AirAsia’s Darwin return brings promise of additional routes
The return of leading regional airline AirAsia to Darwin opens up the possibility of additional services. See what it means.
Business
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Regional airline AirAsia’s return to Northern Territory skies promises to be for the long haul.
AirAsia enjoyed an eight-year tenure in the Territory from 2010 until 2018 when a serious slowdown in the local economy combined with the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano to sink the airline’s Darwin flights.
But airline spokesman Captain Akhmad Mauzana said economic conditions in the Territory were markedly better than 2018, prompting the airline’s return.
AirAsia’s decision to return to the Territory was based on market conditions and without the inducement of subsidies provided under the government’s Aviation Attraction Scheme.
“We have done some study on the market situation and we noticed the market here is growing in the Northern Territory, especially Darwin,” Mr Mauzana said.
“Because of that opportunity we’re coming back again to Darwin, providing the service from Bali to Darwin.”
He said since the airline’s 2018 departure, Bali’s status as a regional hub for access to Asia and the Middle East had increased.
With the new Bali route being serviced by AirAsia’s Indonesian airline, Mr Mauzana indicated there were also options later for the airline’s Philippines, Indian and Thai divisions to also be activated.
At a ceremony at Darwin Airport on Wednesday formally announcing AirAsia’s Territory return, Trade, Business and Asian Relations Minister Robyn Cahill said the move back into the Territory was a commercial one.
“This was a purely commercial decision from AirAsia which I think is actually a really good demonstration that the evidence is showing that doing business in the Territory is something people should be doing,” she said.
“I think it’s a really strong message to our other airline partners because if you think about travelling to Bali from Darwin at about two-and-a-half-hours, we’ll be encouraging our domestic partners to get people to Darwin, spend a few days here then fly onto Bali.
“This is an additional 60,000 seats a year into Darwin.”
She said tickets for the first flight from Darwin to Bali, scheduled for March 22, sold out within hours.
Fares commence at $189 one way.
Bagus Hendraning Kobarsih, Head of the Indonesian Consulate in Darwin, said AirAsia’s return was a strategic initiative that would deliver seats and strengthen people-to-people ties.
“This air connectivity will facilitate the growth of two-way tourism, foster deeper people-to-people interactions, and is anticipated to ultimately create new business opportunities between Indonesia and the Northern Territory,” he said.
The Territory Government is hoping for further announcements around new airline arrivals in coming months, with Qatar Airways and Vietjet having indicated their interest in establishing bases in Darwin.
Upon launching a Sydney Ho Chi Minh City service in April 2023, Vietjet vice president Nguyen Thanh Son expressed the company’s desire to fly to the Territory.
“In the coming year, we plan to expand to cities including Brisbane, Darwin and Adelaide.”