Lombok. State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I welcomed the inaugural international flight from Malaysian carrier AirAsia Berhad (AK) at Lombok International Airport on Friday. 

The Airbus A320, flight number AK 304, carrying 117 passengers, received a traditional water salute upon landing at 09:19 local time. The flight crew was also greeted with traditional Sasak fabric in the international arrivals area by the Lombok Airport management.

"We welcome the presence of AirAsia Berhad, which serves direct connectivity between Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara. Besides providing an alternative flight option for travelers, the additional flight frequency from AirAsia is expected to contribute to the growth of international tourists visiting Lombok and NTB," said Minggus ET Gandeguai, General Manager of Angkasa Pura I, on Friday.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported a 23 percent surge in the number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia, reaching 1.14 million, with most of them coming from Malaysia (18.45 percent), Singapore (16.41 percent), and Australia (11.87 percent).

Malaysia also emerged as the top destination for domestic tourists in 2023, constituting 28 percent of the total domestic tourist visits of 3.54 million trips.

The Kuala Lumpur-Lombok-Kuala Lumpur route by AirAsia Berhad operates three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Departing from Kuala Lumpur at 06:10 local time, flight AK 304 is scheduled to arrive in Lombok at 09:40 WITA. The return flight, AK 305, departs from Lombok at 10:10 WITA and is planned to land in Kuala Lumpur at 13:20 local time.

Apart from AirAsia Berhad, the Lombok-Kuala Lumpur international route is currently served by Indonesian carriers Indonesia AirAsia (seven times a week) and Super Air Jet (three times a week). In addition to Kuala Lumpur, international routes from Lombok are available to Singapore, serviced by Scoot Airlines with four weekly flights.

For domestic routes, Lombok Airport currently connects to six destinations: Jakarta (CGK), Surabaya (SUB), Yogyakarta (YIA), Bali (DPS), Bima (BMU), and Sumbawa Besar (SWQ). Airlines such as Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, Super Air Jet, and Wings Air operate flights to these destinations.

In 2023, Lombok International Airport recorded 57,586 foreign tourist visits, indicating a significant increase of 280 percent compared to 2022.