New Chinese airline to start Melbourne flights

Chinese tourism to Victoria is set to rise, with Chinese airline Xiamen Air now flying non-stop to Melbourne twice-a-week.

File image of a jet plane of Xiamen Airlines Source: AAP

Victoria is getting a new international carrier with Chinese airline, Xiamen Air, starting twice-weekly trips to Melbourne.

The south-east Chinese airline touched down for the first time at Melbourne airport on Friday where it was sprayed with a water cannon, which is a traditional welcome for new international planes.

More than half a million Chinese nationals visited Victoria in the year ending March 2016, and contributed a third of total visitor expenditure in the state.