Seoul To Bali Flights To Resume In December

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Indonesia’s national airline, Garuda Indonesia, has announced the resumption of the Seoul-Bali flight route starting in December. The Seoul-Denpasar schedule will operate twice weekly, on Sundays and Mondays, carrying over 251 passengers. The route sees the return of direct flights from South Korea to Bali just in time for the New Year holidays. 

The flight schedule will resume on the 4th of December, with the first flight departing from Incheon International Airport at 11.35 am, landing at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport at around 5.50 pm. The returning flight will depart from Bali at 1.25 am on Mondays, landing in Incheon International at 9.15 am. 

The Director of Garuda Indonesia, Ifran Setiaputra, said that the airline is fully committed to supporting the country’s economic recovery from the pandemic with a particular focus on travel for leisure. He said, “We realize this commitment through providing air accessibility to connect foreign tourists to various leading national destinations, especially Bali as a strategic tourism hub.”

The move to re-open the flight route comes as Garuda Indonesia works to optimize the tourism sector and encourage more growth in the travel industry. Setiaputra said, “This Seoul – Denpasar flight service is expected to encourage more foreign tourists to visit Indonesia and enjoy the beauty of nature and culture of the archipelago on the Island of the Gods.”

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Garuda Indonesia is seeking to provide travelers with a ‘seamless journey’, offering tourists a greater diversity of destinations to choose from. They also hope that the new flight schedule will help promote Indonesia as a designation for travelers from South Korea, enabling Bali to be a gateway to the rest of the country. Other key areas for tourism development, like Lake Toba and Labuan Bajo and Lombok, would all naturally receive more attention as travelers explore Indonesia in their trip planning. 

Setiaputra ended his announcement by saying, “It is our hope that the availability of more diverse connectivity alternatives for foreign tourists can also make a positive contribution to economic recovery in various Garuda Indonesia destinations.” 

The flight route from South Korea to Bali is not the only new flight schedule set to resume at Ngurah Rai International. Two weeks ago, Garuda Airlines announced a new route, Bali-Tokoyo direct. Guarda Airlines have been instructed by Joko Widowed and the Minister for Transport to increase flight schedules to Bali after provincial leaders suggested that flight availability was the final piece of the recovery puzzle.

In September, Cok Ace, the Deputy Governor of Bali, called out the central government for not doing more to make it easier for airlines to operate out of Denpasar. He even called for massive subsidies for the airlines. Though not overnight, Cok Ace’s requests have been answered. 

The first Tokoyo-Bali flight since the pandemic began landed in Denpasar on Wednesday, 2nd November. The Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Heri Akhmadi, helped welcome passengers onto the aircraft in Tokoyo. Akhmadi said, “Direct flights between Tokyo and Denpasar will accommodate foreign tourists, especially those from Japan who want to take a vacation in Bali”. 

Earlier this month, Garuda’s General Manager for Japan, Sony Sahlan, told reporters, “Two roundtrip flights per week will be cost-inefficient for them, once a week will be too long, so we give them the alternatives to spend three, four, or five days in Bali’. The three times weekly flight schedule is reduced compared to the pre-pandemic operation, which flew seven days a week.”

Finally, Air New Zealand announced the resumption of its Auckland-Bali route, much to the delight of Kiwi holidaymakers. The service will be resumed from March 29th, 2023, until October 27th, 2023. The Air New Zealand to Denpasar, Bali, route will run three times a week; every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The flights will take off from Auckland around midday and will touch down in Denpasar at around 4.20 pm local time.

The return leg go the journey will depart I Gusti Ngurah Rai International at 5.50 pm local time and land in Auckland at 5.30 am the following day. The return services will also run every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Tickets sold fast, though some seats remain available.