Here’s our weekly roundup of new air routes and codeshare partnerships
Qantas adds Adelaide-Auckland service, opens new lounge
Qantas will begin direct flights between Adelaide and Auckland from October 31, 2025, marking the return of non-stop international flights from South Australia.
The new route will operate four times a week until May 3, 2026, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. It will provide connections to North America through Qantas’ Auckland-New York service.
The airline has also opened a new Domestic Business Lounge in Adelaide. The space can accommodate up to 190 passengers and completes the redevelopment of the Adelaide Lounge precinct.
The lounge features a Market Kitchen inspired by the Adelaide Central Market, with food by Qantas creative director Neil Perry and snacks by Maggie Beer. Design elements draw on local landmarks including the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and Kangaroo Island’s Flinders Chase National Park. Most seats have access to charging points, including USB and wireless charging.
Cathay Pacific resumes direct flights between Hong Kong and Adelaide
Cathay Pacific will recommence non-stop flights between Hong Kong and Adelaide from November 11, 2025. The seasonal winter service will operate three times per week until March 27, 2026.
Adelaide becomes the airline’s eighth destination in the region, alongside existing year-round routes to Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, and seasonal services to Cairns and Christchurch.
The route will be operated using Airbus A350-900 aircraft, offering fully flat beds in Business, Premium Economy seating and Economy class. Flights will depart Hong Kong on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and return from Adelaide on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
The announcement follows several new routes added to Cathay Pacific’s global network in 2025, including Hyderabad, Dallas and Urumqi, with Rome, Munich, Brussels and Adelaide still to come.
Emirates, Air Mauritius renew codeshare and cooperation agreement
Emirates and Air Mauritius have renewed their partnership, which includes a reciprocal codeshare agreement, and coordination on frequent flyer programmes.
The renewed agreement, signed in Mauritius, formalises a collaboration that began in 2003 following Emirates’ launch of services to the island. The partnership was previously expanded in 2013 with an enhanced codeshare agreement.
Under the agreement, Air Mauritius will place its code on Emirates-operated flights to Cairo, Colombo, Karachi, Dammam, Jeddah, and Riyadh. Emirates, in turn, will place its code on Air Mauritius services between Mauritius and Antananarivo. Additionally, Air Mauritius can access Emirates’ broader network through interline arrangements.
Emirates currently operates 14 weekly flights between Dubai and Mauritius using Airbus A380 aircraft, and remains the only airline offering A380 services and First Class seats to the island.
Vietjet to link Chengdu and Xi’an with Hanoi from early July
Vietjet will launch two new direct routes connecting Hanoi with Chengdu and Xi’an in China. Flights to Chengdu will begin on July 1, 2025, and services to Xi’an will start on July 6, 2025. Each route will operate four round trips per week.
These additions increase Vietjet’s Vietnam-China direct routes to seven in 1H2025, following recent launches to Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.
Vietjet continues to expand its international network, including routes from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to major Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi’an, Beijing and Guangzhou. The airline has also added flights to Indian cities Hyderabad and Bengaluru, Japanese cities Nagoya and Fukuoka, and a new service between Phu Quoc island and Singapore.
