Bali and Jakarta calling in $138 flight promotion

Eunice Lam

Indonesia AirAsia is hosting a three-day flash sale, ending tomorrow, with one-way fares starting at just HK$138.

This promotion comes as it launches two new services connecting Hong Kong with Jakarta and Bali, with the inaugural flights starting yesterday and on October 1, respectively.

As part of the AirAsia Group, a Malaysian carrier, the airline's inaugural flight from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to Hong Kong took off yesterday fully booked.

The new services operate daily.AirAsia Group has eight direct services from Hong Kong to Macau, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

The flash sale features a base fare of HK$138 for the Bali service and HK$188 for the Jakarta flights, applicable for travel between October 21 and May 31.This promotion is available on its app, website and booking platforms.

Indonesian consul general Yul Edison said "the significance of these new routes is not only in facilitating travel for Hongkongers and Indonesians but also in enhancing cultural and business connections between our regions."

Since August 29, SAR passport holders can travel to Indonesia visa-free.

Indonesia's statistics bureau, he said, indicated that by July, 17,225 visitors from Hong Kong had traveled to Indonesia this year, surpassing the 13,885 visits in 2022.Indonesian visits to Hong Kong surged by 76.2 percent to 208,000 - nearly doubling last year's figures.

He hopes the increasedflight frequency will get Hongkongers to explore more of Indonesia, including its new capital, Nusantara.

Chapman Fong Shui-man, deputy director of airport operations at the Airport Authority, said it is committed to enhancing Hong Kong's status as an aviation hub.

"We launched an incentive program this year to encourage airlines to boost flight frequencies. These Indonesia AirAsia routes align perfectly with our vision of expanding our network and reinforcing our role as a leading airport," Fong said.