China Eastern Airlines will trial a new service early next year, connecting Western Australia to around 25 million people in Shanghai.
The five-week seasonal trial over Chinese New Year will result in three non-stop flights operating between Perth (PER) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) per week between 15 January and 17 February 2020.
Perth Airport Chief Executive Officer Kevin Brown said the trial was a great result and followed months of negotiations in partnership with Tourism WA and the State Government.
“Fresh produce, business and leisure tourism are all key export focus areas and a direct link between Shanghai and Perth will undoubtedly further connect Western Australia and benefit the entire economy.
“It offers great potential for both tourism and business in Western Australia and we look forward to building a strong partnership with China Eastern Airlines to ensure the trial’s success.
“One daily international direct flight has the potential to deliver an additional $70 million to our State’s economy and create more than 600 new jobs. It’s imperative that we work together with tourism, business, educational institutions and government to ensure we maximise these opportunities to deliver significant benefits to Western Australia.
“Chinese visitation to WA has increased by 12.4 per cent to 64,400 visitors. And those visitors spent $273 million in WA.
“The trial non-stop service between Shanghai and Perth will add much needed seats to the market during this seasonal busy period. If the trial is successful and leads to the introduction of three weekly services year-round, it could mean an additional $40 million in tourism spend for the WA economy.
The airline will operate the service on a A330-200 which has 232 seats.
The flights MU265 and MU2666 will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, arriving into Perth at 9.50am and departing at 11.50am.
