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Jetstar expects passenger numbers to Bali to grow further this year after the low-cost carrier saw more than 1.1 million customers on its Denpasar routes since reopening them 12 months ago.
Bali is Jetstar’s most popular international destination, with up to 70 return flights per week to seven Australian cities and boosted capacity to Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
“Demand for our flights to Bali is booming, and we’re on track to carry 10 per cent more passengers between Australia and Bali in 2023 compared to 2019, as customers continue to prioritise travel post-COVID,” said Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully.
According to Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Tourism Marketing, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Bali’s tourism industry has rebounded quickly from the heightened interest.
“The demand to Indonesia has been rising rapidly, and we are working with airline partners, such as Jetstar, to increase their route and seat capacity at least to pre-pandemic levels,” she said.
The new figures are the realisation of a prediction by Jetstar’s then-CEO Gareth Evans when Bali flights reopened in March 2022 that Bali would regain its position as the airline’s biggest overseas destination following the reopening of borders.
“Pre-COVID, Jetstar operated up to 85 return flights per week to Bali, carrying more than 2 million customers each year and contributing almost 2 billion Australian dollars annually to the local Balinese economy,” he said at the time.
Currently, incoming passengers to Indonesia over the age of 18 are required to have received a full initial two-dose course of COVID-19 vaccinations at least 14 days prior to arrival, with passengers displaying symptoms or a body temperature above 37.5°C to take a PCR test and isolate until they receive a result.
The Australian Government’s Smartraveller website notes that those who test positive with moderate or severe symptoms may be taken to hospital for treatment or to isolation hospitals at their own expense and that COVID-19 remains a risk in the country.
“Critical care for Australians who are injured or become seriously ill, including in Bali, is significantly below the standard available in Australia. Medical evacuation may not be possible. The Australian Government cannot guarantee your access to hospital and other health services in Indonesia,” it warns.
