On March 7th 2011 the Minister for Infrastucture and Transport the Honorable Anthony Albanese annnounced a new airline agreeement between China and Australia.
On March 7th 2011 the Minister for Infrastucture and Transport the Honorable Anthony Albanese annnounced a new airline agreeement between China and Australia.
Up to 8000 extra seats per week will be made available to the airlines of both Australia and China under the new agreement. The the old cap was 14500 seats a week. There will be an immediate increase of up to 18500 seats, and from February 2012 the cap will be 22500 seats per week. This is an increase of over 50% of seats from the old cap.
The new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) also allows airlines to offer an additional 2500 seats a week above the new cap on routes into and out of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth providing these additional flights make stopovers at a regional airport such as Cairns, Broome or Darwin.
China is Australia's fastest growing aviation market. Last year more than 1.7 millon people travelled between Australia and China, an increase of 21% on the previous year.
http://www.anthonyalbanese.com.au/file.php?file=/news/NYLPQEEGKPVVZOUHNUJRRVEI/index.html for a copy of press release.