National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is set to start flying from Denpasar, Bali, to Mumbai, India, starting April 23.
The new route is expected to provide more options for travellers going to and from Mumbai and ease access for Indian tourists to Indonesia.
The airline currently offers a Jakarta-Mumbai service that was launched in 2016.
Garuda Indonesia cargo director Sigit Muhartono said in a statement that the new service was part of the company’s effort to expand its international network, especially in South Asia, following the growth of Indian tourists to Indonesia at 28.8 percent last year.
“This new route also aims to make India our new target market, after China, as well as support the government’s program to attract 20 million tourists by 2019. India, as you know, is the country with the second-biggest population in the world and it is currently one of the largest contributors of foreign visitors to Bali,” Sigit added.
The flight from Denpasar to Mumbai will be available two times per week every Monday and Thursday. Starting in May, it is expected to increase to three times per week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The GA-814 flight will depart from Denpasar at 3:40 p.m. local time and arrive in Mumbai at 8:25 p.m. Meanwhile, the GA-815 flight will take off from Mumbai at 9:50 p.m. and land in Denpasar the next day at 7:55 a.m. Both flights will use the A330-200 aircraft, which can accommodate 36 economy and 186 business class seats
With the addition of the route, the carrier will provide services to Mumbai six times per week via Jakarta and Denpasar.
(The Jakarta Post/ANN)