Jakarta. Korean Air is eyeing to add more destinations --particularly “New Balis”-- for direct flights from Seoul, but the airline is still studying which region has the best potential, according to the company’s top brass.

The South Korean flag carrier has been operating in Indonesia for 35 years. Korean Air offers direct flights from Seoul to Indonesia’s metropolis Jakarta and its tourist haven of Bali. The airline will also start having two daily flights from Seoul Incheon to Bali’s Denpasar starting on Oct. 20 as it is a popular tourist destination for South Korean travelers. 

Indonesia is currently trying to make its other tourist hotspots into “new Balis” as a means to grow its travel industry. These five new Balis are the following: Magelang’s Borobudur, North Sulawesi’s Likupang, North Sumatra’s Toba Lake, East Nusa Tenggara’s Labuan Bajo, and the coastal resort of Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara -- all designed to be the new hubs for international travelers. 

Korean Air’s Indonesian Country Manager Tae Seok Lee revealed Tuesday that this New Bali program has caught his company’s attention as a possible direct flight route. However, the airline has yet to make a final decision on opening up services to these destinations.

“Our team is continuously trying to find new destinations. … So we will try new routes in the near future, but we do not know which [region] will it be,” Lee told a media lunch in Jakarta when asked about future direct flight plans.

“But the Indonesian government announced the 10 New Balis program. So perhaps one of them,” Lee said.

The New Bali program initially started with 10 destinations. Aside from the aforementioned regions with the exception of Likupang, the original New Balis included Tanjung Kelayang, Thousand Islands, Tanjung Lesung, Wakatobi, Bromo Tengger Semeru, and Morotai Island.

What About New Capital?

Indonesia is currently in the process of relocating its capital from the crowded Jakarta to a forest city called Nusantara in East Kalimantan. The construction of the city’s Nusantara Airport is slated for this year-end. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has even instructed Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi to change the airport’s status from VVIP to commercial. In other words, the airport will be able to serve commercial flights, including the Hajj pilgrimage. 

While it might take years for Nusantara to be a lively city, Korean Air spoke about whether the flag carrier sees dollar signs in the capital relocation.

The government initially planned to move civil servants to Nusantara starting in August, although Jokowi decided to postpone it until everything is set. Jokowi has also just recently started working from Nusantara, although he is still making trips around the archipelago. The president also chose not to rush with signing the decree on Nusantara that would make the capital relocation more official.

“So the move [to the new capital] got delayed. And I heard it would take years for Indonesia to complete the new capital. I’m sure Korean Air will continue its operations in Indonesia for 45 years straight or beyond, … but I don’t think our next destination [for the direct flight] will be the new capital,” Lee said.

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