News

One of Asia’s most recognisable airline brands will soon begin flying to Cairns Airport, for the first time ever. 

AirAsia Indonesia will operate services between Bali (Denpasar) and Cairns three times a week from Wednesday 14August 2024.  

The airline is part of the AirAsia stable, renowned in the industry as Asia’s first low cost, low fare carrier. 

Cairns Airport Chief Executive Officer Richard Barker said the new service would open up a raft of connections across Asia. 

“AirAsia have never flown to Cairns before and we look forward to welcoming these services in August,” he said. 

“This announcement is great news for locals, with more flights to Bali. Importantly, this service will also open up one-stop, low fare travel to Tropical North Queensland from some of largest nations in Southeast Asia, on an airline that is well known in those markets. 

“These flights will provide direct connectivity from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and domestic Indonesia, including Jakarta and Surabaya, via Denpasar to Cairns.” 

The service will inject more than 28,000 seats into the Cairns market in the first year. To celebrate the new route, special launch fares will go on sale today at 2pm local time, starting from just AUD $159 to Bali. 

AirAsia Indonesia Chief Executive Officer Veranita Yosephine said the airline was thrilled to be flying to Tropical North Queensland for the very first time.  

“Cairns offers our guests from Bali and across Asia breathtaking scenery, including the world-famous Great Barrier Reef, ancient rainforests, unique culture, delicious seafood and more,” she said. 

“At the same time, Asia is a top destination for Australians offering unique experiences at affordable prices. While Bali remains one of Australia’s favourite leisure destinations, we aim to promote the many other undiscovered Asian wonders. Residents of Cairns and surrounding cities like Mackay and Townsville can now not only fly to Bali on AirAsia at great value fares, but also access over a hundred destinations in the AirAsia Group network via a short stopover in Bali.” 

“Starting with three weekly services, we hope to grow the number of flights in the future, based on demand.” 

Tourism Minister Michael Healy said: “It’s terrific to see the AirAsia stable expanding to Cairns.” 

“The Far North remains a hot ticket for visitors who want to see just how much Queensland has to offer, and now the arrival of AirAsia Indonesia to Cairns will bring even more travellers from around the world to this incredibly beautiful region.  

“This agreement with Asia’s first low-cost, low-fare carrier is another significant milestone for our successful Attracting Aviation Investment Fund and shows that Queensland’s reputation as Australia’s tourism destination of choice is strong.” 

Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen welcomed the route, which will help to open new markets in Southeast Asia. 

“Arriving via Denpasar to Cairns will also be attractive for our traditional long-haul markets in Europe and the United Kingdom as well as short-haul travellers from Asia,” he said. 

“Tropical North Queensland is a popular destination for the youth and group series markets coming from the UK and Europe and this connection will add further appeal.”