Two South Korean Airlines to Launch Direct Flights to Bali

Bali, The Gulf Observer: In response to the high demand from South Korean tourists, two South Korean airlines, Air Busan and Jeju Air, will soon commence direct flights to Bali, as announced by Bali’s airport operator.
“At a global level, international flights to Bali are still attractive,” stated Handy Heryudhitiawan, general manager of state airport operator Angkasa Pura I (AP I) for Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, on Thursday.
Heryudhitiawan revealed that while the exact starting dates for these new routes are still under discussion, Jeju Air has already secured a permit from the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation to operate flights to Bali from both Incheon and Busan.
Currently, direct flights between Bali and South Korea are already available through Garuda Indonesia and Korean Air.
Ngurah Rai International Airport is a major hub, servicing 19 domestic routes with 13 airlines and 33 international routes with 36 airlines. In the first quarter of this year, the airport recorded 5.1 million passengers, marking a 17 percent increase from the 4.4 million passengers in the same period of 2023. The airport is projected to handle 23.6 million passengers this year.
According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), South Korea ranks fifth among the top 10 countries sending tourists to Bali from January to April. During this period, the number of South Korean tourists visiting Bali surged by 37 percent to approximately 82,000, up from about 60,000 in the same period in 2023.
In addition to the new routes from South Korea, AP I has announced that Etihad Airways will begin direct flights to Bali from Abu Dhabi on June 25, utilizing Boeing 787-900 aircraft.
This development highlights the growing popularity of Bali as a tourist destination and the increasing connectivity between Bali and major international cities.