Meet the ghost airports that sit empty

Tourism booms do not always happen as predicted.

Which means that there are a number of white elephant airports around the world that welcome just a handful of flights; and sometimes none at all. 

In Indonesia, Kertajati International Airport in West Java (above) is one such airport, travel news hub Travel Mole reports.

It is one of four regional Indonesian airports in the same category, alongside Sudirman Airport in Purbalingga (East Java), Ngloram Airport, Blora (Central Java) and Wiriadinata Airport in Tasikmalaya (West Java). 

The four airports, opened with much fanfare between 2018 and 2021, have no domestic flights on some days. 

Kertajati is the only one of the airports to still see regular flights with two weekly flights to Singapore operated by budget carrier Scoot.

The facility was built at a cost of IDR 2.6 trillion (US$159 million). The airport was inaugurated on May 24, 2018, and was conceived to replace the old Bandung airfield in Indonesia’s third-largest city.

Kertajati features a 3000-metre runway capable of catering for wide-body aircraft. It can accommodate 22 aircraft and some 11 million passengers a year.

The airport is located 98km from Bandung, an hour and a half drive by car. 

It is also located 58 km of Cirebon, a large coastal city with a population of 340,000. It takes almost an hour by car to reach the town.

This is where the problem lies. Despite the government initially forcing all the airlines to move their flights from Bandung Husein Sastranegara airport to Kertajati in 2023, the new facility is a complete failure. 

Kertajati never replaced Husein Sastranegara's old airport, a mere 5km from Bandung city centre. 

Last year, Kertajati welcomed a total of around 260,000 passengers. As for the future....

Thailand vows to improve security for tourists after attack

Shaken by widespread publicity after a vicious attack on two tourists, Thailand’s Tourism Ministry has vowed to implement improved safety measures for visitors.

Officials acknowledged the assault on two Malaysians could affect tourism numbers, news hub Travel Mole reported.

The Malaysian couple were doused in chemicals and set on fire in Bangkok in a random attack by a Thai man. The attacker was caught and held by other people at the scene and handed over to Lumpini police when they arrived, The Bangkok Post reported.

The ministry made an official statement about the incident on social media.

It promised improved safety measures in tourist areas to boost overall confidence for international visitors.

The overriding message was that Thailand remains safe for visitors, which was echoed by tourist police chief, Lt-Gen Saksira Phuak-um.

One Yik Leong, 26, and Gan Xiao Zhen, 27 were doused in paint thinner and then set alight in a tourist precinct. Both were seriously injured but were in a stable condition in hospital.

They were attacked outside a Bangkok shopping mall with no immediate apparent motive.

They could remain in hospital for up to a month, officials say.

“Malaysia places its full trust in Thai authorities to carry out a thorough and transparent investigation, and will provide full co-operation as required,” the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said.

The global media coverage of the incident has been extensive and has been seen as a major setback for Thailand’s tourism industry.

RELICS explores the past and the future at the Australian Museum

The Australian Museum’s exhibition RELICS: A New World Rises will open to the public in Sydney on Saturday, August 16.

Created by former LEGO Masters champions Jackson Harvey and Alex Towler, the new exhibition brings intricate LEGO civilisations to life inside a series of upcycled vintage objects.

Set in the year 2130, RELICS imagines Earth in recovery after human abandonment, where nature is returning and LEGO societies have emerged from the remains of a consumerist past

The exhibition reimagines the traditional museum experience through a display of thousands of LEGO pieces that come together to tell multiple interconnected stories.

This exhibition will weave together themes of sustainability and futurism "with playful, imaginative narratives that challenge visitors to see familiar everyday objects in entirely new ways".

Australian Museum director and CEO Kim McKay said RELICS promises visitors of all ages an entirely original, shared experience where everyone has a chance to share their own perspective.

“RELICS invites visitors into a world where the closer you look, the more you see! Not only will it spark conversations about our wasteful world, and the future, but it’s also a fun way to discover the power of creative storytelling," she says.

"Jackson and Alex’s exhibition combines a heady mix of nostalgia, sustainability and future-facing creativity and it’s unlike anything we’ve exhibited before.”

The former LEGO Masters champions said RELICS is a passion project the two have worked on for years, and showcases all their insights and ideas when it comes to creative storytelling.

“It’s important to us that every Minifigure we place in the exhibition is telling its own story. We like to put ourselves into the minds of each character … What have they been up to? Are they having a good day? Who are they with? By thinking about their stories, it helps bring the Minifigures to life as they inhabit their RELICS world,” said Towler.

Co-creator Harvey added: “We hope visitors will being thinking about the life material possessions have after they are discarded and encourage people to be more thoughtful about what they throw away.

