Arrival of Juneyao Air confirms Sydney Airport as Australia's Gatewa

• Juneyao Air to commence inaugural Australian services from Shanghai into Sydney from 17 December 2024
• Juneyao will be the record 9th Chinese mainland carrier to operate at Sydney Airport
• Arrival of Juneyao will push seat capacity from Sydney Airport to mainland China to 101% of 2019 levels

Sydney will also be the first airport in Australia to welcome Juneyao Air, which has the potential to increase to daily services over peak months in 2025 on its flagship Boeing 787-9 aircraft, configured with 324 seats: 29 in Business Class and 295 in Economy Class.

With the commencement of Juneyao's services in December, Sydney Airport will offer the highest seat capacity to mainland China of any Australian airport. Juneyao's entry will also push seat capacity from Sydney into mainland China to 101% of December 2019 levels, with 53,000 weekly seats.

In the 12 months to June 2024, Sydney Airport captured 49% of passengers on the Australia to mainland China route, further solidifying its status as the leading hub for international travel in the region.

Scott Charlton, CEO of Sydney Airport, stated, "We are proud to welcome Juneyao Air to Sydney Airport, the home of Chinese airlines in Australia. The introduction of Juneyao's services in December provides passengers from mainland China with unprecedented choice and convenience when traveling to Sydney." "This expansion is a strong vote of confidence in Sydney as the premier gateway to Australia and underscores the enduring appeal of New South Wales to Chinese travellers. We're especially pleased to have worked in partnership with Destination NSW and the NSW Government to deliver this service."

Minister for Jobs and Tourism, John Graham said: "The addition of direct flights from Shanghai to Sydney by Juneyao Air is welcome news and will give the NSW the highest seat capacity from mainland China.

"Increasing aviation capacity into NSW is critical to our plans to grow tourism's contribution and the 117,000 businesses that make up the sector. The NSW visitor economy, worth $50 billion a year, is the largest among Australian states."

Mr Chengji Yu, President of Juneyao Air, said "We are thrilled to be expanding our network into Oceania with new services to the fantastic harbour city of Sydney, our first Australian destination.

"We look forward to bringing our own unique brand to the route utilising our new Boeing 787-9 aircraft and trust the people of Sydney will enjoy this new direct service into our Shanghai home and beyond through our China network."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

¹Subject to Australian government regulatory approval. Chinese carriers currently operating routes between Sydney and mainland China:

• Air China
• Beijing Capital Airlines
• China Eastern Airlines
• China Southern Airlines
• Hainan Airlines
• Sichuan Airlines
• Tianjin Airlines
• Xiamen Airlines

Images of Juneyao Air can be found HERE