AP I warmly welcomes the plan to reactivate the international flight route slots of KLM Royal Dutch, Scoot Tiger Air, and JetStar Airways at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali. This is a positive signal for the recovery of international airline cJakarta (ANTARA) - State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I) received applications from three international airline companies to resume flights to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali in March 2022.
The three international airline companies are KLM Royal Dutch, Scoot Tiger Air, and JetStar Airways, Angkasa Pura I President Director Faik Fahmi noted in a written statement on Saturday.
"AP I warmly welcomes the plan to reactivate the international flight route slots of KLM Royal Dutch, Scoot Tiger Air, and JetStar Airways at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali. This is a positive signal for the recovery of international airline companies' and foreign tourists' trust to fly to and holiday in Bali," he affirmed.
Fahmi noted that KLM Royal Dutch will fly four times a week on the Singapore-Denpasar flight route, using the 408-seater capacity Boeing B-777s.
Scoot Tiger Air will recommence operating three flights per week on the Singapore-Denpasar flight route using the Airbus A-320s, with a capacity of 108 seats.
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Meanwhile, JetStar Airways will operate three fights a week on Singapore-Denpasar, Sydney-Denpasar, and Melbourne-Denpasar flight routes.
JetStar will use the Airbus A-320, with a capacity of 180 seats, for the Singapore-Denpasar flight route, and Boeing B-788, with a capacity of 335 seats or Airbus A-321/A-320, with a capacity of 323/186 seats for the Sydney-Denpasar and Melbourne-Denpasar flight routes.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster noted that the national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will resume flights from Sydney to Denpasar to support the reopening of international routes to Bali.
"I got a call from the Garuda Indonesia president director regarding the plan for (reopening the flight route) from Sydney to Denpasar," Koster noted during a press conference in Denpasar City last Saturday.
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According to Koster, reopening the Sydney-Bali flight route would be a good initial step, as the local economy has been acutely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the endeavors to handle COVID-19 in Bali can run well, then tourism recovery can begin, he added.
On February 3, the arrival of a Garuda Indonesia flight (GA 881) from Narita, Japan, to Denpasar, Bali, marked the reopening of international flights at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali.
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Fahmi highlighted the commitment of AP I to support all efforts to revive international flight traffic amid the COVID-19 pandemic by applying stringent health protocols and ensuring its operations in accordance with the regulations.
"Looking ahead, we are optimistic that the number of international passengers and flights to Bali would increase gradually and help the recovery of the local people's economy and Bali tourism in a sustainable manner," he stated.
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Translator: Adimas Raditya FP, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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