AirAsia Flights To Raja Ampat
In an exciting turn in aviation news, AirAsia is currently considering adding several flights to new destinations around Indonesia, and one of them is a shocker: There may soon be AirAsia flights to Raja Ampat.
Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes mentioned that they are currently in talks with the relevant authorities about flights to Belitung and are also considering direct flights to Banyuwangi and Raja Ampat.
Update 2023: The AirAsia SuperApp (Move App) now allows multiple bookings, so you can book via other airlines to fly to Raja Ampat. Life gets better!
AirAsia Flights To Raja Ampat
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| Arborek Island is one of the popular destinations in Raja Ampat. |
The news came about in early August 2018 when Tony Fernandes spoke to the media after announcing direct flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (klia2) to Silangit Airport in Tapanuli, North Sumatra.
If this materialises, it would be a massive game-changer for scuba divers, as Raja Ampat has always been one of the most beautiful dive destinations in the world and one of the hardest to reach.
Some even claim that it costs too much to dive at Raja Ampat, which can reach up to RM10,000 per person for a live-on-board dive trip.
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| My flight is about to land in Sorong, West Papua. |
As I visited Raja Ampat in late 2017, I discovered how complicated it can be to get to this part of West Papua. I also wrote an article on the many airlines that fly to Raja Ampat, which provides detailed information.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, 25 per cent of international tourists currently travel to Indonesia via the AirAsia Group. AirAsia is dedicated to supporting the ministry in achieving its target of 20 million visitors by 2019, compared to the target of 17 million arrivals for 2018.
Why Do People Want To Go To Raja Ampat?
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| I took A photo while scuba diving in the pristine clear waters of Raja Ampat. |
This place is one of the earth’s most beautiful and natural destinations, not spoiled by general tourism. Imagine Bali 50 years ago; that is how it is here. Well, it is more than that.
Raja Ampat’s underwater biodiversity is so rich that it has become one of the best places on earth to dive. Most divers that have been here usually stay on a live-on-board or at a dive resort on Waisai Island.
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| Checking out the world’s largest clam in Raja Ampat. |
Imagine I spent five days here, and during every dive I did, there was only my group and no one else around. At times, I felt like we were the only diving tourist here.
This is how peaceful and enjoyable Raja Ampat is. There are no pretentious or wannabe tourists, no shouting tourists, no screaming kids.
Many would want to avoid Raja Ampat becoming like Bali or Labuan Bajo, which looks more like a tourist circus than a beautiful vacation destination. I hope this place will remain pristine and not over-commercialised.
Watch one of my Raja Ampat Scuba Diving Videos below.
How Do You Go To Raja Ampat?
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| The Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong, West Papua. |
The airline group has been discussing this route, but knowing the AirAsia group, they will eventually do it via AirAsia Indonesia. Will the flight last? That all depends on whether the road is profitable or not.
When AirAsia flies to Raja Ampat, you can just hop on a flight, arrive, check-in, and go for your dive. Sorry, you got it all wrong. It is a little more complicated because of connecting flights or ferries to Waisai.
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| The Sorong Airport, which recently had a makeover in 2017. |
The only airport AirAsia can land in is Sorong Airport, simply called the Raja Ampat Airport. Sorong is a city in western West Papua, known as Indonesia Papua.
This is where all international and domestic flights land and the airport can cater to small and mid-sized aircraft like Airbus A320s, Bombardiers or even the Boeing 737 series.
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| Most of the Raja Ampat Resorts are located on the island of Waigeo. |
You must travel from Sorong to Waisai Harbour on Waigeo Island, also known as Raja Ampat, either by flight or boat. All this is extra travel time, which you should note, and you can find out in detail in my article on how to go to Raja Ampat, which covers flights and boats.
Final Thoughts
If AirAsia starts flying to Raja Ampat soon, this would be a massive bonus for scuba divers as it has been a dream diving destination for many. Honestly, it is not your Bali, Lombok or Gili Trawangan destination, so for the general travellers, you can still visit, but do not keep your expectations too high.
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| I am sitting at the view deck of the famous Piaynemo in Raja Ampat. |
This would also be a super bonus for bird watchers, as bird watching in Raja Ampat is also high on the bucket list. People want to spot the beautiful Bird of Paradise, which can only be spotted here and nowhere else in the world.
I look forward to AirAsia flying to Raja Ampat, as I would love to return for more bird watching and scuba diving there, so we can only wait for the news to be official.
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