Catalan government working on direct Barcelona-Tokyo flight connection 

The president of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, says the government are working on establishing a direct flight between Barcelona and Tokyo.  

His executive "has been taking steps and offering support for some time," he told the press in the Japanese capital on the first day of his official trip. 

Illa also held a meeting with the vice-governor of Tokyo's metropolitan government, Akiko Matsumoto. The pair discussed the creation of the new route, while Illa explained that there is "significant interest" both for tourism and economic reasons for travel in both directions.  

The president said he wanted the connection to be created "as soon as possible," although he declined to give a specific date. 

The possibility of creating this route is being addressed by the air route development committee, an organization which includes the Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and airport manager AENA, also with the participation of the Catalan government.  

Illa pointed out, though, that the creation of the flight ultimately depends on airlines, not on institutions. In any case, he guaranteed that the Catalan government "will support it in every way it can," also emphasizing that the "conditions are right" to make the route possible. He denied that the connection is dependent on the expansion of Barcelona's El Prat Airport.  

At the same time, Illa agreed with the vice-governor to explore various avenues of collaboration between Catalonia and Japan in different fields, especially in the area of new technologies. According to the president, the Japanese capital is particularly interested in innovation and the application of artificial intelligence in public administration.