Two South Korean Airlines Add Routes To Bali

Photo archive - Air Traffic Control Officer (ATC) regulates aircraft flights at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, Thursday (21/12/2023). ANTARA/Dewa Ketut Sudiarta Wiguna

Angkasa Pura I International Airport I Gusti Ngurah Rai revealed that two airlines from South Korea added direct routes to Bali because of the great interest of the country's tourists visiting the Island of the Gods.

"Globally, international flights to Bali are still attractive," said General Manager of Angkasa Pura I Airport I Gusti Ngurah Rai Handy Heryudhitiawan at Cargo International Terminal, Badung Regency, Bali, Thursday, June 6.

He explained that the two airlines, namely Air Busan and Jeju Air, will soon realize flight routes to the Island of the Gods.

However, he still has not confirmed the date of the inaugural flight because it is still under intensive discussion.

Jeju Air, he said, had even obtained a slot permit from the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation through the cities of Incheon and Busan.

So far, direct international flights from Bali-South Korea-Bali are served by Garuda Indonesia and Korean Air.

Reported by ANTARA, based on data from the airport operator, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport currently serves 19 domestic routes by 13 airlines and 33 international routes by 36 airlines.

Meanwhile, the number of passengers served during the first quarter of 2024 reached 5.1 million with 10,312 domestic and international aircraft movements.

That figure is up 17 percent compared to the same period in 2023 which reached 4.4 million passengers.

His party projects that by 2024 Ngurah Rai Airport will be able to accommodate as many as 23.6 million passenger movements.

Meanwhile, based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Bali Province, tourists from the country of ginseng occupy the fifth position of the top 10 foreign tourist countries visiting Bali in January-April 2024.

During January-April 2024, there were 82 thousand South Korean tourists visiting Bali, an increase of 37 percent compared to the same period in 2023 which reached nearly 60 thousand people.

On the other hand, one international airline Etihad Airways with flight number EY-476 flew from Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi to Bali on Tuesday (25/6) at 22.25 local time and was scheduled to arrive on Wednesday (26/6) at 11.35 WITA using a large fleet of Boeing 787 series 900 aircraft.

This route also adds to the Middle East market share which has been filled by Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways.