- Indonesian airline Citilink to return to Western Australia later this month
- For the first time Citilink will fly a new direct service between Perth and Jakarta
- Thousands of additional seats to be available on flights between Perth and Indonesia
- Services will include daily direct return flights between Perth and Bali
- Comes as WA strengthens economic, trade and tourism links with Indonesia securing WA jobs and boosting the local economy
In a major boost for aviation links between Indonesia and Western Australia, Indonesian Airline Citilink have announced they will be returning to WA later this month.
The services will include the return of direct flights between Perth and Bali and for the first time, a direct Citilink service between Perth and Jakarta.
The new flights will be serviced by an A320, adding thousands of additional seats between Perth, Jakarta and Bali each week, estimated to bring in just over 28,000 inbound passengers per year.
The welcome return of the flights follows a series of official engagements between WA and Indonesia including the most recent meeting between Indonesian President Joko Widodo and WA Premier Roger Cook, where a Plan of Action was signed with Indonesia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sydney.
The agreement will further strengthen WA's economic ties, trade, and supply chain opportunities with Indonesia.
This week's agreement reinforces a memorandum of understanding signed by the Premier in Jakarta, in his then role as Deputy Premier, as part of a trade and tourism mission held in December 2022.
As WA's closest international neighbour and with a population of 273 million people, Indonesia is an important trading partner for the State and the expansion of flight services will foster new business, tourism and trade opportunities.
Indonesia is an important international tourism market for WA and represented the State's seventh largest market by visitor numbers in 2019, spending an estimated $81 million in WA that year.
More than 10,000 Indonesian visitors travelled to our State last year, spending an estimated $40 million in 2022.
The Citilink daily return service between Perth and Bali will begin on 19 July, and the three weekly return services between Perth and Jakarta will begin on 29 July.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"Yesterday I met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and a range of Indonesian Ministers and dignitaries and highlighted the importance of maintaining our trading relationship between Western Australia and Indonesia.
"Establishing more aviation links is an incredibly important part of fostering our economic relationship and creating new business, tourism and trade opportunities, and I want to acknowledge all those for their efforts in securing these flights.
"The return of Citilink will add thousands of new seats to flights between Perth and Indonesia, it's a sign Indonesia is confident in investing in WA and will ensure we are able to capitalise on the economic, trade and business opportunities that exist with our State's closest international neighbour."
As stated by Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Indonesia is an incredibly important trading partner for Western Australia and the return of Citilink will mean more trade and business opportunities.
"Indonesia also represents one of our largest international visitor markets with tourists from Indonesia spending an estimated $81 million in WA in 2019, prior to the impacts of COVID.
"While we are still down on pre-COVID figures these additional flights will encourage more visitation from Indonesia and drive more tourism dollars into our State.
"We know Indonesia is a popular tourism destination for many Western Australians and more flights will also mean cheaper airfares which saves WA families more money."
