AirAsia, Vietnam Airlines, and China Eastern are just some carriers adding capacity to Western Australia.
Western Australia is about to be even more connected to Asia, with a flurry of new routes and airlines set to grace the apron at Perth International Airport. While Qantas is the largest carrier and is looking towards Europe as part of its global expansion plan, Asian carriers are looking to cash in, with the likes of Vietnam Airlines and China Eastern doubling down on Western Australia.
Announced in September, Vietnam Airlines will connect Perth to its hub in Ho Chi Minh City from December 7th, serving the route three times a week with the Boeing 787; the arrival of the service comes only weeks after Vietjet launched its service to WA, with an add-on connection to Adelaide, South Australia.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
The carrier’s connection from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to Perth is the first direct flight to connect the two cities in four years. MU trialed a direct service just before the pandemic paused travel worldwide. The flights from Shanghai to Perth will depart on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Japanese carrier All Nippon recently added Perth to its Australian route map, joining Sydney as its second destination down under.
AirAsia plans
Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia will add Perth in March 2024, joining its brother AirAsia X, which already serves the route with its Airbus A330. AirAsia will deploy the 236-seater A321neo from Kuala Lumpur (KUL). AirAsia X already serves Perth from both KUL, while Indonesia AirAsia operates from Jakarta and Denpasar.
Other carriers adding capacity include Singapore Airlines, which will add four extra flights a week to Western Australia, adding to its thrice-daily service from Perth. The additional flights will then be upgraded to a four-times daily service effective March 31st. The airport CEO reiterated to Karryon:
“The introduction of its fourth daily service is another significant milestone for Singapore Airlines and highlights the commitment the airline has to the Perth and Western Australian market.”
Jetstar is also excited about new horizons in WA, with plans to add Phuket, Singapore, and Bangkok onboard the Airbus A321LR.
Source: Simple Flying
