Indonesian carrier TransNusa has launched its maiden nonstop service between Bali and Phuket, cutting what was previously a lengthy multi-leg journey down to a four-hour flight.
Flight 8B 541 departed I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Wednesday at 11.30am, arriving at Phuket International Airport at 2.35pm. The return service, 8B 542, departs Phuket at 3.35pm and lands back in Bali at 8.35pm.
“Today we celebrate more than just a new flight; we are bridging two world-class tourism capitals,” TransNusa Group chief executive Datuk Bernard Francis said. “This route was established to boost tourism in the region, create new economic opportunities, and further strengthen TransNusa’s hub in Bali.”
The route will operate four times weekly – Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday – before scaling up to a daily service from 3 October. TransNusa is deploying its 174-seat Airbus A320 on the route.
Introductory one-way fares start from US$135 (around AU$187), bookable via transnusa.co.id, across three fare tiers: SEAT (20kg baggage), SEAT-PLUS, and FLEXI-PRO, which includes 30kg baggage, hot meals, priority boarding and flexible date changes.
The launch adds to a run of new TransNusa routes out of Bali this year, including domestic links to Wakatobi, Lombok, Manado and Bima, alongside existing international connections to Singapore and Perth.
Francis said the airline’s ambitions extended beyond network growth. “We are committed to unlocking the unparalleled beauty of Indonesia’s hidden gems… giving global travellers immediate access to pristine, untouched island destinations.”
