ARRIVALS LOUNGE
HAINAN JET DUE TODAY:
AN airline considered one of the world’s best is expected to bring a further 30,000 Chinese tourists to Cairns over the coming two years.
A Hainan Airlines jet will touch down at Cairns Airport for the first time this morning as the Chinese carrier begins twice-weekly services between the Far North and Shenzhen.
It is the second time in as many weeks that a major airline has launched direct services between Cairns and mainland China – the world’s largest and fastest-growing tourism market – following China Southern’s December 5 takeoff.
Cairns Airport chief executive Norris Carter said the value of the two new services could not be overstated.
“With such a huge population and the aspiration to travel to our destination, we can be very optimistic about the positive economic impact of the new airlines coming to Cairns,” he said.
“With over 80 per cent of our international visitors currently using domestic flights to get to and from Cairns, the Hainan service gives travellers the option of a shorter flight, no backtracking and more time to enjoy the destination.”
China’s fourth-largest carrier, Hainan was earlier this year ranked by global aviation review company Skytrax as one of the top 10 airlines on the planet.
With the China Southern services operating between Cairns and Guangzhou, the new Hainan route links the Far North with another financial hub in Shenzhen.
“These cities are all relatively close to each other, but the greater region is home to around 120 million people who have a growing appetite for international travel and have the Great Barrier Reef high on their wish list,” Mr Carter said.
“The Hainan flights mean people can fly overnight, arrive here and spend a few days or a week, and then fly home during the day ready to return to work the following day.”
A Hainan Airlines spokesman said the company aimed to “further stimulate interactions between China and Australia” throughout 2017.
“We believe that Hainan Airlines’ Shenzhen-Cairns direct services will bring new opportunities in trading cooperation and cultural exchange for Cairns, as well as for Queensland and the whole of Australia,” he said.
“Following our development in international flights and investments in Virgin Australia, Shenzhen-Cairns has become Hainan Airlines’ sixth route between China and Australia.”