ACT Government, Chief Minister, Andrew Barr at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2026
ACT Government, Chief Minister, Andrew Barr at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2026spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2026, hosted in Adelaide, about latest industry trends and company developments.
CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.
Transcript
Andrew Barr:It's really about attracting and retaining people. Canberra is a young city and our strength really is in attracting young people through our universities and keeping them engaged in a diverse and growing economy. So in uncertain economic times, it's really important for governments to set clear long-term policy. Directions, ensuring that there's certainty for investors and that people know when they come to a city what they're going to expect and the sorts of economic directions that will be pursued. Look, aviation is absolutely critical to Canberra's economy. Canberra is Australia's meeting place. We have people coming from all over the country and all around the world, more than 150 diplomatic missions. As well as all of our domestic business, leisure, and other activities. Growth for us in aviation is particularly focused on improving the frequency of the domestic connections to Canberra Airport and adding a few destinations that aren't currently served directly. In an international context, we're very actively pursuing a Canberra-Singapore direct service, as well as Canberra-Auckland. To complement the existing Qatar Airways service to Doha, Fiji Airways service to Nadi, and Virgin Australia services into Indonesia. So Canberra Airport is a beautiful airport. It's been stunningly designed. I believe it's Australia's best small airport, and it's focused very much on providing a seamless passenger experience with the latest technologies. I think Canberra is Australia's most improved city. It's grown rapidly in the past 10 years. It's increasingly diverse. It has a young population, more quality restaurants per capita than any other Australian city, and it sits within a beautiful region as well. Canberra, I think, is the best of the Australian story. Look, I've had the opportunity to attend many CAPA conferences. I recognise the value and the connections that the organisation brings across the broader aviation sector. Canberra needs more direct flights, both domestically and internationally, so we see hosting a CAPA conference as a really important opportunity to link in with all of the Australian and Pacific, Asia-Pacific aviation sectors. No more efficient use of people's time to be able to network across all of the key aviation players in our region. It's a fantastic event. And Canberra is delighted to be able to host it in 2027.
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