China Southern Airlines has confirmed that its seasonal Perth–Guangzhou service will become a year-round operation from April 2026, flying three Boeing 787-9 rotations per week and injecting roughly 85,800 seats annually.
Western Australia has pursued direct links to mainland China for a decade. In fiscal-year 2025, the state welcomed 65,000 Chinese visitors who spent AUD 457 million. Permanent connectivity secures capacity for the mining, energy and education industries, all of which rely on frequent executive travel to Guangdong’s manufacturing belt and onward connections across China Southern’s 200-city domestic network.
![China Southern Makes Perth–Guangzhou Route Permanent, Adding 85,800 Seats a Year]()
Cargo is integral to the deal. A new sister-airport agreement between Perth Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun includes joint marketing of belly-hold capacity, promising faster export of premium seafood and fresh produce to South China. Travel agents report that through-fares to Europe via Guangzhou already undercut Middle-Eastern rivals, offering an alternative hub for Australia-EU itineraries.
Corporate mobility teams should note that Guangzhou maintains a 24-hour visa-free transit facility—useful for Australian passport holders connecting to secondary Chinese cities without a full visa. Travellers staying longer than the waiver allows will still need an appropriate Chinese visa, but digital application services can expedite the paperwork.
Western Australia has pursued direct links to mainland China for a decade. In fiscal-year 2025, the state welcomed 65,000 Chinese visitors who spent AUD 457 million. Permanent connectivity secures capacity for the mining, energy and education industries, all of which rely on frequent executive travel to Guangdong’s manufacturing belt and onward connections across China Southern’s 200-city domestic network.
Cargo is integral to the deal. A new sister-airport agreement between Perth Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun includes joint marketing of belly-hold capacity, promising faster export of premium seafood and fresh produce to South China. Travel agents report that through-fares to Europe via Guangzhou already undercut Middle-Eastern rivals, offering an alternative hub for Australia-EU itineraries.
Corporate mobility teams should note that Guangzhou maintains a 24-hour visa-free transit facility—useful for Australian passport holders connecting to secondary Chinese cities without a full visa. Travellers staying longer than the waiver allows will still need an appropriate Chinese visa, but digital application services can expedite the paperwork.
Source: VisaHQ Global Mobility News
