Victorians will have a new direct passage to Bali from this month with the announcement that Citilink Indonesia will begin daily flights between Melbourne (Avalon) and Denpasar Bali.

Starting on January 24,  an  Airbus A320NEO, carrying 178 passengers and cargo will depart Avalon Melbourne daily at 12:50pm Local Time, with the return flight landing at Avalon Melbourne at 8:50am Local Time each day. 

Avalon Airport CEO Justin Giddings said Bali was their most requested international destination and one that they had been actively pursuing for some time.

“We’re excited to be able to make one of Australia’s most beloved holiday destinations a more affordable and easier experience for people wanting a great escape," he said.

"Citilink has been fantastic to work with, and is highly regarded in the industry.

"It’s an honour to introduce this airline to the region, and make Bali more assessable for Melbourne, Geelong and Regional Victoria in particular."

Almost 1.2 million Australians visit Bali each year, with the Indonesian island enjoying a favourable reputation due to its luxury resorts, beaches, temples, warm hospitality, shopping and surf.

Citilink Indonesia CEO Juliandra said Bali's popularity amongst Australians meant the airline was "optimistic" about reaching its Seat Load Factor (SLF) target of 70 per cent in Denpasar-Melbourne (Avalon) route.

"Citilink has become the first airline serving Denpasar and Avalon Airport route and we hope this will provide more options for people who want to visit Denpasar and vice versa," he said.

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