Now Served by Two Airlines, Indonesia AirAsia Opens Route to Darwin, Australia

Mangupura, March 22, 2025 – Flight connectivity between Bali and Australia continues to grow with the addition of a new carrier serving Darwin. Previously operated exclusively by Jetstar Airways, the Darwin route is now also served by Indonesia AirAsia, which launched its inaugural service on Saturday (March 22). The Bali–Darwin round-trip flights will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The inaugural flight ceremony took place at 11:49 AM WITA, with flight QZ540 departing Denpasar for Darwin, carrying 155 passengers out of a total 180-seat capacity. The event was attended by the Head of the Airport Authority Office Region IV, the Australian Consulate General in Bali, the CEO of Regional II PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, the President Director of Indonesia AirAsia, and Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, who welcomed the addition of the new airline on the Darwin route. “With this addition, we hope passengers will benefit from having more options to travel between Bali and Darwin,” said Syaugi.

He further explained that Australia remains the market with the highest daily flight frequencies, with an average of more than 60 flights per day between Bali and Australian cities. In addition to frequency, the load factor on Australian routes has also been strong, with most routes averaging above 85% occupancy in the first two months of 2025. The Darwin route in particular has exceeded a 90% load factor. “This shows the strong potential of the Australian market, particularly Darwin. Congratulations to Indonesia AirAsia. We hope this route remains consistent and delivers great value,” Syaugi added.

For Indonesia AirAsia, Darwin is the third Australian route it operates from Bali, in addition to Perth and Cairns. In its press release, Veranita Yosephine, CEO of Indonesia AirAsia, said: “Denpasar and Darwin share deep historical and cultural ties, and Darwin has long been a favorite destination for Australians seeking the beauty of Bali, as well as for Indonesians wishing to explore Northern Australia. With the launch of this route, we hope to further increase the number of international visitors to Bali,” she said.

As of today, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport serves nine direct routes to Australian cities: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Gold Coast, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.