Since its designation as an international airport, flight activities at Komodo International Airport, Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, have been largely dominated by international flights – commercial as well as private ones.
The Head of the Class II TPI Labuan Bajo Immigration Office, Jaya Mahendra, reported that, as of this month, 31 international flights have arrived at Komodo International Airport since the latter achieved international status back in April.
“There have been 16 international [commercial] flights as well as 15 [international] private jet flights that have landed at the airport,” Mahendra told the press on Wednesday, the 14th of August.
He further noted that most international flights have been originating from Thailand and Singapore. These flights, however, exclude flights from Malaysia considering regular flights from its capital city, Kuala Lumpur, to Labuan Bajo will commence on the 3rd of September, 2024, and will be operated by the Malaysian multinational low-cost airline AirAsia.
Observing the recent flight trend, Mahendra deduced that this demonstrated Labuan Bajo‘s growing appeal as a tourist destination among financially affluent tourists from overseas.
“We hope that the presence of an international airport in Labuan Bajo will stimulate economic growth for the local community, create new opportunities for the tourism industry, and enhance accessibility to other appealing destinations in Indonesia,” he commented.
Mahendra was also optimistic that Labuan Bajo, a super-priority tourism destination designated by the Indonesian central government, can elevate the region as the rising star on Southeast Asia’s tourism map.
“With the rising number of international flights at Komodo Airport, Labuan Bajo has the potential to become one of the leading [tourism] destinations in Southeast Asia,” he concluded.