China Southern Airlines has announced that it will soon resume flights to Brisbane from China four times per week, growing to daily within two years. While the media attention has been on passengers, Queensland exporters will welcome the return of the direct air-cargo channel, which saw 11 thousand tonnes per year sent from BNE to China pre-Covid – but has lately seen the vast majority of Queensland produce flown via SYD or MEL airports.
Brisbane Airport Chief Executive Officer Gert-Jan de Graaff has just returned from Guangzhou following personal negotiations with the airline. He said, “This is massive news for Queensland exporters with the volume of freight sent to China slumping since the loss of direct flights. Now Queensland’s rural producers and exporters will again have direct access to 1.4 billion customers across China and beyond.”
Queensland’s top exports to China currently include chilled beef, seafood, provitamins and vitamins, beauty and make-up products and fresh produce.
Quote from Australia-China Business Council CEO Elizabeth Sullivan (source, Brisbane Airport Corporation Newsroom):
“The return of these flights is hugely important for facilitating two-way direct people-to-people links, particularly for those in the trade and investment space, and across the broader community, including in tourism and education.
“Behind all the trade and investment numbers are hundreds of Queensland companies and thousands of jobs across the State. These flights will make it so much smoother and easier for those wanting to do business or to travel to now visit Queensland and/or China.”
China Southern will operate the new generation Airbus A350 aircraft to Brisbane.
Services will resume on 17 November, with flights arriving in Brisbane on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 0830am and departing from BNE to CAN on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 1010am.
China’s Freight Hubs
Starting from wet-leased freighters, to currently operating a self-owned fleet of two Boeing 747-400Fs and twelve Boeing 777-200F freighters, China Southern Cargo’s strategy has been to establish Shanghai and Guangzhou as its “dual-cargo-hubs.”
This particular corridor is called the Canton Route, with the airport at Guangzhou becoming the No.1 gateway from mainland China to Australasia – the airline also operates daily flights between Guangzhou to both Sydney and Melbourne.
China Southern Cargo prides itself on its good working relationship with freight forwarders and has developed the “Tang” cargo IT System, covering all processes of the air cargo business with four major features: 24-hour online reservation, global coverage, user-friendly interface and multi-system EDI capability.
Read our related article: Korean Air Returns to Brisbane.
For more information about international airfreight and sea cargo shipments – whether with China or any other point on the globe – contact us here at Colless Young. As licensed Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders we offer correct, professional advice on all your import and export trade transactions. We are based in Brisbane and provide a complete range of logistics services through all Australian ports and airports.
