Bali. After opening the Bali-Balikpapan route, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport has added more flight frequencies to the entrance gate of the Capital City, Nusantara. This additional flight schedule is operated by Garuda Indonesia, with flights three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, said the introduction of the Denpasar-Balikpapan route by Garuda Indonesia provides an additional option for passengers, who were previously served by other airlines such as Citilink Indonesia, AirAsia, and Lion Air.

This route expansion is an opportunity to enhance connectivity to East Kalimantan, while also supporting the development of Nusantara. Moreover, the opening of the Bali-Nusantara route is expected to strengthen the connection to tourist destinations in Bali.

“Garuda Indonesia’s presence complements the available options to Balikpapan, which were previously served by Citilink Indonesia, AirAsia, and Lion Air,” he said.

Syaugi added that as the airport operator, they are open to developing potential routes that can support the growth of tourism and business sectors, including the development of Nusantara.

“We congratulate Garuda Indonesia and hope that this new route will further strengthen domestic connectivity from Bali,” Syaugi said.

On the inaugural flight on Monday, November 18, 2024, Garuda Indonesia flight GA 481 departed from Bali to Balikpapan, carrying 138 passengers. Meanwhile, flight GA 480, arriving from Balikpapan, landed in Bali with 153 passengers aboard, greeted with a water salute tradition as a symbol of the inaugural flight celebration.

With the addition of this route, the number of flights on the Balikpapan-Bali route now totals 34 per week. The airport management is optimistic that the opening of this route will further strengthen inter-regional connections and support the targeted increase in passenger numbers, which is expected to reach 23.6 million by the end of 2024.