That Sydney flight is on an old NWA route authority, flown by the 744 in 1991 thru 1994. It was not a "Use or Lose" authority. This is unlike the majority of the east asia authorities slots and or country entries which tend to be use or lose. So that one has been dormant for a while but the combined airline has enough mass to make it pay now, this looks like a sign of good things to come.