AirAsia Resumes Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Lombok and Makassar

TheIndonesia.co - PT Angkasa Pura I Lombok International Airport, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) stated that after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kuala Lumpur Malaysia-Lombok and Kuala Lumpur-Makassar International flight route has now reopened.

"The reopening of this international route is a momentum for the revival of Lombok and NTB tourism," said General Manager of Lombok Airport Rahmat Adil Indrawan in Praya, Sunday, May 1, 2022.

He hoped that this will be an opening for international routes from other airports to Lombok. Lombok Airport is ready to serve as well as anyone who will come. Reflecting on his experience of welcoming guests to the 2021 WSBK and MotoGP events in March 2022.

"Of course, we are ready to welcome the arrival of international tourists, including Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) who are our country's foreign exchange heroes," he said.

AirAsia will serve Kuala Lumpur-Lombok flights and vice versa every day. AirAsia QZ-462 from Kuala Lumpur will depart at 08.25 local time and arrive in Lombok at 11.30 WITA. Meanwhile, AirAsia QZ-463 will depart from Lombok at 10.30 WITA and is scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 13.30 local time.

"We hope that in the future more airlines will use international flights at Lombok Airport so that it will have a positive impact on the tourism industry in Lombok and NTB. This will create a multiplier effect for regional and national economic progress," he said.

Flight to Makassar

Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport has re-opened flights for Air Asia with the Makassar – Kuala Lumpur – Makassar route. "In response to the public's interest in the Makassar-Kuala Lumpur PP route ahead of this homecoming, we will reopen the first flight to this overseas route," said the General Manager of Sultan Hasanuddin Airport, Wahyudi in Makassar, Saturday.

He said the airline, whose inaugural flight carried 140 passengers from Kuala Lumpur on D-3 Eid al Fitr, became a big hope for travelers, most of whom were workers from neighboring countries. According to him, this flight will temporarily operate 2 times a week on Thursday and Saturday.

Air Asia is still using Airbus 320-type aircraft with a capacity of 180 passengers. Before the pandemic, he continued, Air Asia served foreign flights every day. This condition is expected to repeat itself in line with the better handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Hopefully in the future Air Asia can resume operations every day. Now we are preparing flights for overseas, direct Umrah flights from Makassar by Garuda Airlines," said Wahyudi.

Under government regulations, passengers are required to carry out a PCR swab and quarantine for 5x24 hours if the body temperature is above 37 degrees Celsius and the vaccine has not been completed. Quarantine is carried out at a place that has been determined by the Makassar Class I Port Health Office. Next, carry out immigration and customs checks before exiting the airport arrival lobby area.