AirAsia scraps Darwin-to-Bali route, leaving travellers only one option to popular island
Dijana Damjanovic
www.abc.net.au | 13-12-2017
There will be only one airline flying from Darwin to Bali, after budget airline AirAsia announced it will cut its services in Darwin.
The Bali-Darwin route will be suspended from January 28, 2018, with Jetstar the only airline to fly between Darwin and the popular island destination.
In a statement, AirAsia said the suspension was part of broader restructuring plan.
"AirAsia Indonesia will suspend its service connecting Bali with Darwin as part of a network restructuring aimed at improving operational efficiency," the company said.
"AirAsia Indonesia would like to sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused by the suspension of this route."
The spokesman said guests who held bookings for after January 28 would be entitled to change their travelling date, a credit or a full refund.
Opposition Leader Garry Higgins has called on the NT Government to take action on the airline's decision.
"The Indonesian market presents a unique opportunity for the Territory for business and trade, and it is vital we have direct access via as many flights as possible," he said.
"It is particularly disappointing that AirAsia has opted to withdraw its direct services to Bali from Darwin.
"I call on the Government to pursue this issue with AirAsia accordingly."
The loss comes when government representatives, including Tourism Minister Lauren Moss, are in China trying to secure direct flights from one of China's major cities, Shenzhen to Darwin.