New airline on the trans-Tasman market, and it's probably not one you'd expect

China Eastern Airlines has started flights linking Auckland with Sydney and the Chinese city of Hangzhou. Flight MU731 landed in Auckland from China just after 9am on Monday and then took off for Australia nearly three hours later. There will be four services a week; two will be direct from Hangzhou to Auckland with a return via Sydney, while the other two flights will visit Sydney first before travelling to Auckland and then back to Hangzhou. The airline will use its Airbus A330 for the route. One-way fares between Auckland and Sydney start at just over NZ$240, and between Auckland and Hangzhou, also one-way, at under $590. Currently, China Eastern Airlines flies daily between Shanghai and Auckland. When the service was announced last month, an Auckland Airport spokesperson told Stuff Travel: “China Eastern Airlines have been flying to Auckland Airport since 2014, connecting through to Shanghai up to 11 times a week prior to the pandemic. “With the additional four services per week originating from Hangzhou to Auckland, China Eastern Airlines will be returning to its pre-pandemic frequency.” It won’t be the only new route from China operating in New Zealand this week. China Southern Airlines returns to Christchurch on Friday. The service to Guangzhou started in 2015 but was paused due to the pandemic in 2020.<br/>