Bali is a seriously well-connected island.
The island’s only commercial airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International, is endeavoring to add more international flights to the schedule all the time.
The airport has just celebrated the launch of another international route.
Bali’s connectivity to destinations around the world keeps getting better for international tourists.
With travel demand for Bali from Indian tourists booming, airline IndiGo has just launched a new direct service from the subcontinent to the Island of the Gods.
Tourists can now fly directly to Denpasar from Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore.
The direct service now means there are two direct flight services from India to Bali. The first launched last year and is the daily New Delhi to Bali route with Vistara.
Speaking to reporters, the General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Handy Heryudhitiawan, shared his delight that the new service is now up and running.
Heryudhitiawan said “Discussions with IndiGo Airlines have been ongoing since 2023. For this reason, we express our appreciation to all parties involved for the realization of IndiGo Airlines’ first operations on the island of Bali.”
He confirmed that the inaugural IndiGo flight from Bengaluru to Bali was met with a water cannon salute.
The new service will be operating daily, offering an alternative route for Indian tourists wishing to visit Bali, who are based in the central south of the country.
The flight time is just 7-hours and will depart from Bangalore (BLR) at 00.50 am daily, landing in Denpasar at 10.20 am.
Bengaluru is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of India and there are hopes that this new direct flight will help boost tourism and business connections. Bengaluru is the third most populous city in India.
Demand for travel to Bali from tourists based in India is soaring right now. Indian passport holders, like tourists from over 90 countries, are eligible for visa on arrival.
The 30-day visa costs IDR 500,000 and can be extended once for a further 30-days. The whole process can be arranged online prior to departure for Indonesia or on arrival at any of Indonesia’s international airports, including Bali Airport.
Heryudhitiawan confirmed that, with the addition of the daily IndiGo services from Bengaluru, 36 airlines now operate 33 international routes in and out of Bali Airport.
Travel data for January and February 2024 shows that 67,979 Indian passport holders arrived in Bali, making India the third largest source of tourist arrivals to Bali, after Australia and China.
The General Manager continued, “We consider India to be an emerging market on the island of Bali, so we hope that the addition of this route will make it easier for Indian foreigners who want to visit Bali,”
He concluded “We predict service to 23.6 million passengers in 2024. We believe that the operation of IndiGo Airlines at Ngurah Rai Airport can make a positive contribution to the tourism sector in Indonesia and India.”
The daily flight between New Delhi and Bali launched on 1st December 2023 and is proving to be an incredibly popular flight service, not only for Indian tourists but for tourists who need to layover on their journey to Bali from destinations further afield.
With more options now available for layovers in India, tourists from Europe and North and Central America have more choices and a greater chance of getting a good deal on flights if transiting through India.
Other popular layover hubs include London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok.
On the New Delhi – Denpasar – New Delhi route, the outbound flight departs New Delhi at 12.30 a.m. and lands in Denpasar at 11.05 a.m.
The return service departs from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International at 12.10 p.m. and arrives in Delhi at 5.45 p.m.
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