South Korean carrier Korean Air is set to host charter flights between South Korea and Lombok International Airport, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), in July and August.
“Korean Air will launch seven chartered flights,” Lombok International Airport (LIA) General Manager I Gusti Ngurah Ardita sad in Mataram District, the capital of NTB, on Monday, May 29, as reported by Antara News.
Ardita said the airline, based in Gonghang-dong, Gangseo-gu in Seoul, will arrive at the Lombok International Airport from July 29 until the end of August.
“We certainly expect that with this charter flight, it can open a fixed route for Korean – Lombok flights,” Ardita noted during the meeting with Park Kee Hyun, Korean Air Regional Manager of Indonesia and Bae Sang-wook, General Manager of SouthEast Asia/Oceania Route Network Centre Passenger Network & Sales.
The arrival of Korean Air in Lombok follows a meeting held in April, Ardita added. Korean Air, airport operator Angkasa Pura, the regional government and the Tourism Board of West Nusa Tenggara teamed up to ease the move.
West Nusa Tenggara Governor TGH Muhammad Zainul Majdi said a visit by South Korea’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Cho Tai Young, and his wife, Cho Gye Young, from South Korea to Lombok via a chartered flight could become a regular flight.
Direct flights could help boost tourism, in line with the government’s hopes of attracting 20 million foreign tourists by 2019. The goal is to make the archipelago a world-class tourism destination – including Lombok Island.
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