Direct flights from Canberra to Bali take off again

Direct flights connecting Canberra and Bali have resumed, with Virgin Australia introducing three 160-seat return services weekly to Denpasar, Indonesia. The airline may increase flights to five per week during school holidays. This launch positions Virgin Australia as the first Australian carrier to operate international flights from Canberra Airport, joining Fiji Airways and Qatar Airways in offering overseas destinations.

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Virgin's been swamped with demand, it's a great holiday destination. The market here is not just the city of Canberra, it's the whole surrounds, which doubles the population. The flights are really heavily sold. This has been one of the best launches of a service that they've had.

Canberra Airport CEO Stephen Byron expressed optimism about the new route, noting significant demand and strong initial sales. He highlighted that the market extends beyond Canberra to its surrounding regions, effectively doubling the potential passenger base. Byron described the launch as one of the most successful service introductions Virgin Australia has experienced.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr echoed this enthusiasm, anticipating the service's popularity. He pointed to the over 600,000 views on his Facebook announcement about the flights as a barometer of public interest within the city of 500,000 people. The Indonesian Embassy's Deputy Head of Mission, Lintang Paramitasari, also noted the new service's benefit for international students, providing a direct travel option to Canberra.

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This is a service that I'm sure will be incredibly popular. I think of all my Facebook posts this year, the announcement of direct flights between Canberra and Bali attracted over 600,000 views. So if you take that as a barometer of the level of interest in a city of 500,000 people, it's a pretty good indication.

Canberra has faced challenges in maintaining international flight routes. Batik Air previously canceled its Canberra-Bali service just four months after its launch. Singapore Airlines ceased flights to Singapore and Wellington due to low passenger numbers, and Qatar Airways also suspended its services during the pandemic, though it has since resumed flights via Melbourne. Fiji Airways has maintained a more consistent service to Nadi over the past three years. Barr is confident that Virgin Australia's venture will succeed where others have faltered.

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Our students, they can have alternatives now, going straight to Canberra rather than going through several airports.