The West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat or NTB) Provincial Government continues discussions with two airlines, Batik Air and AirAsia, which are potential operators for the Lombok–Perth, Australia route.
The NTB Provincial Government has confirmed that efforts are underway to establish new international flight routes, with the Lombok–Perth connection via Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport (BIZAM) identified as the most feasible option.
“Our target is to open flights from Lombok to Perth, Australia, by the end of this year,” said the Governor of NTB, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, to the press on Monday, 15th of September.
The launch of this route is expected to pave the way for other international connections to Lombok. Iqbal also noted that the prospects for this particular international route remain highly promising.
“The Lombok–Perth flight route itself is not a new one. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, this route was served by JetStar,” continued the governor.
International routes are considered crucial for NTB, particularly Lombok, as part of efforts to increase foreign tourist arrivals to the island, also known as the Island of a Thousand Mosques. Australian visitors, in particular, have historically represented a significant share of arrivals in the region.
“The opening of this route will make it easier for Australian tourists to visit this area,” added Iqbal.
Alongside international connectivity, the NTB Provincial Government is also working to strengthen and expand domestic flight routes. This initiative is expected to make BIZAM more accessible to domestic travellers, facilitating visits to Lombok and other destinations across the province.
“One of our problems so far has been that the number of tourist visits has not been maximised due to the limited number of flight routes to Lombok. Now, with the opening of more domestic flight routes, this can certainly be a driving factor in increasing tourist visits to this region,” concluded Iqbal.