Summary

  • New direct routes to Melbourne and Sydney expand Juneyao Airlines’ global network from Shanghai to Southern Hemisphere.
  • Juneyao Airlines has launched three intercontinental routes to Europe this year, with destinations in Athens, Manchester, and Brussels.
  • Expansion of new destinations in Europe and Austrilia, featuring flagship 787 aircraft with premium cabin amenities.

Juneyao Airlines has announced a significant expansion of its global network with the launch of two new direct intercontinental routes from Shanghai to Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.

Scheduled to commence in mid-December 2024, this marks the airline’s first regular passenger flights to the Southern Hemisphere, highlighting Juneyao Airlines’ accelerated international growth this year.

juneyao airlines 7th 787

Photo: Juneyao Airlines

Expanding global reach with new destinations

The Shanghai-Melbourne route is set to begin operations on December 19, with flights scheduled three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Meanwhile, the Shanghai-Sydney route will launch on December 16, initially operating four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. These two routes not only signify Juneyao Airlines’ first entry into the South Pacific market but also offer complementary schedules, providing daily flights between Shanghai and Australia.

Juneyao Airlines has been aggressively expanding its international footprint throughout 2024. In the first half of the year, the airline introduced new routes from Shanghai to Bali, Penang, and Athens, while also increasing the frequency of flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Jeju, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Singapore. In July, Juneyao Airlines further strengthened its presence in Europe by launching new routes to Manchester and Brussels.

Fleet expansion and wide-body aircraft deployment

Founded in 2006 as a subsidiary of the Juneyao Group, Juneyao Airlines has steadily expanded its fleet and market presence. In 2018, when it operated just over 60 aircraft, the airline began introducing Boeing 787 wide-body jets, a significant move for its long-haul operations.

As of 2024, Juneyao Airlines operates a fleet of 121 aircraft, including 88 Airbus A320 series aircraft, 25 Boeing 737 series aircraft, and 8 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The fleet’s average age is 7.13 years, with Airbus aircraft comprising 73% of the total.

juneyao airlines 787

Photo: Juneyao Airlines

In December 2023, Juneyao Airlines received a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in Seattle, marking Boeing’s first direct delivery of a 787 to a Chinese airline since November 2019. This aircraft also represented the 100th 787 purchased directly by China’s civil aviation sector.

Juneyao Airlines has ordered 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and has taken delivery of 8, with plans to receive the remaining 2 by the end of 2024. These aircraft are central to the airline’s long-haul strategy, especially on routes to Europe and Australia.

juneyao airlines 787 fleet

Photo: Juneyao Airlines

The new Melbourne and Sydney routes, like the earlier launched routes to Athens, Manchester, and Brussels in Europe, will be operated by Juneyao Airlines’ flagship 787 aircraft. These aircraft feature the airline’s “Dream Journey” cabin theme, offering 29 Thompson Vantage XL fully flat business class seats and 295 Recaro CL3710 ergonomic economy class seats. Passengers will enjoy a range of onboard amenities, including large touchscreen entertainment systems, high-speed Wi-Fi, and multiple charging ports, ensuring a comfortable experience on long-haul flights.

As Juneyao Airlines continues to expand its wide-body fleet, the airline’s ambitions to grow its international routes are becoming increasingly evident. Whether this private airline can fully capitalize on the growing global travel demand to drive sustained revenue growth in the coming years remains to be seen—what’s your take?

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