Soaring high! AirAsia celebrates inaugural flight from Jakarta to Kuching
KUCHING, 15 June 2023 - Sarawak's capital city today welcomes guests on AirAsia's maiden flight from Jakarta, Indonesia, through a welcoming party at the Kuching International Airport here.
YB Dato' Sri Lee Kim Shin, Minister for Transport Sarawak, together with Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, and Raden Wisnu Sindhutrisno, Regional Marketing Director of Ministry of Tourism Indonesia were on hand to receive the maiden guests on flight QZ530 from Jakarta that arrived 35 minutes earlier than its scheduled time at 10.05AM. Among VIP guests on the flight was Captain Wuri Septiawan, Director of Operations, Indonesia AirAsia.
This new route, operated by Indonesia AirAsia, marks AirAsia’s fourth international route connecting Sarawak to Asean, following AirAsia Malaysia's routes from Kuching, Miri and Sibu to Singapore that were launched last year. The ceremony was jointly organised by AirAsia, the Ministry of Transport Sarawak, Tourism Board and supported by Malaysia Airports.
Offering a thrice weekly flight frequency between Jakarta and Kuching, promotional one-way all-in fares are available for booking on the airasia Superapp from as low as RM119* one-way (Kuching-Jakarta) and IDR559,000* one way (Jakarta-Kuching). Book these special fares from now until 18 June 2023 for travel between now till 14 December 2023.
YB Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, Minister of Transport Sarawak said: “I would like to commend the excellent ground work done by AirAsia in collaboration with the Sarawak Tourism Board, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Indonesia and Jakarta Tourism Authority to prepare this route and to ensure that it is not only sought after by Sarawakians, but more importantly for us to also encourage Indonesians to come and visit Kuching and Sarawak as a whole. It is pertinent that all industry stakeholders take it as our joint responsibility to promote Sarawak in strategic markets like Indonesia and ensure the route is sustainable. Connection to Jakarta is a precursor to wider connectivity from Sarawak to other parts of Indonesia, especially with the establishment of the country’s new administrative capital Nusantara, in East Kalimantan.”
YB Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts Sarawak said: "This marks a historic moment as we celebrate the inaugural flight between Jakarta and Kuching, forging a new chapter in our connectivity journey between our two cities as we welcome travellers to explore the wonders of Kuching's natural beauty, rich heritage, and warm hospitality. This flight not only brings our vibrant cultures closer but also opens doors to limitless opportunities for tourism, trade, and mutual growth."
STB Chief Executive Officer, Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor said, “We are thrilled to welcome Airasia Indonesia's direct flight from Jakarta to Kuching, one week ahead of Sarawak’s iconic Rainforest World Music Festival 2023. This direct flight service not only makes travelling more accessible for both Sarawakians and Indonesians, it also marks a significant step in strengthening the connectivity between these two destinations. This flight allows travellers from both countries to be immersed in each other’s vibrant tourism offerings.”
Captain Wuri Septiawan, Director of Operations, Indonesia AirAsia said: “This route is the testament of AirAsia’s support towards both Indonesia and Malaysia, not only to accelerate the recovery of the tourism industry, but also to strengthen the relationship and explore opportunities for cooperation. With this route, we hope that more of our guests will be able to travel between Jakarta and Kuching with ease and affordability, be it for leisure or business.
“While starting with three weekly flights, we will review opportunities to expand these services based on popular demand. We would like to thank the Ministry of Transport Sarawak, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Sarawak Tourism Board, and all stakeholders for the support to make this service a reality. This is the first time AirAsia has ever flown this route and AirAsia is the only airline flying this route. We believe that with the support and cooperation of all stakeholders, this route can be popular and sustainable.”
In total, AirAsia now operates 23 weekly international flights to Sarawak from Singapore and Jakarta and will be increasing the frequencies in tandem with demand.
Flight schedule from Jakarta (CGK) to Kuching (KCH):
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*All-in one-way fare includes airport taxes, MAVCOM fee, fuel surcharges and other applicable fees. Other terms and conditions apply.