Chinese air carriers have recently increased the number of weekly flights from China to Indonesia. The increase comes weeks before the G20 Summit, which will be held in Bali, Indonesia. The summit will be held on November 15th and 16th. Over 250 delegates and reporters will be coming from China to attend the meeting. It is unclear if President Xi Jinping will be in attendance. However, several ambassadors from both countries have announced intentions to be present at the summit.

Recently added flights

Four new routes were opened between the two countries. These include an Air China route connecting Jakarta's Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) with Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), which will be operated once every Monday. Air China will also operate a flight every Friday between Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) and CGK.

China Southern Airlines will operate a flight every Monday, Thursday, and Friday between CGK and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN). Xiamen Airlines has also opened a route connecting the two countries. It will operate a flight between CGK and Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN) every Monday and Saturday.

Increased flight frequency

Airlines have also increased the number of flights on existing routes between the countries in preparation for the summit. China Southern Airlines has added a flight every Tuesday to the CGK to Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX) route. Xiamen Airlines has added a flight every Thursday to the Fuzhou Changle International Airport (FOC) to the CGK route.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Several Indonesian airlines have also increased flight frequency, including Lion Air, which will offer an additional flight every Monday between Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH) and CGK. It will also offer an additional flight every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, on the CGK to CAN route. The same route will receive an extra flight every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday on Garuda Indonesia. Citilink has added a flight every Friday between CGK and Kunming Airport (KMG). Many of the increased flights and added routes will be terminated following the summit, whereas others are part of larger expansion plans and will remain in place.

Bali route

Before these latest routes were opened connecting Indonesia to China, China Airlines, the flag carrier of Taiwan, reopened a route connecting Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) with Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) at the end of Summer. The twice-weekly flight is operated on an Airbus A330. While this is not a route connecting mainland China with Indonesia, it is another route that has been recently added that can transport visitors to the summit.

The reintroduction of this route is a positive sign for both Indonesia and the air travel market. The route was previously suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic due to travel restrictions. The lack of visitors during the pandemic greatly affected the Indonesian economy, as a significant portion of the country's economy revolves around tourism. Since travel restrictions have been lifted and demand has returned, the route could be reopened. The G20 Summit will likely increase the number of travelers visiting Indonesia this November. For this reason, airlines have significantly increased air transit operations in the region.

What do you think of these added flights? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Antara News