Helicopter services between Bali and Gili Trawangan are becoming a preferred option for holidaymakers and travellers facing tight schedules or poor weather conditions.
Helicopter tours from Bali to Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara, are becoming increasingly popular. There are currently at least two to three helicopter flights between Bali and Gili Trawangan each month.
“There are two to three flights a month, usually busier during the high season,” the Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel General Manager Association of West Nusa Tenggara, Lalu Kusnawan, told the press on Monday, the 28th of April.
As of now, there are two types of helicopter services available in Gili Trawangan — for leisure purposes and for emergencies. Emergency flights can operate daily, while leisure helicopter services from Bali to Gili Trawangan are typically chosen by tourists during bad weather or under certain urgent conditions.
“This isn’t exactly a ‘sultan’s tour’, but our guests here have different characters. Some are from the middle-upper segment and need to catch a flight — there are many such cases. If they take a fast boat, they might not make it [in time], so they opt for a helicopter instead,” Kusnawan continued.
According to Kusnawan, this helicopter service is not a new offering, having been available since the year 2016. The price for a one-way flight, however, varies and is relatively high, ranging from Rp60 million to Rp70 million per flight.
“But now, it’s becoming more frequent. From what I’ve observed, case by case — especially with the Rupiah weakening — they can afford to pay a bit cheaper [so they’re using helicopters more often],” Kusnawan concluded.