Australia ties up with SIA, Qantas to carry foods to Asia

Australia said Wednesday that it has reached agreements with SIA and Qantas to carry foods to Asian markets as part of a government initiative to help businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. From Thursday, Qantas will begin a weekly flight from the country's north to Hong Kong carrying seafood and other produce from Queensland state, while SIA will carry food from the state of South Australia. Australia's trade minister Simon Birmingham said the agreements would help re-establish direct freight routes for exporters who have been struggling to ship overseas during the pandemic. "We recognise the current Covid-19 crisis has placed immense pressure on local seafood exporters, many of whom felt the earliest impacts when overseas demand began to dry up in January," Birmingham said. The flights will fall under a A$1b government fund to support regions, communities and industry sectors affected by Covid-19. Officials did not say whether the fund would pay for or subsidise the routes.<br/>