I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali is celebrating a significant milestone as it recorded 21.8 million passengers from January to November 2024. This figure marks a 12% increase compared to the 19.4 million passengers in the same period last year, showcasing a robust recovery and growth in travel.
“Aircraft movements also experienced positive growth, reaching 129,493, which is a 4% rise compared to 124,153 movements last year,” said General Manager Ahmad Syaugi Shahab on Saturday, December 14.
The surge in international passengers played a major role, comprising 59% of the total, or 12.9 million travelers. Meanwhile, domestic passengers accounted for 41%, or 8.9 million.
As the Christmas and New Year holiday season approaches, Syaugi expressed optimism that passenger numbers would climb further in December, helping the airport achieve its annual target of 23.6 million passengers.
“Monthly passenger numbers vary depending on holiday periods. The highest volume this year was in July, with 2.1 million passengers. On average, we’ve served 1.9 million passengers per month or around 65,282 passengers daily,” Syaugi added.
The remarkable growth in passenger traffic was partly due to the addition of new routes. This year, six domestic destinations were introduced, including Sorong, Lampung, Berau, Sumbawa, Palembang, and Pontianak. The airport also expanded its international network with eight new routes to Bengaluru, Canberra, Abu Dhabi, Moscow, Kota Kinabalu, Phuket, Busan, and Shanghai.
Among domestic routes, Jakarta emerged as the busiest destination. Flights to Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports accounted for over 50% of domestic traffic, with 4.4 million passengers. Surabaya followed with 1.2 million passengers, and Makassar ranked third with 476,000 passengers.
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International routes saw Singapore leading the way with 2.5 million passengers. Kuala Lumpur came in second with 1.5 million passengers, followed by Perth, Australia, with 975,000 passengers.
While celebrating these achievements, Syaugi emphasized that the airport would not rest on its laurels. He assured travelers that services would continue to improve, even as passenger numbers rise. To prepare for the year-end holiday rush, the airport is collaborating with stakeholders to ensure smooth operations during the Christmas and New Year period.
“During the Nataru holiday operations, we expect to handle 1.3 million passengers and over 7,800 flights,” Syaugi stated.
With these developments, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport remains a key gateway for Bali, playing a vital role in connecting the island to the rest of the world.
