights per week commencing mid-next year. (9News)
“It’s one of our top, unserved cities on planet Earth, both for people and for trade,” Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox said.
The new route provides South Australian travellers with better access to global destinations, with Shanghai offering connections to European destinations, including London, Portugal, Paris and Moscow, as well as those elsewhere in Asia, such as New Delhi, Japan, Seoul and Bangkok.
The anticipated influx of tourists into South Australia is expected to provide a boost to the local economy.
“Every single job that is connected to exports, tourism, that is connected to airlines and air freight is more secure,” Trade Minister Joe Szakacs said.
In addition to tourism, the new route is expected to facilitate the export of South Australian produce directly to Shanghai.
“We are seeing record exports from our seafood industry,” Szakacs said.
“We are seeing the largest single buyer of South Australian barley at Tsingtao Brewery.”
The addition of China Eastern brings the total number of airlines servicing Adelaide internationally to 13, a significant increase since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our aviation network vision saw us having potentially 14 connections by 2030… so we are ahead of the curve,” Cox said.
The flights to Shanghai will be serviced by wide-bodied aircraft, with an estimated flight time of 10 hours.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
