India Foray: AirAsia Indonesia Expected to Start Jakarta-Chennai and Bali-Kolkata Service

In the last financial year, Indian carriers have brought one significant change in the Asian market. Airlines like Vistara and IndiGo realizing the market potential of Indonesia forayed into the market. Now, carriers from Indonesia are also expected to enter into this market, which will result in increased competition.

Previously, Garuda Indonesia used to operate flights between Jakarta and Mumbai. However, the airline was forced to suspend the service prior to the pandemic because of low yields. After the pandemic, Indonesia has become an example of one of the best-emerging markets for India.

AirAsia Indonesia Plans to Enter India Market

AirAsia Indonesia, the Jakarta-based subsidiary of AirAsia Group is expected to enter the India market. It is anticipated to connect Jakarta and Bali to Chennai and Kolkata respectively. Sandeep Chakravorty, the Diplomat of India to Indonesia has announced on LinkedIn that the embassy is in discussions with the low-cost carrier to provide services between both countries.

On his Twitter account, Sandeep Chakravorty said: “Greater India – Indonesia air connectivity is the foundation of stronger bilateral ties. Happy to inform that we are working with AirAsia Indonesia to soon start several Jakarta- Chennai & Denpasar -Kolkata flights per week.”

If these services are implemented, this will mark the entry of AirAsia Indonesia into the India market. After the exit from AirAsia India, the group has been expanding into the Indian market as an all-rounder. Two of its subsidiaries: AirAsia Malaysia and Thai AirAsia are already undergoing a major Indian expansion.

AirAsia Indonesia has a fleet of 32 Airbus A320ceos. Out of these, 9 are parked and 23 are operational. With increasing connectivity, the ties between India and Indonesia are expected to strengthen. Passengers will get more non-stop options.

Failed Attempt

In August 2023, Batik Air Indonesia launched flights between Medan Kualanamu Airport and Chennai. On August 11, it operated the maiden commercial flight on this route. It was expected to continue with daily flights. However, it started temporary cancellations of some services.

Within 20 days of start, the route was taken down. Instead, the airline started providing seamless Indonesian connections to Batik Air passengers traveling from Chennai via Kuala Lumpur.

However, the same can not be said for Indian carriers. Two Indian airlines- IndiGo and Vistara are operational on three routes between India and Indonesia. Here is a breakdown of these routes:

1. Mumbai to Jakarta: Maiden route for IndiGo in the Indonesian market. Started on August 7 with daily flights.
2. Delhi to Bali: Maiden route for Vistara in the Indonesian market. Started on December 1 with daily flights. From March 31, the route was upgraded from Airbus A321neo to Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
3. Bengaluru to Bali: Second Indonesian route for IndiGo. Daily flights started on March 29.

For some reason, IndiGo has temporarily taken down the flights between Mumbai and Jakarta. It will be back on the network from June 16. The Bengaluru to Bali service is currently the longest route for the airline’s Airbus fleet.

Conclusion: AirAsia Indonesia to India!

AirAsia Indonesia is looking to enter into the Indian market. The airline will connect Chennai to Jakarta and Kolkata to Denpasar. With this, the India to Indonesia air connectivity is expected to expand significantly. The Ambassador of India to Indonesia confirmed this news via his Twitter account.

What do you think about the potential entry of AirAsia Indonesia into the Indian market? Discuss in the comment section.