Perdana Kunming Batam Flight Opened, Bring 133 Passengers From China

The arrival of the inaugural flight passenger from Kunming, China at Hang Nadim Batam International Airport, Riau Islands, Sunday (21/1/2024). (Bessica)

JAKARTA - A total of 133 passengers on the inaugural flight from Kunming, China, arrived at Hang Nadim Batam International Airport, Riau Islands, Sunday morning.

President Director of PT Bandara Internasional Batam (BIB) Pikri Ilham Kurniansyah in Batam, said the flight was regular and open to the public, but in the form of rent.

He said that in the future other regular flights would be carried out up to three times a week.

"This is actually regular but in charter form, but it is regular. So later it will arrive this March once, March to June twice, then starting from July three times a week, but in regular form," said Pikri, quoted by Antara.

He said that currently his party is preparing to open flights with other routes.

PT BIB targets five new routes to be opened by 2024.

"Internationally, the first is already flying today, the second is Batik Malaysia on February 16 flying to Kuala Lumpur, then July is Jeju Air, including Thai and also Vietnam Airline, these are the five that we are targeting to enter this year," he said.

Previously, the Batam Entrepreneurs Agency (BP), Riau Islands, said that the Batam-Kunming route, China, could increase business and investment opportunities.

Head of the Public Relations Bureau for Promotion and Protocol, Ariastuty Sirait, said the flight route, which was opened on January 20, 2024, was a strategic effort to increase business and investment opportunities.

He conveyed that the Batam-China route or vice versa is one of the important steps to promote Batam's superiority in the international arena.