Batik Air – the full-fare component of the Lion Air Group – has indefinitely suspended its flights between Denpasar, Bali, and Canberra, Australia.
The Airline decided to suspend the short-lived flight routing that commenced operations only in June of this year after reviewing “operational and commercial factors” and concerns that flights to Australia’s national capital were not sustainable on a long-term basis.
A statement by the Airline published on ABC Net said: “While this decision is not taken lightly, it reflects a commitment to ensuring the reliability and quality of service that passengers expect.”
The Airline promised to keep the Bali to Canberra route under continual review and to resume the flights as soon as possible.
While reserving the option to restart the service if market conditions improve, Batik Air abruptly stopped its Canberra flights, saying they would refund tickets passengers and assist travelers with finding alternative flights.
The four-month-old flight service has been plagued by several problems, starting from the inaugural flight officially reviewed by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) for flying below safe altitude levels.
Only two months into the new service, Batik Air reduced the flight frequency on the route from three times to two times each week,
Meanwhile, a Canberra Airport official, Michael Thomson, told the ABC that demand for the new flight was lower than initially expected.
Before the decision by Batik Air, Canberra’s new international departure terminal was served by only two airlines: Fiji Airways, operating from Nadi to Canberra, and Batik Air, flying from Denpasar to the Australian capital.
With the cancellation of the Batik Air Service, Canberra now has only one international flight connection.
Earlier, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore Airlines suspended direct flights to Canberra. After the pandemic passed, Singapore Airlines declined to resume the Canberra service, citing a lack of passenger demand.
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