Two New Routes to Australia from Ngurah Rai Airport Officially Opened
Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali is further strengthening its international connectivity with Australia through the opening of two new flight routes operated by Jetstar Airways: Avalon and Sunshine Coast. The introduction of these routes represents a strategic step to facilitate access for international tourists, particularly from Australia, to the island of Bali.
Jetstar resumed operations on the Avalon (AVV)–Denpasar (DPS) route on Monday evening (23/3/2026), marking the reactivation of the service after a temporary suspension. Meanwhile, the Sunshine Coast (MCY) flight, which took place on Wednesday evening (25/3/2026), is the inaugural route directly linking that city with the island of Bali.
General Manager of Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Nugroho Jati, stated that the opening of these new routes is a positive synergy between the airport operator and the airline in supporting the growth of the aviation sector and tourism.
“We greatly appreciate the resumption of the Avalon route, as well as the Sunshine Coast route, which is the latest addition to Ngurah Rai International Airport. This is proof that Bali remains a premier destination for international tourists, especially from Australia,” said Nugroho Jati, quoted on Thursday (26/3/2026).
On Monday, 23 March 2026, Jetstar flight JQ49 from Avalon Airport (AVV) arrived at Ngurah Rai International Airport at 20:56 WITA, then departed back to Avalon at 23:03 WITA as flight JQ50, carrying 222 passengers.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, 25 March 2026, Sunshine Coast (MCY) officially became the newest route for Ngurah Rai International Airport, following the inaugural Jetstar flight JQ86 landing in Bali at 13:52 WITA with 229 passengers on board.
The Avalon route operates five times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The Sunshine Coast route operates three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
Australia remains the country with the highest number of international tourists visiting Bali, recording 240,897 visitors in the first two months of 2026. In 2025, the number of Australian tourists to Bali ranked first with 1.6 million people. This aligns with Australia having the most international routes to Bali, namely 11 routes.
These 11 routes include Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Darwin, Cairns, Newcastle, as well as the two newest routes: Avalon and Sunshine Coast.
“With the opening of these two routes, it is hoped that connectivity between Indonesia and Australia will become even closer, while also providing positive impacts on economic growth, particularly in the tourism sector and supporting industries. With the opening of direct routes to Avalon and Sunshine Coast, there will certainly be more alternatives and flight route options for Indonesians wishing to visit Australia, and vice versa,” explained Nugroho Jati.
“Ngurah Rai International Airport, together with all stakeholders, will continue to support the development of flight networks, both domestic and international, as part of efforts to strengthen Bali’s position as one of the world’s premier tourism destinations,” Nugroho Jati concluded.