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QANTAS Airlines has restarted six direct flights from Australia to Bali each week, with more to begin in June. The Australian Consulate General, Anthea Griffin, welcomed the return of Qantas to Bali.
These direct flights – along with flights operated by Garuda and Jetstar – are a sign of high demand from Australian travelers; who will play an important role in supporting Bali’s economic recovery and long-term relationships among our people.
On April 14, 2022, the Australian Consulate General in Bali, Anthea Griffin, and senior Qantas official, Simon Smith, welcomed Qantas’ first direct flight to Bali since the border closed at the start of the pandemic. The return of Qantas marks an important milestone in restoring the deep and broad community relations between Australia and Bali.
Apart from increasing the flow of tourists, these flights also reconnect families and loved ones from our two countries, while supporting student and worker mobility, business and important cargo links.
Prior to the pandemic, Bali was one of the most popular destinations for Australians; more than 1.2 million direct arrivals to Bali in 2019, accounting for more than a quarter of Bali’s tourism revenue.
Indonesian tourists are also increasingly attracted to Australia, with more than 220,000 visiting Australia in 2019. Qantas will operate three direct flights a week from Sydney and three from Melbourne. More flights are scheduled to start in June.
Strong demand from Australia has driven an increase from one to 21 direct flights per week between Australia and Bali since the first direct flights in March 2022.
“I am optimistic that we will outpace pre-pandemic visitor flows in both directions as we recover from COVID-19 and with the Australian-Indonesian aviation market strengthening – a very good reason for us to celebrate Qantas’ first flight tonight,” concluded Anthea Griffin. [sources/photo special]
