DDHK. ORG – Hong Kong Airlines has re-opened the Hong Kong – Denpasar – Hong Kong route, for the first time after the Covid-19 pandemic on Monday, 17 April 2023.
Additional routes are increasingly adding connectivity antara Hong Kong and Bali Island, previously only served by Cathay Pacific airlines.
Reporting from tribune, on its inaugural flight, Hong Kong Airlines passengers were greeted with a ceremonial water salute and flower garlands.
On its maiden flight, a Hong Kong Airlines flight with flight number CRK707 landed at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport at 06.30 WITA carrying 146 passengers from Hong Kong.
The aircraft with the Airbus A333 type returned to Hong Kong at 09.05 WITA carrying 281 passengers.
General Manager of Bali I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Handy Heryudhitiawan, expressed his appreciation for the inaugural flight of Hong Kong Airlines.
"We congratulate Hong Kong Airlines on the maiden flight. With the addition of the Hong Kong route, of course it will further strengthen connectivity between Hong Kong and Bali," said Handy.
He said that he was still waiting for proposals for new routes by several other international airlines.
"Until now, we are still discussing it with related parties, and we hope that by the end of this year, international flight routes can return to the pre-pandemic period," added Handy.
As additional information, Handy said, during the 3 days of implementing the Integrated Eid Al-Fitr 2023 Post at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport there had not been a significant increase in passengers.
"We noted that there were 150.028 domestic and international airplane passengers in 3 days of implementing the integrated post. This number consisted of 59.366 domestic passengers and 90.662 international passengers. We also recorded 1.021 aircraft movements during the Eid al-Fitr period," explained Handy.
Currently I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali International Airport serves 5 routes to the People's Republic of China with 3 of them going to Mainland China namely Shenzhen, Shanghai and Xiamen; Hong Kong, as well as Taipei.
"Overall, we serve 28 scheduled international routes served by 34 airlines. We hope that the opening of additional routes to and from Hong Kong will have a positive effect on tourism on the island of Bali," said Handy.
Handy Heryudhitiawan said that his party was still waiting for proposals for new routes by several airlines which were continuing to discuss with related parties.
"We hope that by the end of this year international flight routes will be able to return to the period before the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.
Previously, an airline from China, China Eastern Airlines, had also re-opened the Shanghai-Denpasar-Shanghai flight route for the first time after the Covid-19 pandemic. [DDHK News]
