THE inaugural non-stop flight from China to Darwin touched down today, with NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner describing it as a “milestone moment for Territory tourism”.
The Donghai Airlines service takes about 5h 30min direct from Shenzhen, and is anticipated to bring thousands of new Chinese visitors to the Territory, providing $32 million in new visitor expenditure annually “once the route reaches three flights per week at 80% capacity,” Gunner enthused.
He said the new route heralded a step-change in the Territory’s international competitiveness, with the NT Government investing $103m to “turbocharge tourism”.
Tourism NT has launched a new “Your Australian journey is not complete without the Northern Territory” campaign in Shenzhen.
Flights will initially operate each Wed and Sun, with Donghai Airlines contactable on 1800 905 614 or at global.donghaiair.com.
Source: traveldaily