Queensland will have a new direct link to Indonesia from March next year, when low-cost Qantas subsidiary Jetstar introduces a new route between Cairns and Bali.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jetstar Australia and New Zealand chief executive David Hall said Denpasar would be the airline's third international destination from Cairns.
"We know from airport research and our own bookings that there are plenty of Cairns travellers interested in a direct service to Bali," he said.
"Bali is consistently rated as one of Cairns residents' most popular unserved destinations and we know our low fares will appeal to families and groups of friends looking for a tropical getaway."
Mr Hall said the direct flight to Denpasar would take about three hours in Jetstar's 180-seat Airbus A320 single-class aircraft.
The new service would offer more than 50,000 seats a year between the two destinations, he said.
While the route was primarily aimed at the outbound market, Mr Hall said he expected international travellers in Bali to use Cairns as their first Australian port.
"Bali is a destination that draws people from all over the world and it's likely we'll see travellers take up the opportunity of these low fare flights across to Australia to kick-start their journey to the Great Barrier Reef and beyond," he said.
Cairns Airport chief executive Kevin Brown said Wednesday's announcement showed it was a "gateway to the Asia Pacific region".
"The Bali flights will add to the existing network of direct international services available from Cairns and are yet another boost for the region following SilkAir's recent announcement of direct services between Cairns and Singapore," he said.
"…The new route will also provide an excellent connection for international holiday makers to travel from Bali to Cairns or vice versa.
"We anticipate this will be well utilised by the youth and adventure market.
"Indonesia is an emerging tourism market for Australia and the Bali-Cairns service will provide new opportunities for people in Indonesia to have direct access to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef."
The flights were scheduled to depart Cairns on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, with return flights on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from March 31, 2015.
Jetstar has offered $99 one-way fares as a launch sale special.
Denpasar will join Guam, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Port Moresby, Rabaul and seasonal to Shanghai and Auckland. Singapore commences in May and of course the Bali flights in March.
