CHINA AIRLINES: More flights to Australia from October, 2026

Taiwan’s China Airlines is increasing flights to Australia from late October, giving travellers more non-stop choices between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Taipei.

The headline act is Sydney, where China Airlines will lift its Taipei service to daily from 25 October 2026. Melbourne follows on 28 October with a fifth weekly flight, while Brisbane gains an additional weekly Taipei service from 26 October.

It is a useful expansion for Australian travellers heading not only to Taiwan, but also to Japan, North America and parts of Europe via the airline’s Taipei Taoyuan hub.

China Airlines is Taiwan’s flag carrier, not an airline from mainland China. It is a SkyTeam member and a Qantas partner, which is significant if you want to earn status and points or redeem rewards.

New Australia schedule

Route	Flight numbers	Frequency from late October 2026	Typical timing
Taipei–Sydney	CI51/CI52	Daily from 25 October	Morning arrival into Sydney; evening departure to Taipei
Taipei–Melbourne	CI57/CI58	Five weekly from 28 October	Morning arrival into Melbourne; late-morning or evening departure depending on the operating day
Taipei–Brisbane	CI53/CI54 and additional service	Six weekly from 26 October	Existing flights continue onwards to Auckland on five days; one extra weekly service terminates in Brisbane

Exact times and operating days may move with the northern winter timetable, so travellers should check the China Airlines booking engine before locking in connections.

An Airbus A350, but check the cabin plan

All Australian services are expected to use Airbus A350-900s.

The standard three-class A350 carries 306 passengers: 32 in Premium Business, 31 in Premium Economy and 243 in Economy. Business class is a proper 1-2-1 layout with fully flat beds, while premium economy has a more generous recliner-style seat and a separate cabin.

However, be cautious. China Airlines also operates a 331-seat, two-class A350 configuration on some flights to Australia and New Zealand. That version has 28 business seats and 303 economy seats, with no premium economy cabin.

That makes seat selection worth doing early. A premium economy fare is only useful when the aircraft allocated to the flight actually has a premium economy cabin. Aircraft substitutions remain possible, particularly across a relatively small A350 fleet.

A stronger option for Qantas Points users

China Airlines remains one of the more useful Qantas partner airlines for redemptions in Asia, especially for travellers who can plan well ahead.

A one-way Classic Reward between Australia and Taipei costs 90,000 Qantas Points in business class, 70,800 points in premium economy and 34,700 points in economy, plus taxes and carrier charges. Availability can be patchy close to departure, but China Airlines often releases more seats than some of its better-known competitors.

Taipei is a particularly easy gateway for Japan and North America, with a broad onward network to cities including Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

2PAXfly Takeout

As a Sydneysider, the increase to a daily service is the real prize for me. It makes China Airlines a credible possibility for reward redemption for Taiwan and beyond.

Travellers based in Melbourne and Brisbane also get improved frequency. But for travellers out of Brisbane, check the aircraft you are booked on and be careful of substitutions, especially if you are booked in Premium Economy.

Taiwan is on my ‘I want to go, to there’ list, so these new frequencies might really be my cup of Formosa tea!