LOMBOK, Indonesia: Indonesia’s island of Lombok received a boost in its tourism efforts today with AirAsia opening its latest hub there.
The budget airline will launch its first international flight from Lombok to Perth, Australia, in June this year.
AirAsia Indonesia chief executive officer Dendy Kurniawan said when officiating the hub that this would see all-round growth on the island, which took quite a beating when some parts were affected by an earthquake last year.
The hub is part of ongoing efforts to support the Indonesian government and the Tourism Ministry’s initiative to develop Lombok as one of “10 new Balis”.
In conjunction with the event, Dendy said AirAsia had also unveiled specially designed livery dedicated to supporting Lombok’s tourism promotion.
“The design features local tourism icons, such as the majestic Mount Rinjani and the underwater charm of the Gili islands, located on the northwest side of Lombok,” he added.
An Airbus A320 aircraft will be used to operate the flight to Perth from Lombok’s Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport. Air Asia will also connect to domestic destinations such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali from Lombok.
Dendy said the hub augured well for the island with its rich tourism charms.
“The new development will not only enhance international and domestic connectivity, but also create local job opportunities, stimulate tourism growth and contribute to Lombok’s vitally important visitor economy,” he said.
Dendy also said data from the Tourism Ministry showed that AirAsia remained the largest airline to bring international visitors to the country in 2018, accounting for around 3.2 million or 25 per cent of the total 12.8 million.
Lombok becomes AirAsia’s fifth hub in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan and Bali.
Since commencing flights from Kuala Lumpur to Lombok in 2012, AirAsia has carried more than one million international visitors to the popular destination. – Bernama
