CHINESE AIRLINES: What Airline services which cities with what aircraft in Australia and China

Australia’s aviation links with China are booming once again. Shenzhen Airlines will become the tenth Chinese carrier to enter the Australian market, with services to Melbourne commencing on 23 December 2025. That makes China one of Australia’s fastest-growing outbound destinations. It also makes it one of its most competitive air corridors.

For travellers, more airlines means more choice, more competition and more lower fares.

The challenge now is to negotiation which airline offers the best route, cabin, aircraft and service.

Why China is back

In June 2025, 49,890 Australians returned from short trips to China, slightly surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 figures. The growth has been jump-started by Beijing’s decision late last year to grant visa-free entry for Australians on stays of up to 30 days. That means no need to queue at Chinese embassies or pay the $109.50 tourist visa fee.

With stabilised diplomatic relations between China and Australia and aggressive fare sales from Chinese carriers its made for a very competitive market. Australians are flocking to China, whether it be to visit family, travel for leisure, or connect to Europe via Chinese hubs.

Melbourne has the most flights

Melbourne Airport has been the big winner. By the end of December 2025, it will host 10 Chinese airlines. That’s more than any other Australian gateway.

Here’s a table of Airlines currently or soon to service Melbourne. It is constructed with currently available information, so details may change, and should be checked online before making your decision of which carrier to use:

Chinese Airlines flying to Melbourne

Airline	Origin City	Frequency	Aircraft Type
China Eastern	Shanghai	Daily, multiple services	Airbus A330 / A350
China Southern	Guangzhou	Daily	Airbus A350-900
Air China	Beijing	Daily	Boeing 787 / A330
Hainan Airlines	Haikou	6 per week/daily	Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Sichuan Airlines	Chengdu	~5 flights/week	Airbus A330 (some A350s)
Xiamen Air	Xiamen	6 flights/week	Boeing 787
Tianjin Airlines	Tianjin	Codeshare/seasonal	Airbus A330
Juneyao Air	Shanghai	3/week initially, daily in peak	Boeing 787-9
Beijing Capital	Beijing	Weekly	Airbus A330
Shenzhen Airlines	Shenzhen	Launching 23 Dec 2025	Airbus A330-300

Chinese Airlines Serving Sydney

Sydney remains the traditional entry point for Chinese carriers, with a similar roster but heavier frequencies. Again, this has been compiled from internet data, so check details online with the chosen airline before you book.

Airline	Origin City	Frequency	Aircraft Type
China Eastern	Shanghai	Multiple daily services	Airbus A330 / A350
China Southern	Guangzhou	Daily	Airbus A350-900
Air China	Beijing	Daily	Boeing 787 / A330
Hainan Airlines	Haikou	6 per week/variable	Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Sichuan Airlines	Chengdu	3–5 flights/week	Airbus A330
Xiamen Air	Xiamen	Daily	Boeing 787
Tianjin Airlines	Tianjin	Limited codeshare	Airbus A330
Juneyao Air	Shanghai	3/week expanding seasonally	Boeing 787-9
Beijing Capital	Beijing	Weekly	Airbus A330

Chinese Airlines Serving Brisbane

Queensland isn’t left out. Brisbane has a smaller but growing portfolio of Chinese services. This list is compiled from internet data; please verify with the airline’s website before booking.

Airline	Origin City	Frequency	Aircraft Type
China Eastern	Shanghai	3–5 flights/week	Airbus A330 / A350
China Southern	Guangzhou	Daily	Airbus A350-900
Air China	Beijing	3–4 flights/week	Airbus A330
Sichuan Airlines	Chengdu	Limited/seasonal	Airbus A330
Xiamen Air	Xiamen	3–5 flights/week	Boeing 787

Cabin experience

To help you make up your mind on which airline to travel with, here is a table of cabin characteristics that might help you decide. At least it should start your decision making process. Add in fare cost, route and reviews, and hopefully your decision will be made easier.

Chinese Airlines — Passenger Experience Comparison

Airline	Origin	Aircraft	Passenger Experience (Cabin Highlights)
China Eastern	Shanghai	A330 / A350	Business: angled or full-flat seats (2-2-2 on A330s), lie-flat on A350s. Economy 32-33″ pitch, personal IFE, solid service.
China Southern	Guangzhou	A350-900	Business: Recaro CL6710 staggered 1-2-1, direct aisle, full-flat. Economy: 32″ pitch, modern IFE, USB power.
Air China	Beijing	A330 / 787	Business: lie-flat beds, Western/Asian menus. Economy 31-32″ pitch, seatback IFE, bilingual crew.
Hainan Airlines	Haikou	787 / A330	Business: 1-2-1 reverse herringbone (A330) or 2-2-2 (787-8), lie-flat. Economy 32″ pitch, IFE, Chinese + Western catering.
Sichuan Airlines	Chengdu	A330	Older business recliners/angled-flat. Economy ~31″ pitch, limited IFE, basic catering compared to peers.
Xiamen Air	Xiamen	787-8 / 787-9	Business: 2-2-2 lie-flat, Panasonic IFE, Wi-Fi on 787s. Economy 31-32″ pitch, USB, personal screens.
Tianjin Airlines	Tianjin	A330	Basic cabins, angled-flat business. Economy recline only, limited IFE.
Juneyao Air	Shanghai	787-9	Business: Thompson Vantage XL 1-2-1, 78″ bed, 18″ IFE, Wi-Fi. Economy: Recaro slimline, 32″ pitch, 295 seats, Wi-Fi.
Beijing Capital	Beijing	A330	Legacy business/economy product, older recliners. Limited IFE and catering variety.
Shenzhen Airlines	Shenzhen	A330-300	Expected: standard A330 layout, recliner business, 32″ pitch economy, IFE in both cabins.

2PAXfly Takeout

So, there you have it. A bit of a ready reckoner of Chinese Airlines and their routes to Australia. Or at least the East Coast capital cities.

I hope that gives you a place to start if you are flying between Australia and China, other than just a fare search on Kayak, Momodo, Google Flights or other flight search platforms.

You will notice I have not included Cathay Pacific, which flies out of Hong Kong, or China Airlines, which is based in Taiwan. Without getting into who or what is part of China, I have left them out, as they are both, for want of a better term, ‘Western-facing’ airlines. That is, they are more known to non-Chinese markets than some of the other mainland China-based airlines.

I have very limited experience with flying on any of these airlines. I have flown with Cathay Pacific, but that was years ago. Other than some internal flights, I have not flown with any of the other carriers.