Demand for Bali travel is skyrocketing this year.
With over 4.5 million international arrivals visiting the island before the end of September, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport is on track to have its busiest year on record.
A new flight service between Hong Kong and Bali will serve a wide range of Hong Kong-based travelers and long-haul tourists who need a connecting service.
On Tuesday 1st October AirAsia launched its new Hong Kong – Bali flight service. The route, which is also operated by Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines, will be a regular feature n the flight schedule at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International for the foreseeable future.
The route will operate daily and is ideal for business and leisure travelers hopping about within the region.
It will also be perfect for long-haul holidaymakers who need an easy and affordable connecting service to Denpasar.
A new flight service to Bali Airport is always celebrated with much fanfare. To mark the occasion on Tuesday, the inaugural flight was welcomed into the terminal building by the Deputy for Marketing of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy; Ni Made Ayu Marthini.
In her speech, she conveyed a personal message from the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno.
Marthini shared, “Connectivity is the key to increasing the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia, especially since direct flights from Hong Kong to Indonesia are highly anticipated. Indonesia Air Asia flights are expected to attract more Hong Kong and international tourists to Indonesia so that they can contribute to increasing foreign exchange from the tourism sector and creating more jobs.”
Demand for travel between Hong Kong and Bali is high. By the end of September over 301,000 passengers had traveled on the Hong Kong – Denpasar – Hong Kong route altogether, making up 2.8% of all international passengers traveling through Bali Airport.
The new General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, spoke with reporters about the impact the AirAsia Hong Kong – Bali flight route will have for travellers.
Shabhab explained, “Previously, there was a morning flight served by Hong Kong Airlines with a departure schedule from Bali at 08.15 WITA and an afternoon flight using Cathay Pacific at 16.00 WITA.”
“Indonesia Air Asia complements it by being present at a departure time of 01.45 WITA. Based on our records, the Hong Kong route has quite good performance, with an average seat occupancy rate reaching 80 percent.”
He continued “We congratulate and wish success to Indonesia Air Asia, which in 2024 is quite active in increasing the number of routes, including Phuket and Kotakinabalu which were realized last August. Hopefully the operation will always run smoothly and the realization of passengers will be fulfilled according to the plan.”
Shahab concluded, “PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, as the airport manager, will always provide support to airlines that are interested in opening or adding routes. This is in line with the company’s goal of strengthening Connectivity between regions in Indonesia and abroad.”
It’s been a busy week so far at Bali Airport as the new autogates are fully installed and operational across the international arrivals and departures terminals.
Travelers now have access to sixty autogates in the arrivals terminal and thirty autogates in the departures area.
Speaking at the inauguration event on Tuesday, 1st October, the Director General of Immigration for Indonesia told the media, “As one of the main gateways for Indonesian tourism, the average international arrival at TPI Ngurah Rai Airport reaches 18,000 – 21,000 people per day.”
“With the autogate facility, the immigration inspection process only takes 15-25 seconds per person. This is a good breakthrough to smooth immigration inspection traffic, becoming more effective and efficient.”
Tourists in any e-visa category, including the e-visa on arrival, are able to use the autogates upon arrival and departure at Bali Airport and Jakarta’s Soekarno–Hatta International Airport.
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