Bali back on radar

Flights return to island destination

FLIGHTS will finally restart to a muchawaited affordable international destination on Sunday and locals are excited to jetset again.

The first Jetstar JQ90 flight will depart Cairns at 9.30pm on Sunday with a full load of 180 passengers. The service will start twice a week before increasing to three times weekly in June.

North Queensland Airports chief executive Richard Barker said the May 1 flight would be the first in more than two years.

“‘It is great to see more international flights returning to our airport, with Bali a welcome addition to those services recently introduced by Singapore Airlines and Air Niugini,” Mr Barker said.

While April was a good month for the airport, Mr Barker said there was a lull expected in the weeks ahead.

“We expect things to slow a little in the coming months before we once again hit our mid-winter peak,” he said.

Before the pandemic, more than 60,000 passengers would travel the Cairns-Bali route, with many locals keen to return to the Indonesian island.

This is still the case for some holidaymakers, with Bayview Heights resident Shane Moon, who has been to Bali before, saying he would always take the opportunity to take his family there.

“We love the place, hands down, it’s great. The people over there are amazing; they are so grateful for you to go over and experience their culture and be there,” Mr Moon said.

“Before Covid, Bali was becoming our frequent go-to place. We enjoyed it so much. You wouldn’t go there for 12 months but the people at the resort would remember who you were.”

Mr Moon said one of the benefits was affordability, especially when Jetstar offered discounted tickets.

“When you’ve got a family of four, it is so affordable,” he said.

“We used to go with three families together; it was really good for the kids.

“When you get there, time just stops, nothing really matters. It’s just that kind of place.”

Bali is a highly sought-after destination because it is only a four-hour flight; 24 services are expected to operate in the coming months.

Jetstar flights to Tokyo and Osaka from Cairns are expected to resume in mid-July but are currently under review due to Japan’s restrictions on arrivals.