Indigo Meets Ministers from Africa

Mumbai (India) – March 5, 2013 – Mr. Rhaoul Bhatia, the owner of the Interglobe Company of India, and owners of the Indigo Airline met with Hon. Michael Mabuyakhulu, the KwaZulu Natal Minister responsible for Economic Development; Minister Mduduzi Small Joe Dlamini, the Minister for Tourism and Environmental Affairs from the Kingdom of Swaziland; and Minister Alain St.Ange, the Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture from the Republic of Seychelles, on the sidelines of the 2913 TAFI (Travel Agents Federation of India) Convention.

Mr. Bhatia was being accompanied by Mr. J.B. Singh, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Interglobe. The three Ministers from Africa were on their part being accompanied by their Principle Secretaries or Heads of their Tourism Boards and the TAFI President and Vice President.

Air connectivity between India and Africa was the topic of discussion as this same topic had been raised at the general presentations made during the TAFI main meetings.

Minister Michael Mabuyakhulu of South Africa, who chaired the meeting at the Hilton Hotel, said that more air connectivity was needed if Africa is to receive its fair share of the Indian tourism market and vice versa. The South African Minister went further to echo the feeling of the convention which spelled out the need for more direct air connectivity between India and Africa.

“We need to open Africa to India, and we need the help from airlines wanting to work with us and who believe in us enough to look at direct air access to link us with India” the South African Minister said.

Air access will also open more trade possibilities between Africa and India over and above developing the tourism trade. It was also acknowledged that access through the existing airline hubs remain a good and needed support for Africa, but it was recognized that they make the traveling times longer than is necessary which can often discourage holiday travel.

A working group is now in place to look at the feasibility of Indigo airline looking at Africa.