Australia’s Qantas pauses ‘half-full’ Sydney-Shanghai flights 9 months after post-pandemic restart

Australia’s flag carrier said demand for China travel had not recovered as strongly as expected, with Shanghai flights sometimes only ‘half-full’

It plans to return to Shanghai when demand recovers, but said it will redirect aircraft on the route to other destinations across Asia in the meantime

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A Qantas Airways passenger plane takes off from Sydney Airport. Photo: AP

Published: 3:36pm, 14 May 2024Updated: 3:39pm, 14 May 2024

Qantas Airways said on Tuesday it will suspend flights to Shanghai starting on July 28, citing low demand, nine months after Australia’s flag carrier resumed service from Sydney on hopes of a travel rebound following the pandemic.

International flight numbers to and from China are about 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and have been slower to recover than in other markets because of fewer tourists and a domestic economic slowdown.

“Since Covid, the demand for travel between Australia and China has not recovered as strongly as expected. In some months, our flights to and from Shanghai have been operating around half-full,” Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said.

Qantas aircraft on the Shanghai route will be redirected to other destinations across Asia with higher demand or new tourism opportunities, the company said.

Qantas will continue to monitor the Australia-China market closely and return to Shanghai when demand has recovered, the carrier added.

Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district seen across the Huangpu River from the Bund. Photo: Bloomberg

“Since borders reopened, Chinese visitors have been slow to return to Australia, despite aviation capacity increasing,” said Margy Osmond, CEO of industry group Tourism & Transport Forum Australia.