Indonesia Hopes For Daily AirBorneo Jakarta-Kuching Flights, Wider Connectivity
By Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil
JAKARTA, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Indonesia hopes Sarawak-owned AirBorneo Airways will eventually increase its Jakarta-Kuching flights to a daily service and expand connectivity to other Indonesian destinations, as tourism exchanges between the two neighbouring countries continue to grow.
Indonesia's Deputy for Tourism Marketing Ni Made Ayu Marthini welcomed the airline's new thrice-weekly service and expressed hope for more frequent flights, citing Bandung and Yogyakarta as examples of destinations popular among Malaysian tourists.
“Hopefully, after this, there can be daily flights to Jakarta, followed by services to other destinations in Indonesia, such as Bandung, which is very popular among Malaysian tourists, and of course Yogyakarta, my favourite city.
“Bali is another obvious destination,” she said at a ceremony welcoming AirBorneo's inaugural flight from Kuching and launching its return service from Jakarta at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday evening.
The ceremony was also attended by Sarawak Deputy State Financial Secretary and AirBorneo board member Datuk Hasmawati Sapawi, Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta Deputy Chief of Mission Farzami Sarkawi, Indonesian Consul-General in Kuching Dr Abdullah Zulkifli, and AirBorneo chief executive officer Megat Ardian Aminuddin.
Highlighting the growing demand for travel between the two countries, Marthini said tourist arrivals from Malaysia to Indonesia increased by nearly nine per cent between January and September this year compared with the corresponding period last year, with Malaysia ranking as Indonesia's leading source of international visitors.
She underscored the importance of air connectivity in supporting this growth, noting that about 70 per cent of international tourists travelled by air, while sea transport remained important for destinations such as Batam and Bintan.
Given Indonesia's vast geography, she expressed hope that the new service would contribute to the growing tourism economy and further strengthen bilateral relations, noting that greater connectivity would be needed to support continued visitor growth.
Meanwhile, Megat Ardian said the new route was intended to support smoother movement for business, cross-border trade, medical travel and cultural exchanges between Sarawak and Indonesia, while offering travellers greater choice and flexibility.
“This route is not simply an expansion of our jet network, but a practical bridge designed to strengthen cooperation and shared growth for both sides,” he said at the same ceremony.
AirBorneo said in a statement that the direct service would also facilitate access for Indonesian patients seeking specialist healthcare in Sarawak, including diagnostic examinations, second opinions and planned medical procedures.
The Jakarta-Kuching service operates three times weekly, on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 12 business-class and 150 economy-class seats.
-- BERNAMA