- Premier Roger Cook has met with Indonesian
airline partners as WA looks to strengthen aviation ties to boost the WA
economy and support jobs
- Indonesia has the greatest number of flights
from Perth, more than 60 per week
- Meetings are part of the WA Government's Indonesia
Connect Roadshow
Strengthening relationships and exploring new aviation
opportunities was high on the agenda as Premier Roger Cook met with Indonesian
airlines in Jakarta today.
Kicking off with a meeting with Garuda Indonesia, WA
Government representatives, in partnership with Perth Aiport, also met with AirAsia and other carriers to discuss
Perth's aviation connections with the country.
Garuda is the national carrier of Indonesia and also
operates the low-cost subsidiary Citilink, which recommenced services from
Denpasar in 2022 and commenced new services between Jakarta and Perth in July.
AirAsia Indonesia commenced a new four times weekly direct
service between Jakarta and Perth in June, with plans to increase the frequency
of this service in the future.
Batik Air Indonesia also announced a daily flight from
Jakarta to Perth commencing 21 September, further strengthening WA's
connections with the region.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia was WA's seventh
largest international market with over 38,000 visitors spending an estimated
$81 million in the State.
Currently, more than 60 flights travel between Perth and Indonesia on
a weekly basis operated by AirAsia, Batik Air, Citilink and Jetstar.
The Cook Government is currently leading WA's largest
overseas trade mission with 130 delegates on its Indonesia Connect Roadshow.
The Roadshow, led by Premier Cook, is made up of 130 WA
business, industry, media and Government representatives, providing a platform
to promote the State as a recognised and trusted partner for the region.
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"Western Australia has a strong connection with Indonesia,
and through our solid relationships with international airlines, such as Garuda
and AirAsia, we can foster mutually beneficial tourism opportunities.
"Perth has a reputation as being the Western Gateway to
Australia and our city enjoys a number of direct connections with Indonesia
through Jakarta and Bali.
"Meetings with our valued airline partners provide a unique
chance to explore opportunities as we get closer to pre-pandemic levels of
international travel.
"Indonesia is a vital tourism and trade partner for WA, and
I look forward to continuing our discussions with our aviation partners."
Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
"While we currently have more than 60 flights travelling between Perth
and Indonesia on a weekly basis, we're always looking to further strengthen our
relationship with our closest international neighbour and explore new aviation
opportunities.
"With a population of 273 million people, Indonesia is an
important market for our State, so I really welcome Premier Cook's meetings
with Indonesian airlines today as part of the Indonesia Connect Roadshow.
"I'd also like to acknowledge and thank our existing
partners in AirAsia, Batik Air, Citilink and Jetstar for their ongoing support
and commitment to Western Australia, and we look forward to continuing to work
closely with these airlines."
