For the first time since March 2020, Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport will open its doors to international tourists beginning October 14, 2021.
However, no international flights are scheduled to arrive at the popular Indonesian resort island, and commercial airlines are yet to officially declare operations.
As of October 14, 2021, all arrivals in Bali airport are from domestic flights.
Despite the absence of an international arrival, the occasion was still marked with a flight. As part of its preparations to welcome back international travelers, airport officials conducted a simulation from South Korea’s Incheon Airport (ICN) with a Garuda Indonesia flight carrying 90 passengers.
The management of the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali staged a simulation for the arrival of international passengers, ahead of Bali’s reopening for international tourism, which will begin on October 14th, 2021. #JakartaMoversandShakers pic.twitter.com/8KJB7khBra
— Metro Globe Network (@mglobenetwork) October 13, 2021
But Bali will only accept international tourists “on a trial basis and will continue to be reviewed if all conditions compile,” according to the Bali travel guide site, Welcome Back to Bali, which is operated by the Bali Hotels Association.
International passengers will need to undergo an RT-PCR test and remain in the holding areas while waiting for the results. They will then need to commence a mandatory five-day quarantine. In order to enter the country, travellers must also show proof of full vaccination. Additionally, they will need to provide evidence of a paid quarantine hotel booking and be able to show two negative COVID-19 test results, one to be taken prior to boarding the flight and another upon arrival at the airport.
Full details and requirements of entry to Bali, which are subject to change, can be found here.
To counteract its lengthy entry requirements, Angkasa Pura told local press that it will provide an incentive for local and international carriers who will operate in Bali.
Eligible airlines will receive a landing fee discount at Denpasar Bali airport (DPS) during the stimulus period from October 14, 2021 to June 30, 2022. A 100% landing fee discount is available from October 14 to December 31, 2021, and a 50% discount will apply from January 1 until June 30, 2022.
Some of the rules of airline eligibility presented to Indonesian press include:
-
Those applying to receive the discounted landing fee incentive must be a foreign airline.
-
Those receiving the discounted landing fee incentive must be a passenger airline operating scheduled flights to and from Bali that have received flight approvals from the Director-General of Civil Aviation based on agreed air routes and international air agreement.
-
The discounted landing fee incentives do not apply to cargo flights, general aviation, or charter flights.
Tourism is an integral part of Indonesia’s economy, accounting for 4.11% of its GDP. Bali is Indonesia’s most popular tourist destination, and welcomed around 6.3 million tourists in 2019. In 2020, only 1.05 million tourists visited the island.