Western Australia keen to have direct connectivity with India: Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti
Western Australia is keen to have direct air connectivity with India as well as expand cooperation in the area of critical minerals, its Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti said on Wednesday. Promoting tourism to Western Australia was the priority talking point for the Deputy Premier as she concluded a delegation-led mission in Delhi. A delegation visit is also scheduled for January 25 in Chennai.
India is currently Western Australia's 10th largest trading partner.
«Saffioti engaged in a series of important meetings and events including discussions with key airlines, exploring opportunities for collaboration and enhanced connectivity in the aviation sector. She also met with the chairman of TATA Sons to explore potential collaborations,» a statement said.
In an interview to PTI, Saffioti said aircraft availability is a key issue in achieving direct air connectivity between India and Western Australia and that talks are in progress with Air India and Indigo Airlines.
«We are very much keen to increase (flights) and to get direct air linkages between India and Western Australia. So we are working really hard on that.
One of the issues is aircraft availability. So we are waiting until the airlines can get more aircraft. In the meantime we are going to work with the airlines on how we can promote the existing links through Singapore and through other ports to bring more Indians into Western Australia,» Saffioti said in the interview.
Western Australia takes up a third of the country's land mass. It is 10 times the size of the UK. Perth, the state's capital, is among the most isolated cities in the world.
