The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) welcomed AirAsia’s maiden flight from Bali’s Denpasar Airport flying directly into Phuket with a special ceremony on 10th August.

Airport personnel welcomed Flight QZ 246 with a water cannon salute as it taxied to its gate. TAT officials and representatives from Phuket International Airport, and Phuket Tourist Association greeted arriving passengers as they came in.

Lertchai Wangtrakuldee, director of TAT’s office in Phuket, 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.”

AirAsia flies the Denpasar (Bali) – Phuket route thrice a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, using an Airbus A320 aircraft offering 180 seats. The inaugural flight recorded a strong load factor of 88.88 percent, totalling 160 passengers.

At present, AirAsia 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.

From 1 January to 9 August 2024, Thailand recorded 536,720  arrivals from Indonesia. By year-end, the number is expected to reach 800,000 travellers, generating at least 21.46 billion Baht.