According to reporting from Tempo, Indonesia AirAsia plans to launch two to three new international routes by the end of 2024, building upon the success of its recently established Jakarta to Hong Kong and Bali to Hong Kong routes, which have received positive feedback and high passenger traffic.
“Two of the new routes are planned for China and India,” said Eddy Krismeidi, Head of Indonesia Affairs and Policy at Indonesia AirAsia, during the Indonesia AirAsia Meets Hong Kong event in Hong Kong on Tuesday (8/10/24.)
Eddy spoke about the rapid expansion of Indonesia AirAsia’s international routes in 2024. Of the targeted 12 new routes, 7 are already operational, including Jakarta to Kota Kinabalu, Bali to Kota Kinabalu, Jakarta to Brunei Darussalam, Denpasar to Phuket, Denpasar to Hong Kong, and Jakarta to Hong Kong.
“Our goal for this year is to establish 12 new international routes. We have successfully launched seven routes since the beginning of 2024,” he said.
The remaining five routes, according to Eddy, are currently in the approval process. “We are awaiting approval. Hopefully, we can achieve at least two more routes before the end of the year,” he said.
Tempo says that Eddy expressed optimism about the growth potential of the airlines’ international routes, anticipating fierce competition with other low-cost airlines such as Brunei Darussalam’s Royal Brunei Airlines and Singapore’s Scott Air Airlines.
Eddy cited the positive performance of its several new international routes as evidence of their growth potential. The Jakarta to Hong Kong and Bali to Hong Kong routes, launched in early October 2024, have demonstrated strong demand.
“The prospects are improving daily. From Bali, I’ve received reports of load factors exceeding 90 percent. So the performance is excellent,” Eddy said.
These routes, he went on, not only sell Bali but also promote other tourist destinations like Labuan Bajo and Balikpapan. Similarly, the Jakarta to Hong Kong route has experienced high passenger occupancy rates, with early data showing 163 passengers on outbound flights and 133 passengers on return flights, representing a return rate of approximately 75 percent, even reaching above 85 percent, according to Tempo.
Based on the strong passenger traffic, Eddy assessed that the performance of the two new international routes is promising, especially considering that October is still the low season for travel. “The market has responded positively to the routes we’ve opened. We anticipate even higher demand during weekends,” he said.
Source: Tempo
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