The I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport has taken a significant stride by introducing non-stop flights to Kualanamu Airport in Medan. This move is set to provide a streamlined travel experience for passengers journeying between Bali and Medan, with Batik Air being the designated carrier for this new route.
Handy Heryudhitiawan, the capable General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, shared insights during the inauguration of this endeavor. The plan entails daily flights, a singular flight per day, operating to and from these two destinations. Notably, Batik Air emerges as the pioneering airline to establish a two-way connection between Bali and Medan in this calendar year.
In his official statement, Handy underlined the advantage this development offers to passengers, eliminating the need for layovers when traveling from Bali to Medan or vice versa.
He remarked, “The availability of direct flights brings an unprecedented level of convenience for travelers, removing the inconvenience of transit.”
The inaugural flight for the Medan (KNO) – Bali (DPS) route, executed with a Boeing 737 series 800 aircraft, gracefully touched down at Ngurah Rai Airport at precisely 12:35 Wita on a Friday. This inaugural flight was nothing short of historic, carrying 148 passengers. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft embarked on its return journey from Ngurah Rai Airport to Kualanamu Airport, taking off at 13:40 Wita, with 119 passengers on board.
Practicality meets efficiency with these direct flights, with the travel time being notably truncated to approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes. In Handy’s words, this translates to “a prompt arrival in Bali or Medan, depending on the travel direction.”
The current aviation landscape at Ngurah Rai Airport reflects a dynamic portfolio of 19 domestic routes and 30 international routes. It’s Handy’s fervent hope that this newly established connection will pave the way for other airlines to follow suit, thus broadening the spectrum of travel options available to passengers.
Recent data from July 2023 offers a compelling narrative regarding the airport’s performance. The number of passengers serviced by Ngurah Rai Airport during this period surpassed 2.1 million, a significant milestone amplified by a total of 12,594 aircraft movements. This statistical achievement is particularly noteworthy in the context of the post-COVID-19 era, a time of considerable challenges.
With unwavering optimism, Handy anticipates that the forthcoming month of August will witness a continuation of this upward trend. “We are confidently projecting an increase in passenger numbers, as each successive month demonstrates growing traveler confidence in these times,” Handy concluded, encapsulating the spirit of progress and resilience that defines this new chapter in the realm of Indonesian aviation.
