New air link between Darwin and Bali

Indonesia AirAsia is set to reconnect the Northern Territory with Asia, resuming three direct flights per week between Darwin and Bali from March 22. And fares start from $189.

The new services will bring over 1,000 visitor seats weekly through Darwin International Airport and Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.

The flights will also open seamless connectivity to and from Darwin via Bali, making travel to other Asian destinations more accessible.

Indonesia AirAsia CEO Veranita Yosephine said the airline is thrilled to return to the Territory.

“Bali is now our largest hub in terms of flight capacity, driven by strong demand. These direct flights will cater to the enduring popularity of Bali as a destination for Australians and offer great low fare connections to over 130 destinations across the AirAsia Group network.

“Passengers from Darwin can enjoy seamless connections via Bali to destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Komodo Island starting from as low as under $300.

“At the same time, millions of guests from across Asia will be welcomed to the Northern Territory. They will discover the extraordinary culture, wildlife and natural beauty of Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land and other iconic locations where the tropics meet the outback.”

Airport Development Group Executive General Manager Sandra de Kock welcomed AirAsia back to Darwin, highlighting the strong local demand for travel to Bali.

“Territorians have been calling for more options to fly to Bali and we’re excited to deliver with the return of AirAsia,” she said.

Flights can be booked now at airasia.com or via the AirAsia MOVE app.

New direct air link between Perth and Jakarta

There is now a way to travel directly between Perth and the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

Indonesia AirAsia earlier this week celebrated its maiden flights on the Jakarta-Perth route with AirAsia the only airline flying direct between the two cities post pandemic.

The direct service will run four times a week initially, delivering over 1,400 visitor seats weekly through Perth and Jakarta Airports, with plans to grow in line with demand.

Fares start from $179 one way.

“This is the first time Indonesia AirAsia has ever flown on this route," said Eddy Krismeidi Sumawilaga, Head of Indonesia Affairs and Policy of Indonesia AirAsia. "Demand for our inaugural flights has been very encouraging.

"We foresee this new Jakarta-Perth route will also be very popular for leisure travellers wanting to see more of Indonesia and for Indonesians wanting to visit Perth for business, leisure, studying and visiting friends and family.

"This new route also enables Australians to fly from Jakarta to many incredibly popular tourist destinations, including Borobudur in Java, Danau Toba in Sumatera, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Likupang in Sulawesi and Mandalika in Lombok."

Roger Cook, Wester Australia's tourism minister, said: "The inaugural flights are an important step forward in strengthening our valued relationship between these two neighbouring tourism destinations.

"AirAsia is an important airline partner and Indonesia is a significant visitor market for Western Australia, representing our 10th-largest international market by number of visitors in 2022."

The flights between Jakarta and Perth will use A320 aircraft with 180 seats capacity. The flight duration is 4.5 hours.

New AirAsia flights open up Indonesia for Australians

There is a lot more to Indonesia than the popular holiday playground of Bali.

Indonesia AirAsia is hoping to open up different regions of the country to Australian tourists with the announcement it will be flying from Jakarta to Perth for the first time, starting from June 2.

Fares on the route went on sale this week, with flights starting from $179.

The direct service will run four times a week, delivering over 1,400 visitor seats weekly through Perth and Jakarta airports, with plans to grow in line with demand.

Indonesia AirAsia is the only airline flying between Jakarta and Perth post pandemic.

Travel between Indonesia and Australia has always been popular for a number of reasons, including the convenient flight time and appeal of both destinations for shopping, dining, adventure, beaches, as well as education.

The Embassy of the Republic Indonesia says the number of Indonesian students in Australia this year has already reached more than 20,000.

“This is the first time Indonesia AirAsia has flown on this route - thanks to our tourism and airport partners for helping to make these new services a reality," said the CEO of Indonesia AirAsia, Veranita Yosephine,

"We foresee this new Jakarta-Perth route will be very popular for leisure travellers wanting to see more of Indonesia and for the more than 270 million Indonesians [more than 10 million residents in Jakarta alone] wanting to visit Perth and West Australia for business, leisure, studying and visiting friends and family."

And there was also excitement in Perth.

“This new service to and from Jakarta will deliver a significant boost for the business and tourism sectors and the broader economy," said acting CEO of Perth Airport Kate Holsgrove.

"More than 60 percent of the world’s population lives on our doorstep in Asia. Perth is closer than Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to 17 of Asia’s top 20 most populated cities - including Jakarta."