Flight QZ 246 was welcomed with a water cannon salute as it taxied to its gate where arriving passengers were then greeted by officials and representatives from the TAT, Phuket International Airport and the Phuket Tourist Association.
Lertchai Wangtrakuldee, Director of TAT Phuket Office, said, “We are delighted to welcome AirAsia’s new direct flight between Bali and Phuket. This reflects the strong demand for outbound travel among Indonesians, thanks to Indonesia’s robust economy.
“Their favourite Thai destinations include Phuket with popular activities being Thai food, cultural activities and shopping,” he added.
The new service by AirAsia will operate the Denpasar (Bali) – Phuket route with three flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The service will be operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft offering 180 seats. The inaugural flight recorded a strong load factor of 88.88%, totalling 160 passengers, reported TAT.
The airline already operates 38 flights per week to Bangkok from Jakarta, Medan and Denpasar (Bali).
These are in addition to 52 flights per week to the Thai capital from the three Indonesian cities operated by Garuda Indonesia, Thai Airways International, Thai Lion Air, and Batik Air.
The latest air connection between Bali and Phuket adds to the 78,836 air-seat capacity between Thailand and Indonesia in 2024, representing an 81% rebound compared over the pre-pandemic year of 2019, noted a report by TAT.
From Jan 1 to Aug 9, Thailand recorded 536,720 arrivals from Indonesia. By year-end, the number is expected to reach 800,000 travellers, generating at least B21.46 billion, the report by TAT said.