Route aims to be part of greater link between South America and Asia
In what has been described as a potential “game changer” for air travel in Argentina and Australia, a new carrier has been granted permission to fly between Buenos Aires and Perth.
Argentinian airline Norwegian Air Argentina gained approval to fly the journey as it seeks to connect South America and Asia in a world first air route via the South Pole.
Now waiting for approval on Singapore flights, the airline would use the WA city as a vital link between the two continents, The West Australian reported.
Airbus and Boeing have already done studies on how the South America-Asia route could be serviced, with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 and 777 all capable of operating the flights.
The Argentine Chamber of Commerce’s Australia executive director, Diego Berazategui, told Western Australian industry representatives in Perth last week that the city had a lot to gain from its position as a midway point.
“The study shows that a trans-polar flight between Buenos Aires and Perth would take less than 15 hours and would position Perth as a great midpoint destination for international travellers between Asia and Latin America,” Mr Berazategui said.
“One of the points highlighted in the discussion was that Perth would significantly benefit by attracting ‘in-transit’ passengers — a new wave of visitors from both Asia and Latin America.
“This could have a major impact on the number of people visiting Perth and should be considered an important part of the WA Asian Engagement Strategy.”
Argentina’s ambassador to Australia, Hugo Gobbi, who was also at the event, said the route “would be a real game changer for both Argentina and Australia”.
According to The West Australian, the flight would travel from BA southeast well below Cape Town and on to Perth, taking advantage of the Antarctica winds.
The return flight would continue in a southeastern direction over Tasmania and New Zealand and finally back to South America.
Norwegian Air Argentina is a subsidiary of European low-cost airline Norwegian, which is known for offering bargain trans-Atlantic flights.
It may not be the airline you’d expect to make this epic Southern Hemisphere journey, but it’s a pretty exciting prospect nonetheless.
https://www.traveltalkmag.com.au/sky...h-buenos-aires