Juneyao lands in Sydney and Melbourne
Juneyao lands in Sydney and Melbourne
Cathay has gone to Cairns
December 19th, 2025. One of China’s largest privately owned airlines, Juneyao Air, has touched down in Sydney. The carrier is operating four flights a week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. During the lunar new year, the service will be increased to daily.
Flight number HO1669 departs from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport at 17:30 and arrives in Sydney at 06:30 the following morning. The return leg, flight number HO1670, leaves Sydney at 08:35 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and lands back in Shanghai at 16:00. The flight time is approximately ten and a half hours.
“We are eager to introduce our distinctive brand to this route, featuring our flagship Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. We are confident that the people of Sydney will appreciate this new direct service, connecting them seamlessly to our Shanghai hub and beyond through our extensive China, Asia, and Europe network,” said Juneyao Air’s president, Chengji Yu.
Today also marks the start of the airline’s three times a week service to Melbourne which also increases to daily during the peak season.
Cathay reinstates its service to Cairns
Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific has reinstated its route to Cairns and will offer a seasonal service through until March 29th. The service will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, deploying Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
“These services come at an ideal time for passengers travelling overseas for Christmas and summer holidays and will offer additional connectivity for the thousands of international visitors expected to welcome the 2025 Year of the Snake in Tropical North Queensland. Cathay Pacific’s extensive network also offers key opportunities for our local exporters to gain direct access to Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and beyond,” said Cairns Airport executive officer, Richard Barker.
Flight number CX147 departs Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok Airport at 01:05 and lands in Cairns at 10:30. The return leg takes off from Cairns at 12:00 and arrives back in Hong Kong at 17:15. The flight duration is about seven and a half hours.
Picture: View of the Lagoon at the Esplanade, Cairns by Bahnfrend via Wikimedia Commons
Hotel suggestions
The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
Great Southern Hotel Melbourne
Crystalbrook Flynn, Cairns
Related: New flights to China