"It’s exciting for us to take an object that to most people would look like trash and give it a whole new life.”

RELICS is supported by Hotel Partner, Pullman Sydney Hyde Park.

Exhibition Tickets: Adult: $29.00, Concession: $25.00, Child 4-15: $19.00. Tickets are on sale now at australian.museum.

New rivals for dominant French railway company

Two new rail companies are set to offer some serious competition to dominant French national railway company SNCF.

Enter Le Train and Velvet.

SNCF already faces some domestic competition from Italian Trenitalia and Spanish Renfe, but both have faced difficulty making headway against the giant monolith

Le Train and Velvet are expected to launch in 2028.

Le Train aimed for its first journeys as early as 2026, but has been forced to push back, travel news hub Travel Mole reports.

Instead of competing on rail routes from and to Paris, Le Train wants to tackle high-speed connections in the west of France, from Brittany to the south-west, including Bordeaux.

The company has ordered 10 new-generation Talgo Avril trains, similar to those that the Spanish Renfe wants to deploy on a potential Paris-Lyon-Marseille route.

Le Train says has the ambition of offering up to 50 daily trains in western France from its first year, including from Arcachon, Bordeaux, Angoulême, Nantes, and Rennes.

It is touting a travel time of under three hours between Nantes and Bordeaux instead of almost five 

hours now, as passengers need to change in Paris.

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The future look of Le Train (Image: Le Train) 

Former TGV head Rachel Picard heads Velvet, which has signalled its aims to prioritise comfort and environmental commitment.

“We want to create an experience where passengers feel at ease, where every detail matters, while remaining committed to the environment,” Picard told French media earlier this month.

Velvet plans to launch its first high-speed trains by 2028, initially focusing on western routes out of Paris (Angers, Bordeaux, Nantes and Rennes). The company promises to provide 10 million annual seats.

Small Luxury Hotels expands global portfolio

A boutique hotel in the vineyards of the Yarra Valley is among the new properties being showcased by the fast-expanding Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) group.

SLH, known for its global portfolio of boutique properties, has continued a growth spurt, announcing 49 additions to its portfolio in the first half of 2025.

This follows a record-breaking 2024, in which the brand saw 82 new signings.

They joined 620 hotels across 90+ countries and SLH's latest additions include destinations in Australia, Japan, Mexico and India.

Opening in December is December is the 33-room Levantine Hill Hotel, a suite-only hotel next to Levantine Hill Estate's cellar door and restaurant to allow guests to indulge in exceptional dining experiences. See https://www.levantinehill.com.au/pages/hotel

“2024 was a record year for SLH, and 2025 is shaping up to surpass it,” said Richard Hyde, SLH Chief Operating Officer.

“As the demand for genuine and intimate luxury stays continues to soar, we are in the right place at the right time. Our expanding and diverse portfolio of independent properties ensures there's something for every discerning, independently minded traveller.”

Openings in early 2025 included La Valise Mazunte in Mexico, located between Oaxaca's rugged cliffs and the Pacific Ocean.

July 2025 saw the opening of The James Suite Hotel Firenze 1564, a hidden retreat in the centre of Florence, housed in a 16th-century Renaissance palazzo built in 1564.

Maya Hotel Courchevel 1850, meanwhile, will open in the heart of French mountain resort Courchevel in December, with easy access to the ski slopes and nearby boutiques.

In Germany, the Wilmina Hotel marks SLH's arrival in Berlin located in a former courthouse and prison.

For more info visit www.SLH.com

Bali plans fast ferry from the airport to popular beach

The timing is not ideal given recent ferry incidents, but local government in south-west Bali is planning a fast boat route linking I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to the surf resort of Canggu.

The planned ferry route will aim to bypass Bali’s infamous traffic jams and give visitors a faster, more scenic way to reach the popular surfing destinations on the island, news hub Travel Mole reports.

The project is part of a wider push to roll out multiple water taxi services across the island over the next year.

Badung Regent Wayan Adi Arnawa told local reporters that road construction alone will not solve anymore the congestion choking Canggu’s streets.

“If we want to overcome traffic jams, it’s not enough to just build roads,” he was reported as saying “We also need alternative transportation systems. In 2026, we will design a public transportation network.”

The proposed airport–Canggu sea link would be a first step. 

Arnawa said the service would offer tourists a comfortable, affordable, and time-saving alternative to navigating crowded highways, getting them straight from the airport to the beach by boat.

If successful, similar routes could connect other tourism hotspots, including Uluwatu and the island of Nusa Penida.

Arnawa acknowledged that new infrastructure will be needed along Bali coasts. This would include upgraded beaches and piers.

Discussions are reportedly underway with state-owned ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero).

Image: Canggu, The Bali Sun