Officials from Bali’s PT Angkasa Pura I, the state-owned enterprise responsible for the management of airports in Indonesia, announced the implementation of a stimulus program aiming to encourage airlines to reestablish service to the island.
From Oct. 14, 2021, through June 30, 2022, eligible domestic and international airlines will receive a 100 percent discount on landing fees.
After that, from January 1 to June 30, the financial support will be cut to 50 percent.
“We are hoping that with this incentive, it would ease the airlines’ burden to reactivate their international routes to and from Bali,” AP I CEO, Faik Fahmi, said.
On late Thursday, Bali’s governor would officially welcome back tourists at an empty at Ngurah Rai International Airport.
“Tourists need time. This is only on Oct. 14. Hopefully, by the end of October at the latest, there will be international flights to Bali,” said the governor.
Most tourism representatives agree that the lack of flights is caused due to failure to deliver a clear message to the international travel community.
Bali announced its reopening on Oct. 4. Since then, all related details have been patchy and insufficient.
For instance, Indonesia only released the list of 19 eligible countries late on Oct.13, just one day before the deadline.
“We still have several things to consider before finalizing this policy on Oct. 14 such as testing methods, quarantine details, and the countries that will have access to the island,” said the Tourism and Creative Economy on Oct 4.
While all these matters are resolved, the governmental agency decided to go ahead with its generous discount which also includes marketing promotion of their routes across social media platforms.
To qualify for the financial aid Airlines must meet some specific requirements including but not limited to offering commercial flights. Charter, or general aviation will not be considered.