Tianjin Airlines confirms SYD

CHINESE carrier Tianjin Airlines continues to expand its footprint in Australasia, now opening bookings for its new Tianjin- Zhengzhou-Sydney route.

The airline, which is a division of Virgin Australia part-owner HNA group, applied for permission to launch the Sydney service just over a month ago ( TD 29 Sep) and kicked off Melbourne flights to Tianjuin via Chongqing last week.

GDS screens indicate the Tianjin-Sydney flights will commence operation twice weekly from 29 Jan 2018 using Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Tianjin Airlines also flies from Tianjin to Auckland via Chonqing, last month offering return fares for just US$151 ( TD 24 Oct).

In Aug, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission approved a five-year alliance between Virgin Australia and HNA Group which covers reciprocal codeshares, Special Prorate Agreements and “joint route planning and economic risk sharing agreements”.

VA also recently announced a reciprocal frequent flyer agreement with four HNA carriers including Tianjin Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines.

Tianjin Airlines overnight confirmed it had signed an SPA deal with VA connecting Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane and the Gold Coast to its flights over Sydney and Melbourne, as well as for onward travel in China to Beijing, Guangzhou, Urumqi, Xi’an and Haikou.