Chinese Airlines Push for Second Sydney Airport
Australia-based managing directors of China Eastern, Sichuan and Xiamen airlines have stressed the need to fast-track the Western Sydney Airport to accomodate the growing number of mainland tourists flying to Australia.
With relaxed visa policies and the recent "Open Skies" agreement that lifted capacity restrictions for flights between China and Australia, Chinese visitors are expected to surpass New Zealand as Australia's top tourist group in 2017. However, Chinese airlines noted that Sydney’s Mascot airport was already operating almost at capacity: “At Sydney airport now the takeoff and landing slots are already full in the peak hours; there is no space to grow.” China Eastern’s Oceania general manager, Kathy Zhang told The Australian.
Currently, seven Chinese airlines run 167 flights from 13 mainland cities into Australia each week.
