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Melbourne Airport: Chinese carrier Xiamen Airlines adds new destination from Melbourne to Hangzhou

Direct News Source

31-Aug-2017 Chinese carrier Xiamen Airlines adds new destination from Melbourne to Hangzhou

Xiamen Airlines has announced it will expand its offering from Melbourne to China with a new non-stop route to Hangzhou.

The carrier will operate two flights per week on a Boeing 788 with capacity to hold 235 seats, a total of 24,477 seats one-way annually.

The non-stop service will depart Melbourne on Thursday and Sunday, while the service from Hangzhou will depart on Wednesday and Saturday.

Tickets are now on sale with the inaugural flight set to take-off on 16 December 2017.

Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Simon Gandy welcomed the announcement, which makes Hangzhou the 11th destination into China.

"This is fantastic news. China is currently our largest inbound tourism market for Victoria with 570,000 annual visitors. With tourism between China and Melbourne booming, this new non-stop service to Hangzhou will continue to enhance choice for Victorian travellers," said Mr Gandy.

"Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province in East China known for its scenic beauty including the West Lake, as one of the country's most beautiful sites. The city has a population of 8.9 million and is located just 180kms from Shanghai, making it a great destination to visit in its own right and a gateway into China's biggest city."

"For business purposes this is a great route as China's largest e-commerce company, Alibaba, has its headquarters in Hangzhou. In February this year Alibaba opened its doors in Melbourne, so we're sure this service will play a big role in enabling connections for not only this global giant, but many other businesses as well."

"This service is another example of Melbourne's growth, which is why we are strengthening our capacity with new infrastructure. This ranges from the addition of an eighth baggage carousel to enhance the traveller experience, to our third runway proposal, which will unleash huge economic benefits for Victoria and Australia."

"We thank Xiamen Airlines for their commitment and confidence in Melbourne Airport and for strengthening the links between Melbourne and China."