There is welcome news for the quake affected tourism industry in Lombok.
Malaysia based budget carrier hopes to set up a regional air hub at Lombok’s international airport in Praya.
The carrier wants to open two new direct routes to Singapore and Perth, which it first announced plans for late last year.
AirAsia is committed to helping accelerate the post-quake recovery process, said Air Asia Indonesia president director Dendy Kurniawan.
"We will prepare two stand-by aircraft in LIA in early March," said Dendy.
The airline is still awaiting regulatory approval and promotional support to make the routes viable.
"We also need several permits from the Governor related to flight schedules," he added.
AirAsia currently flies From Lombok to its Kuala Lumpur hub, which is one of only two scheduled international routes.
