The recent lifting of a ban on international flights for three airports in Indonesia –Bangka Belitung and Palembang in Sumatra as well as Semarang in Java gets concrete. AirAsia returns now from Kuala Lumpur to Palembang and Semarang. While Indonesia negotiates with Singapore for the opening of routes to the three destinations.
Indonesia last administration of Joko Widodo had decided in a turn-around decision to limit international flights to a handful of airports with the idea of strengthening a handful of hubs within the country. In April 2024, Indonesian authorities halved the number of airports that could operate international flights from 34 to 17.
However, many large cities such as Palembang, Semarang, both with a population of over 1.7 million and important trade centers, suddenly became completely disconnected by air to the rest of Asia.
As an example, passengers for Palembang in South Sumatra, had to fly to Jakarta to eventually go to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. A detour that turned a two-hour trip into a six- or seven-hour journey, including the layover.
Lobbying the current administration under President Prabowo Subianto has finally yielded results. Bangka Belitung and Palembang in Sumatra as well as Semarang in Central Java, have been re-designated as international airports by the Ministry of Transportation at the end of April. These airports have been given a maximum period of 24 months to be able to serve international flights.
AirAsia Malaysia, first airline to be back
AirAsia became the first international airline to return to both Palembang and Semarang. On June 17, the Malaysian affiliate relaunched two new direct routes from Kuala Lumpur to Palembang and Semarang. It further enhances travel access between Malaysia and Indonesia with a total of 188 weekly flights. AirAsia Malaysia serves 13 destinations across Indonesia. Beside Palembang and Semarang, the carrier serves Jakarta, Bali, Medan, Yogyakarta, Banda Aceh, Makassar, Padang, Pekanbaru, Balikpapan, Labuan Bajo and Lombok from Kuala Lumpur. It also offers flights from Penang to Jakarta and Medan.
Meanwhile, Singapore airport operator Changi Airport Group (CAG) told local newspaper The Straits Times that it is in talks with carriers about potential services for these three routes. Discussions started following the recent visit to Singapore of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. “CAG is constantly in talks to explore opportunities for expanding connectivity between Singapore and Indonesia,” highlight the airport’s authorities.
