The past two months have seen a slew of routes cropping up connecting destinations in China and Australasia. From Qantas starting a new Sydney-Beijing route and Tianjin Airlines applying for new Chongqing-Melbourne flights last week, to Hainan Airlines beginning a service between Shenzhen and Auckland, and China Eastern starting Shanghai-Brisbane flights last December, routes between the two regions are rapidly on the rise.

Now, China Eastern is adding to this growing list of China-Australasia services with the launch of new overnight direct flights connecting Wuhan and Sydney. Operating three times weekly with a 232-seat Airbus A330-200, the route is anticipated to bring some additional 21,500 Chinese visitors to Sydney every year.

“We’re delighted to welcome the Wuhan-Sydney service, particularly as we celebrate Lunar New Year,” said Sydney Airport’s managing director and CEO, Kerrie Mather. “This new route provides direct access to the most populous city in Central China and a major business and transportation hub.”

Sydney Airport currently services 14 cities in mainland China, and Chinese travellers make up the airport’s largest group of foreign inbound passengers.

Speaking about the new route, China Eastern Airlines’ general manager – Oceania, Kathy Zhang, said: “With our new Wuhan services, China Eastern Airlines is pleased to now offer 26 weekly flights between China and Sydney. Together with our partner Qantas we currently offer 40 direct weekly services to six mainland Chinese cities from Sydney, providing more convenience than ever.”

Details for the new service are as follows (all times local):

Flight No. From To Departs Arrives Days
MU749 Wuhan Sydney 2340 1330+1 Mon, Wed, Fri
MU750 Sydney Wuhan 2215 0545+1

en.ceair.com