China Southern plans direct Guangzhou-Darwin flight with Boeing 737 MAX

According to Travel Daily, this Darwin route would become Australia’s fourth longest Boeing 737 MAX service. Currently, the longest such route is between Denpasar (Bali) I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and Sydney at about 2,871 miles (4,620 kilometers), operated by Batik Air Malaysia and Virgin Australia. Other long routes include Bali-Gold Coast and Bali-Brisbane.

Other regional routes using the Boeing 737 MAX include connections from Bali to Melbourne (operated by Batik Air Malaysia, Qantas, Virgin Australia), Brisbane to Koror in Palau (Qantas), Nadi to Adelaide (Fiji Airways), Kuala Lumpur to Perth (Batik Air Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines), and Brisbane to Apia (Qantas, Virgin Australia).

With this addition, Darwin will become China Southern’s sixth gateway in Australia and its ninth destination in Oceania. The airline recently introduced year-round service to Port Moresby Jacksons International Airport in Papua New Guinea and Auckland International Airport in New Zealand. Seasonal flights are also offered during the Southern Hemisphere summer season to Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand; both New Zealand routes use the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

All international rotations originate from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which serves as a hub for China Southern’s domestic and international operations across Asia, Europe, North America, and other regions.

China Southern Airlines was founded in 1988 and is one of China’s three major airlines alongside Air China and China Eastern Airlines. It operates a fleet of over 680 aircraft with more than 190 additional planes on order—including models such as Airbus A320neo, A321neo, Boeing 737 MAX variants, and COMAC C919-100STD. The airline was previously part of the SkyTeam alliance until January 2019.