BALI – Due to high demand from South Korean tourists, Air Busan and Jeju Air are set to commence direct flights to Bali, as announced by Bali’s airport operator.
“International flights to Bali remain appealing on a global scale,” stated Handy Heryudhitiawan, General Manager of Angkasa Pura I (AP I) at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, on Thursday.
He mentioned that these airlines plan to launch direct flights to Bali, although the specific start dates are still under discussion.
Handy also noted that Jeju Air has already secured a permit from the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation to operate flights to Bali from both Incheon and Busan.
Currently, Garuda Indonesia and Korean Air already offer direct flights between Bali and South Korea.
Ngurah Rai Airport facilitates 19 domestic routes with 13 airlines and 33 international routes with 36 airlines.
In the first quarter, the airport handled 5.1 million passengers, marking a 17 percent rise from 4.4 million during the same period in 2023. The airport is projected to accommodate 23.6 million passengers this year.
According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), South Korea was the fifth largest source of tourists to Bali from January to April. During this period, the number of South Korean visitors to Bali grew by 37 percent, reaching approximately 82,000, up from around 60,000 in the same period of 2023.
AP I further reported that Etihad Airways will begin direct flights to Bali from Abu Dhabi on June 25, utilizing Boeing 787-900 aircraft.
Anang Fadhilah
