Qatar Airways and China Southern Expand Flights to China for Golden Week
Qatar Airways and China Southern Airlines have announced a broader codeshare agreement designed to strengthen flight connections between China and international destinations via Doha. From October 16, 2025, Qatar Airways will add its code to China Southern’s three weekly non-stop flights connecting Beijing Daxing with Doha. Conversely, China Southern will add its code to 15 flights operated by Qatar Airways to cities across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, providing travelers with more route choices.
The expansion includes Beijing Daxing as China Southern’s second gateway for non-stop flights to Doha, complementing the existing Guangzhou service. There are also initiatives to start flights from Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, pending the required regulatory permissions. These updates are intended to create more travel options between China and other countries, while improving how passengers are distributed across flights to optimize overall flow. The revised codeshare is intended to give travelers increased flexibility in planning their flights during peak travel times.
The timing of this expansion coincides with China's Golden Week, which runs from October 1 to 8 each year. Golden Week is a major public holiday in China that merges National Day celebrations with a week-long break, giving millions of people the opportunity to travel domestically and internationally. It is one of the busiest periods for the transportation, tourism, and hospitality industries, accompanied by a significant increase in airline ticket bookings, hotel stays, and cultural tourism. This holiday period strongly influences the way travel occurs across China.
During Golden Week, patterns in international travel change noticeably, with many travelers opting for trips to destinations across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Through the extended code-sharing via Doha, travelers gain easier access to multiple destinations with fewer layovers, opening up a broader selection of travel options. By coordinating flight schedules and numbers at this time, airlines strive to meet peak travel demand more efficiently, giving passengers easier access to a broad array of international destinations while enhancing planning and flexibility for both leisure and business travelers.
"This latest expansion ensures that every Qatar Airways route to China is now accessible to China Southern Airlines’ passengers, underlining our long-term commitment to a market that is integral to our growth and connectivity. Timed with this year’s Golden Week, it provides Chinese travellers with unrivalled access through Doha to over 170 destinations across our global network via Hamad International Airport, the Best Airport in the Middle East, as voted by Skytrax in 2025."
The increased codeshare options mean greater flexibility when planning trips during busy periods, particularly Golden Week. Passengers can access additional destinations and more convenient schedules, reducing travel time and improving connections. These changes exemplify a wider trend in which airline collaborations adapt to seasonal travel needs and enhance global connectivity. These updates offer notable benefits for travelers aiming to move smoothly across both short-haul and long-haul routes linking China with destinations around the globe.