Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Airlangga Hartarto, welcomes Russian flag carrier Aeroflot’s proposal to reinstate direct flights between Moscow and Bali, a move aimed at boosting tourism and economic ties between the two nations.
Aeroflot has expressed its keen interest in revitalizing this direct route. Airlangga highlighted that such direct flights would strengthen ties between Indonesia and Russia, boosting tourism and facilitating smoother logistics for export and import activities.
“Direct flights between cities in Indonesia and Russia will undoubtedly ease efforts to increase tourist visits and aid the flow of export and import logistics,” Airlangga said on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.
Reestablishing the Moscow-Bali route is expected to provide significant economic benefits for Indonesia.
Aeroflot, established on February 9, 1923, is Russia’s largest airline and one of the oldest active airlines globally. By the end of 2017, Aeroflot controlled approximately 40 percent of the Russian air market and operates low-cost carrier Rossiya Airlines and Aeroflot Cargo.
As of December 31, 2019, Aeroflot and its subsidiaries operated 359 aircraft, primarily comprising Airbus, Boeing, and domestic models like the Sukhoi Superjet 100. By January 2023, Aeroflot’s flight destinations included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, and Uzbekistan.
