After a 20-year hiatus, the Bali International Airshow will kick off at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on 18 September.
The industry-focused event will host a public open day on Saturday, September 21st, during which aviation enthusiasts can get a peek at the workings of all this aero!
As the event gets underway, we can expect some big aviation industry updates coming in thick and fast.
On day one, there was a huge announcement from the Indonesian government, Pertamina, and Virgin Australia that will greatly influence the way in which tourists travel now and in the future.
Speaking at the launch event, the Indonesian Minister for Investment and Maritime Affairs, Luhut Bisar Pandjaitan, told the audience, “With pride at today’s event, we witnessed the launch of Indonesia’s development action plan for sustainable, efficient fuels, this is part of Indonesia’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions.”
Minister Pandjaitan confirmed that the country will develop environmentally friendly aviation fuels, also known as Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
Potential environmentally friendly aviation fuel sources include coconut oil, seaweed, and rice chaff.
Minister Pandjaitan explained, “We will see later; we will hold a meeting soon to make this roadmap because now we are not just talking, we are directly seeing the execution, for example, like earlier, [more] materials that are friendly to aviation.”
Minister Pandjaitan confirmed that he is in talks with Pertamina to collaborate with several major airlines on this new initiative, including Virginia Australia.
He explained, “With our economy, which is now seen as very promising with downstream, digitalization, electric catalog, and our abundant mineral resources, they [the aviation industry] see Indonesia as the center.”
Speaking separately, the Director of Central Marketing and Commerce of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Maya Kusmaya, said, “The distribution of SAF at Ngurah Rai Airport marks that Indonesia is able to adapt to the demands of renewable energy in the international aviation industry.”
“SAF is a solution to reduce carbon footprint without changes to aircraft, airport infrastructure, or the jet fuel supply chain.”
In a statement, Virgin Australia Sustainability General Manager Fiona Walmsley said the partnership was an important step in achieving Net Zero Emission targets in Indonesia and Australia. “With this collaboration, both countries are committed to reducing their carbon footprint and building a more sustainable future for aviation.”
As part of the launch event, 160 kilolitres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel were distributed to Virgin Australia’s Boeing 737 aircraft during the Bali International Air Show for flights between Denpasar-Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and the Gold Coast.
The widespread use of sustainable aviation fuel can help tourists jet off to paradise guilt-free about the environmental impact of their flight emissions.
The Bali International Air Show opens to the public on 21st September and is set to be a family-friendly day out. It will feature a static aircraft display on the south apron airfield and within the exhibition hall.
There will also be several air displays that can be best observed at the event itself, though they are intended to be visible in the Jimbaran and Kuta areas for those not in attendance at the airport.
Tourists are reminded that there will be an increased security presence at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport for the duration of the event.
Minister Pandjitan has confirmed that more police and local security officers will be deployed in the area.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the event, he said the vent is also an opportunity to showcase Balinese culture in various ways.
He noted, “We see a lot of security is done by the pecalang so that Balinese culture is visible. Then, earlier, there was also an airshow with the F-35, which was also interesting. I think people see this as unique.”
Traffic management systems are also in place at the approach and exit to Bali Airport, though due to the increased volume of visitors in the area, it is advisable to leave extra time to travel to the airport in the coming days.
Tickets for the public open day on the 21st of September can be purchased online for IDR 165,000, and a public round-trip shuttle bus ticket is an additional IDR 111,000.
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