May 14 (Reuters) - Qantas Airways ( QUBSF ) said on

Tuesday it will suspend flights to Shanghai starting July 28,

citing low demand, about nine months after the Australian flag

carrier resumed service from Sydney on hopes of a travel rebound

following the pandemic.

International flight numbers to and from China are about 70%

of pre-pandemic levels and have been slower to recover than in

other markets because of fewer tourists and a domestic economic

slowdown.

"Since COVID, the demand for travel between Australia

and China has not recovered as strongly as expected. In some

months, our flights to and from Shanghai have been operating

around half-full," Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said.

Qantas aircraft on the Shanghai route will be redirected to

other destinations across Asia with higher demand or new tourism

opportunities, the company said.

Qantas will continue to monitor the Australia-China

market closely and return to Shanghai when demand has recovered,

the carrier added.

Qantas still flies to Hong Kong from Sydney and Melbourne,

and has partnerships with other airlines for onward travel

within China.

The carrier also announced a new route from Brisbane to

Manila starting in late October, as well as additional flights

to Singapore. It will also increase its flight frequency from

Sydney to Bengaluru.

China's Civil Aviation Administration has said it expects

overseas flights to return to 80% of pre-COVID levels by the end

of 2024. China's domestic flight capacity recovered faster,

surging past 2019 levels in early 2023 soon after the country

lifted travel restrictions.

U.S.-China flights have seen the slowest recovery but

are increasing, with service at 16.5% of pre-pandemic levels,

the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said this

month.