AirAsia touches down in Melbourne, opening new daily gateway to Bali and beyond

MELBOURNE, 21 March 2026: AirAsia’s inaugural flight from Bali to Melbourne touched down this morning, marking the start of the daily connection between the two cities. 

The highly anticipated service, operated by Indonesia AirAsia, which is part of AirAsia Group, is the latest network expansion for the low cost carrier in Australia.

Operating daily with an Airbus A320, the service will add more than 130,000 seats annually through Melbourne Airport, providing Victorian travellers greater choice and value when planning their next Bali or Indonesian getaway.

Captain Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman, General Manager of Indonesia AirAsia, said the launch reflects strong demand for Bali and reiterated the airline’s commitment to Australia.

“Bali continues to be the most popular international holiday destination for Australians, and we’re excited to give Victorians another great value option when planning their next escape,” he said.

“This new service supports AirAsia’s goal to make travel more accessible for Australians who wish to experience Bali, while also discovering the many remarkable destinations across the wider Indonesian archipelago.” 

"From Bali, passengers can easily connect to some of Indonesia’s fastest-growing destinations, including Labuan Bajo, the gateway to the iconic Komodo National Park; and Balikpapan, a vibrant culinary and cultural hub in Kalimantan, and to the Capital of Indonesia, Jakarta.”

Jim Parashos, Chief of Aviation, Melbourne Airport said AirAsia’s low-cost offering coupled with the carrier’s onward connections will make it an attractive offering.

“Bali is the destination of choice for Victorians, but there’s more to Indonesia than just Bali and AirAsia’s extensive network will allow travellers to explore beyond Bali,” he said.

“Even though it’s such a popular market we are still seeing passenger numbers between Melbourne and Bali increase by more than 13 per cent year-on-year, which highlights the appetite for new services.

“The beauty of Bali lies in the fact it’s a six-hour flight from Melbourne that often costs less to get to than domestic destinations such as Perth, making it a really attractive offering for budget conscious travellers and families.

“We’re seeing the benefits of more competition in these international markets flowing through to travellers in the way of cheaper airfares and more choice, which is a great outcome for everyone.”

The Melbourne to Denpasar service marks AirAsia’s third Australian route to Bali, complementing the airline’s existing services from Perth and Adelaide. The airline recently increased frequency out of Adelaide in response to rising demand from Australian travellers.

For travellers looking to venture further, AirAsia offers seamless connectivity from Bali to more than 150 destinations across Asia, and from June, the UK*. Now is the perfect time to go somewhere different, explore the hidden gems of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia, with seamless connections from Bali with AirAsia’s Fly-Thru service.    

To help make the decision easier, AirAsia is offering special promotional fares from Melbourne to Bali starting at $209 one way. Travellers can also grab a Fly-Thru deal with fares starting from $289 one way from Melbourne to Singapore (via Bali), Melbourne to Bangkok from $316 (via Bali) and Melbourne to Phuket from $391 (via Bali).

Fares are available to book from today via the airasia MOVE app, airasia.com, online travel agents, and authorised travel partners.

*Flights from Kuala Lumpur to London Gatwick via Bahrain commence on 26 June 2026. 

Images
Image 1 - AirAsia cabin crew
Image 2 - (L-R) Peppy Adi-Purnomo - VP Airline Business Development, South and South East Asia Melbourne Airport, Jim Parashos - Chief of Aviation, Melbourne Airport, Yohannes Jatmiko Heru Prasetyo, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne, Captain Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman, General Manager of Indonesia AirAsia, Eddy Krismeidi Soemawilaga, Head of Indonesia Affairs and Policy, Indonesia AirAsia.
Image 3 - (L-R) Jim Parashos - Chief of Aviation, Melbourne Airport, Yohannes Jatmiko Heru Prasetyo, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne, Captain Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman, General Manager of Indonesia AirAsia
Images 4 and 5 - (L-R) Gift exchange - Jim Parashos - Chief of Aviation, Melbourne Airport, Captain Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman, General Manager of Indonesia AirAsia