Indonesia AirAsia Unveils New Route Connecting Bali to Australia's Cairns
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6 June 2024 19:06 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Low-cost airline Indonesia AirAsia is set to launch a new international route connecting Bali with Cairns, the gateway to Tropical North Queensland, Australia.
"This flight will start operating on August 14, 2024, serving flights three times a week," said Head of Indonesia Affairs and Policy Eddy Krismeidi Soemawilaga in a written statement on Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Indonesia AirAsia, said Eddy, is ecstatic to open this new route. According to him, Cairns offers a plethora of breathtaking scenery for millions of passengers from Bali and throughout Asia. "The world’s famous Great Barrier Reef - one of the seven wonders of the world, ancient rainforest, unique culture, appetizing seafood, and much more," said Eddy.
Additionally, he said, this route will allow residents of Cairns and surrounding cities such as Mackay and Townsville to fly not only to Bali, a favorite among Australians but also to over 100 destinations in the AirAsia network.
"(The flight) will reach Asia and more through a layover in Bali and to major hubs in Indonesia, as well as Malaysia and Thailand," said Eddy.
Eddy said Indonesia has many gems Queenslanders have yet to discover, such as Labuan Bajo (Komodo Island) - home to the Komodo dragon, Tanjung Setia Surf Beach in Lampung, and Indonesia's New Capital, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan, which Australians will love to explore.
"Even though we started the Denpasar-Cairns route with three flights a week, we hope to improve that in the future based on demand,” added Eddy.
The Indonesian Consul General in Sydney, Vedi Kurnia Buana, appreciated Indonesia AirAsia's efforts in supporting the tourism industry growth and expanding connectivity between Indonesia and Australia through direct flights connecting Bali with Cairns.
In 2023, said Vedi, Indonesia welcomed around 1.37 million Australian tourists, which shows Australian tourists’ enthusiasm to spend holidays in Indonesia.
"With this new route, we are confident that relations between Indonesia and Australia will become stronger, as well as opening up opportunities for tourists from Cairns to explore other tourist destinations in Indonesia," added Vedi.
According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Australian tourists dominated the arrivals of foreign visits to Bali with 113,949 visits or 24.28 percent.
Meanwhile, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that the number of Indonesian tourist visits to Australia was 164.900 visits and is included in the top 10 source countries based on the year ending June 2023.
JONIANSYAH
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