China Southern Adds Darwin As China-Australia Capacity Builds

Darwin will gain its first nonstop link to mainland China in nearly six years this December when China Southern Airlines launches service from Guangzhou as part of a broader expansion that also includes the resumption of Adelaide flights.

Flights to Darwin International Airport will begin on Dec. 3 with 3X-weekly Boeing 737-8 services, while operations to Adelaide Airport will return on Dec. 1, also running three times per week but using 787-8s. The Darwin schedule is currently in place through March 27, 2026, according to the carrier’s booking system.

Darwin will be China Southern’s sixth gateway in Australia, joining Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. The Northern Territory capital has lacked service from mainland China since early 2020, when Donghai Airlines suspended its Shenzhen route that had been launched in May 2018.

Sabre Market Intelligence data shows Darwin–China traffic totaled 30,800 two-way passengers in 2019, fell to near zero during the pandemic and recovered to just 2,290 in 2024.

The broader Australia–China market, however, continues to expand. OAG Schedules Analyser data indicates two-way capacity for August 2025 stands at almost 300,000 seats, up from 253,00 a year earlier. By December, the market is projected to reach 453,00 seats—surpassing both December 2024 levels and the 428,400 seats recorded in December 2019 before the pandemic.

For Darwin, China Southern’s arrival comes amid a steady rebuilding of its international network in 2025. Qantas launched 4X-weekly Darwin–Singapore flights in March with 737-800s, timed to connect with its Airbus A380 London services, as well as other destinations across Europe and Asia with partner airlines. Indonesia AirAsia also reinstated Bali–Darwin service the same month, while AirAsia added Kuala Lumpur–Darwin flights in June.

For China Southern, Darwin offers an entry point into northern Australia, where competition is less intense than in Sydney or Melbourne. The route also provides a shorter option for leisure travelers from southern China heading to northern Australia’s tourism attractions.

The carrier’s broader Australian schedule for winter 2025-26 will include Guangzhou flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, plus a Shenzhen–Sydney service. Seasonal Beijing Capital–Melbourne and Beijing Capital–Sydney routes, operated during winter 2024-25, are not currently filed with OAG, but could still return.

The expansion coincides with a strong rebound in Chinese outbound travel. In the 12 months to March 2025, Australia welcomed 860,000 visitors from China, who spent A$9.2 billion ($6 billion). According to Trip.com Group, Australia ranked as the top long-haul destination for Chinese travelers during the 2025 Lunar New Year period and the leading Southern Hemisphere destination throughout 2024.

Trip.com and Tourism Australia also signed a new three-year agreement in July to step up destination marketing and travel package offerings aimed at the Chinese market.