SYDNEY, Aug. 26 (People’s Daily Online)-- Air China will launch a direct international flight between Chengdu and Sydney on November 12, 2016, aiming at facilitating trade and tourism between Australia and western China.

John O’Sullivan, Tourism Australia Managing Director said Air China’s new Chengdu service highlighted the increasing importance of China’s second-tier cities in driving Australia’s tourism growth.

“Securing direct aviation access to cities like Chengdu through new services such as this provides a vital platform upon which to focus our marketing and distribution activities. This is great for Sydney and Australian tourism,” he said.

“This Airbus A330-200 aircraft service is Air China’s first direct service between western China and Oceania. The Chengdu to Sydney service will facilitate further trade between Australia and western China, as Chengdu is the most economically dynamic city in Western China with the most Fortune Global 500 companies,” Rui Jie, Air China General Manager Oceania said.

Stuart Ayres, New South Wales Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events said this new route contributed to NSW’s China Tourism Strategy 2012-2020, which aimed to grow visitation from second tier cites such as Chengdu through new aviation services.

Kerrie Mather, Sydney Airport Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer states this service will bring 23,000 Chinese visitors and $89 millions in additional visitor expenditures every year.

Sydney Airport is the world’s leading long haul airport for Chinese airlines, with six airlines serving 11 Mainland Chinese cities. The airport has implemented a China ready strategy to welcome Chinese passengers, for example, it provides Mandarin speaking Airport Ambassadors, digital channels and way finding in simplified Chinese, acceptance of Union Pay. (People’s Daily Online/ Mengyi Xu)