Indonesia AirAsia Launches New International Flight Route: Denpasar-Kota Kinabalu, 3 Times a Week

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia AirAsia inaugurated a new international flight connecting Denpasar, Bali to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. This route operates with a frequency of 3 times a week, namely Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

President Director of Indonesia AirAsia, Veranita Yosephine Sinaga said, this route is the second route connected to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia after the Jakarta - Kota Kinabalu route which was inaugurated earlier in February.  

"We hope that this latest route can increase opportunities for cooperation between Indonesia and Malaysia to maximize the tourism and economic potential in each country," Veranita said in a written statement, Saturday, August 10, 2024. 

According to Veranita, Bali is AirAsia's second largest hub after Jakarta which serves flights to Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Bangkok and Singapore. "We hope this route can be an alternative for foreign tourists visiting Bali to continue their trip to Kota Kinabalu, which is in Sabah, Malaysia," she said. 

Veranita, added that since the opening of the Jakarta-Kota Kinabalu route in February, passenger enthusiasm for this route is quite high. Recorded from February to May 2024, the occupancy rate reached more than 94 percent.

"We hope to repeat the success of the previous route to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Through the inauguration of this flight, we are ready to welcome Kota Kinabalu tourists to enjoy Bali and other attractive destinations in Indonesia through direct flights from Bali to Labuan Bajo, Kupang and Lampung," Veranita said. 

The inauguration of the Indonesia AirAsia flight on the Denpasar - Kota Kinabalu QZ 590 route on Friday, August 9, 2024 yesterday, was attended by the Head of the Bali Wil IV Airport Authority Office Agustinus Budi Hartono and staff, General Manager of Angkasa Pura I Ngurah Rai Handy Heryudhitiawan and staff, General Manager of Airnav Bali Branch Suryadi Joko and staff and Commander of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali Airbase - Colonel Pnb Agni Prayogo.  

Based on data from the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), during 2023 tourists from Malaysia occupied the first position as the most foreign tourists visiting Indonesia with a total of 16.28 percent or as many as 1,901,242 tourists.  

Likewise with Indonesia, based on data from the Immigration Department of Sabah, Malaysia in 2023, foreign tourists from Indonesia also ranked third or as many as 91,917 tourists visiting Sabah.

Sabah's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Christina Liew, said, this is another major advancement for the Sabah Tourism Industry. She emphasized that Indonesia is an important focus market in the ASEAN region, and through these additional flights from Indonesia after Jakarta, it will definitely improve connections and promote easier access to Sabah.

"It will also strengthen the economic and friendly relations between the two countries in terms of tourism, trade, as well as cultural exchange," Christina said. 

AirAsia, Christina said, is a strong airline partner with the Sabah Tourism Board. Working closely with the Sabah government, she said, the airline is adding more direct flights to Sabah, helping to build Sabah's position as a favored vacation destination. 

"Bali is a fast-growing destination, and this route also paves the way to access another focus market for Sabah, which is Australia, as travelers from that country can potentially reach Sabah via Bali. This opens up opportunities for further collaboration with AirAsia to tap into this market," Christina said.

Chief Executive Officer of the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) Julinus Jeffery Jimit said with more than 90 percent of arrivals to Sabah made by air, there is significant post-pandemic travel demand for both domestic and international travel to Sabah.

"We believe flight connectivity will continue to increase by local and foreign airlines to Sabah. This is good for maintaining a vibrant tourism industry ecosystem in Sabah," Julinus said.

JONIANSYAH

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