Lion Air is set to open new direct flights to Bali from Zhengzhou in China. The flights will operate four times a week, starting from 26th November 2017. With this new route, Lion Air now connects Indonesia to a total of five destinations in China (other destinations include Guangzhou, Changsha, Shenzen and Shanghai).
“We are opening flights between Zhengzhou to Bali because of the high number of Chinese tourists who want to go to Indonesia,†said Andy M Saladin, Public Relations Manager of Lion Air Group, as reported by the Bali Post.
“We are seeing tremendous growth and development regarding the visits of foreign tourists, especially from China who come to Indonesia via Bali. It makes us feel the need to add new access to one of the cities in China,†said Andy.
The move from Lion Air is expected to result in higher numbers of Chinese tourists visiting Bali over the coming months. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya immediately welcomed the new flights, expressing his thanks and commenting on the potential for greater numbers of Chinese tourists coming to Indonesia.
“The potential is very large,†said the minister. “Currently, there are 120 million Chinese people who travel abroad, and only 1.7 million people who chose Indonesia as a tourist destination. With this direct flight we are tempting tourists to visit tourist destinations in Indonesia. Thank you Lion Air,†he continued.
Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft will service the Zhengzhou-Bali flight, each with a 175-seat capacity. Flights will depart from Zhengzhou at 5:40 pm, landing at Ngurah Rai Bali at 00:30 am. The return flight will depart from Ngurah Rai Bali at 08:30 am and is scheduled to arrive in Zhengzhou at 3:20 pm.
