Ngurah Rai Airport Opens Direct Routes to Avalon and Sunshine Coast

Ngurah Rai International Airport has opened two direct flight routes to Australia, namely Avalon and Sunshine Coast. The opening of these routes is intended to support the growth of the aviation and tourism sectors. General Manager of Ngurah Rai International Airport Bali, Nugroho Jati, stated that Bali remains a premier destination for international tourists, particularly from Australia. “We greatly appreciate the resumption of the Avalon route, as well as the new Sunshine Coast route at Ngurah Rai Airport. This is proof that Bali continues to be a top destination for international tourists, especially from Australia,” said Nugroho Jati in a press release to detikBali on Wednesday (25/3/2025). Avalon Route Resumes Operations The Avalon Airport (AVV) route resumed operations on Monday (23/3). Jetstar flight JQ49 from Avalon Airport (AVV) arrived at Ngurah Rai Airport at 20:56 WITA. The aircraft then returned to Avalon as flight JQ50 at 23:03 WITA, carrying 222 passengers. The Avalon route operates five times a week, namely every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Sunshine Coast Route Debuts Meanwhile, the Sunshine Coast (MCY) route on Wednesday (25/3/2026) marked its inaugural flight. Jetstar flight JQ86 from Sunshine Coast (MCY) landed in Bali at 13:52 WITA, carrying 229 passengers. The Sunshine Coast route operates three times a week, namely every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Australia remains the largest contributor of tourists to Bali. In the first two months of 2026, 240,897 Australian tourists visited the Island of the Gods. Meanwhile, throughout 2025, Australian tourists ranked first with 1.6 million visits. Connectivity to Australian routes is also the highest to Bali, reaching 11 routes. These routes include Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Darwin, Cairns, Newcastle, as well as the two newest routes, Avalon and Sunshine Coast. Nugroho hopes that the opening of these two routes will strengthen connectivity between Indonesia and Australia and drive economic growth, particularly in the tourism sector and supporting industries. “With the opening of direct routes to Avalon and Sunshine Coast, it will certainly provide more alternatives and flight options for Indonesians wishing to visit Australia, and vice versa,” he said.