Northern Territorians and other Aussies will soon have a new way to fly to Bali, with Indonesia AirAsia commencing Darwin-Denpasar (Bali) flights in March.
Bringing more than 1,000 seats per week on the route, Indonesia AirAsia will operate the three-times-weekly service utilising its A320 aircraft, commencing 22 March 2025.
The Indonesian low-cost carrier last flew the route in January 2018.
With the new service, Indonesia AirAsia becomes just the second overseas carrier to operate regular flights to the Northern Territory and the only overseas budget airline to fly to NT.
“Bali is now our largest hub in terms of flight capacity, driven by strong demand,” Indonesia AirAsia CEO Veranita Yosephine said.
“These direct flights will cater to the enduring popularity of Bali as a destination for Australians and offer great low-fare connections to over 130 destinations across the AirAsia Group network.
“Passengers from Darwin can enjoy seamless connections via Bali to destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Komodo Island starting from as low as under AU$300.”
Yosephine also flagged the opportunity to bring more Asian travellers to NT through Bali.
“They will discover the extraordinary culture, wildlife and natural beauty of Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land and other iconic locations where the tropics meet the outback,” she stated.
“We thank Airport Development Group and the Northern Territory Government for their
support in making these services a reality.”
Sandra de Kock, Executive General Manager of Airport Development Group, which operates Darwin Airport, predicted the new route would be a hit with Aussie travellers.
“Territorians have been calling for more options to fly to Bali and we’re excited to deliver with the return of AirAsia,” she said.
“Bali has long been the number one holiday destination for Darwin residents and these flights will undoubtedly see a surge of travellers embarking on their Indonesian adventures.
“This partnership goes beyond just flights; providing and strengthening connections to South East Asia, fostering cultural exchanges and bolstering business ties between the Northern Territory and our northern neighbours.
“We look forward to working closely with AirAsia to ensure the success of these services.”
Northern Territory Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Marie-Clare Boothby called the announcement “great news for the Territory’s tourism industry”.
“As we rebuild the Territory economy and restore our great lifestyle, we will continue to work with industry to develop new products and promote our fantastic tourism experiences,” she remarked.
“The AirAsia Group of airlines, including Indonesia AirAsia, recently won a number of high profile accolades including the Skytrax world’s best low-cost airline for 2024 for the 15th consecutive year and was also rated seven out of seven for 2024 for maintaining the highest international safety standards by Australian aviation experts at Airlineratings.com.”
Bagus Hendraning Kobarsih, Indonesia’s Northern Territory Consul, said AirAsia’s new Denpasar-Darwin route will strengthen connections, people-to-people ties, and the historical relationship between Indonesia and NT.
“This air connectivity will facilitate the growth of two-way tourism, foster deeper people-to-people interactions, and is anticipated to ultimately create new business opportunities between Indonesia and the Northern Territory,” Bagus said.
“With promising passenger forecasts, this route is expected to contribute to the achievement of Indonesia’s tourism targets.”
The Darwin-Bali flight (QZ541) will depart DRW at 4.35pm and arrive at DPS at 5.55pm. The Bali-Darwin leg (QZ540) will leave DPS at 11.45am and land in DRW at 4pm.
Tickets are on sale now, with fares starting from just AU$189.
In August 2024, AirAsia Indonesia commenced its first-ever service to North Queensland. Read about that here. More recently, sister carrier Thai AirAsia X resumed Sydney-Bangkok flights.
Bali remains as popular as ever among Aussie holidaymakers. The Australian Travel Industry Association‘s ATIA Travel Trends Report, which was released in October 2024, shows that Indonesia is still our top holiday hotspot, with 1.59 million Aussies heading there for the year to August 2024 – up 34 per cent on 2023.
