Indonesia AirAsia launches new direct Adelaide to Bali route
Indonesia AirAsia, a budget carrier associated with the popular Malaysian brand, touched down at Adelaide Airport on Thursday to mark the new direct Adelaide-Denpasar route.
The carrier will operate four flights a week from Adelaide using a 180-seat A320-200 aircraft.
It will fly into Adelaide every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and depart every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, providing more than 74,000 seats per year through Adelaide.
Indonesia AirAsia also uses Bali as a transit hub, which means Aussies can connect through Denpasar to more than 130 other destinations across Asia.
It also opens up South Australia to more Indonesian travellers.
The massive Southeast Asian nation injected $49m into the state's visitor economy in 2024, an 18 per cent lift from 2023.
Indonesia's Ambassador to Australia Siswo Pramono said the new route would foster 'broader exchanges in tourism, education, economy and people-to-people relations'.
'This is more than just the addition of a new route, it is also a meaningful step towards strengthening connectivity between Indonesia and Australia, particularly in the southern region,' he said on Thursday.
'It also holds great significance for Indonesians living in South Australia, providing them with easier access to reconnect with their families and homeland.
'This is diplomacy in its most tangible form by bringing our nations closer not only through policy but also through shared experiences, human connections and cultural ties.'
Indonesia AirAsia acting chief executive Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman, meanwhile, said the new route opened up immediate access to all the splendours of Asian tourism.
'We are excited to introduce Adelaide as a new destination for the millions of guests across the AirAsia network while offering South Australians seamless access to many of their favourite destinations across Asia, including Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, and Phuket via our FlyThru service,' he said.
'Travellers can also take advantage of onward connections beyond Bali to explore other remarkable parts of Indonesia, such as Jakarta, the bustling capital, or Labuan Bajo, home to the iconic Komodo National Park.'.
More and more international carriers are launching routes in Adelaide.
Earlier this month, Air New Zealand announced it would starting running direct flights from Adelaide to Christchurch on the country's South Island from October.
From December, US carrier United Airlines will provide direct flights between San Francisco and Adelaide three times a week until March.
Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said the new routes would boost the state's economy.
'These direct international flights to Adelaide add to the record number of international airlines connecting the world to our state, all helping grow our international market, which is currently worth a record $1.3bn to our state,' she said.
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