What are the Airlines that fly to Raja Ampat?
Yes, Papua is divided into two different countries, the east being Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the opposite to Indonesia’s West Papua and Raja Ampat, which is located here.
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Piaynemo is one of Raja Ampat’s most beautiful destinations. |
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The amazing view of Piaynemo in Raja Ampat. |
We flew into Raja Ampat via Makassar in Sulawesi, Indonesia, for my trip. We boarded a Garuda Indonesia flight, which used a Bombardier CRJ-1000 Next-Generation aircraft that was comfortable and smooth, two hours and fifteen minutes.
Upon arriving at Sorong City via the flight, I looked out the window only to be welcomed by some fantastic old-world scenery of fishing boats and low-rise settlements before landing at the Domine Eduard Osok Airport here.
It felt more like a time travel trip as I was so used to seeing tall buildings, highways, and modernization, but my plane view was the opposite. Then again, this was what I truly wanted: to go where only a few people have explored, and my journey would only get better.
Anyway, I will get the details and information most people want: the airlines that fly into Raja Ampat below.
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Lion Indonesia at one of the local Indonesian airports |
How to Fly to Raja Ampat?
Four main airports in Indonesia service the city of Sorong in Raja Ampat: Jakarta, Makassar, Ambon, and Manado. Depending on your choice, you can catch a direct or a connecting flight.
- Jakarta to Raja Ampat
- Makassar to Raja Ampat
- Manado to Raja Ampat
- Ambon to Raja Ampat
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Garuda Airlines Bombardier CRJ1000 aircraft at Sorong Airport. |
Flying from Jakarta to Raja Ampat
International long-haul flights will primarily land here, and a couple of airlines offer connections from Jakarta to Raja Ampat. However, it will be another four—to five-hour flight before you reach Sorong city in West Papua.
You should also take note that Sorong City and West Papua are two hours ahead of Jakarta in terms of time, so the arrival time shows the local time there.
Via Garuda Indonesia
- Flight GA682 – Direct Flight
- Depart Jakarta (CGK) – 00:20 Soekarno Hatta International Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 06:35 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight time: 4 hours 15 minutes
*There are 8 other daily flights from Jakarta, but each makes one or two stops and arrives in Sorong the following day. The flight times are from 6 to 15 hours with transits. Best to check with Garuda Indonesia on the timings.
- Flight GA683 – Direct Flight
- Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 07:35 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Arrive Jakarta (CGK) – 09:15 Soekarno Hatta International Airport
- Flight time: 3 hours 40 minutes
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Flying over some of the beautiful islands of Raja Ampat. |
Via Batik Air
Batik Air From Jakarta to Sorong, Raja Ampat
- Flight ID7797 – Direct Flight
- Depart Jakarta (CGK) – 01:00 Sultan Hasanuddin Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 07:10 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Batik Air From Sorong to Jakarta
- Flight ID7780 – Direct Flight
- Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 07:50 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Arrive Jakarta (CGK) – 10:00 Sultan Hasanuddin Airport
- Flight Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
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The Makassar Airport is seen from the outside. |
Flying from Makassar to Raja Ampat
Makassar is one of the best options for flying into Raja Ampat as it has one of the earliest arrival times, giving you a good head start. There are also many choices for direct flights from Garuda, Wings Abadi and Batik Air.
The good news is that Batik Air and Wings Abadi Air operate five direct flights from Makassar to Raja Ampat, providing excellent choices for flight timings. On the return, there are also four direct flights back to Makassar.
For those who want options, there are many other connecting or transit flights, which may be cheaper but have long transit times.
Via Garuda Indonesia
Garuda From Makassar to Sorong, Raja Ampat
- Flight GA698 – Direct Flight
- Depart Makassar (UPG) – 03:30 Sultan Hasanuddin Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 06:45 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Garuda From Sorong to Makassar
- Flight GA699 – Direct Flight
- Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 14:55 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Arrive Makassar (UPG) – 16:10 Sultan Hasanuddin Airport
- Flight Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
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Wings Abadi Air that flies to Raja Ampat. |
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Departing the Sorong Airport in Raja Ampat, West Papua. |
Batik Air From Sorong to Makassar
1. Flight ID6197 – Direct Flight
Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 08:00 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
Arrive Makassar (UPG) – 09:20 Sultan Hasanuddin Airport
Flight Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
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Sriwijaya Air that flies to Raja Ampat. Photo from JakartaPost. |
Via Sriwijaya Air
- Flight SJ572 – Direct Flight
- Depart Makassar (UPG) – 03:15 Sultan Hasanuddin Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 06:25 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Flight SJ570 – Direct Flight
- Depart Makassar (UPG) – 04:15 Sultan Hasanuddin Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 07:25 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Flight SJ571 – Direct Flight
- Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 10:50 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Arrive Makassar (UPG) – 12:00 Sultan Hasanuddin Airport
- Flight Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
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Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong, Raja Ampat. |
Flying from Manado to Raja Ampat
For those who prefer to fly from Manado in North Sulawesi, two daily flights from Garuda Airlines depart to Raja Ampat early in the morning. There is also one direct flight from Lion Air that also departs in the morning.
This means you must fly in the evening before and overnight in Manado to catch the next day’s early morning flight. Manado is connected not only by Indonesian airlines but also by AirAsia and Silk Air from Singapore. This city provides more accessible options for Southeast Asians visiting Raja Ampat.
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Garuda Airlines Bombardier CRJ-1000 aircraft |
Via Garuda Indonesia
Garuda From Manado to Raja Ampat
- First Flight GA470 – Direct Flight
- Depart Manado (MDC) – 05:40 Sam Ratulangi Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 08:10 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Second Flight GA472 – Direct Flight
- Depart Manado (MDC) – 06:45 Sam Ratulangi Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 09:10 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Garuda From Raja Ampat to Manado
- Flight GA471 – Direct Flight
- Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 13.50 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Arrive Manado (MDC) – 14:30 Sam Ratulangi Airport
- Flight Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
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Wings Abadi Airlines is under Lion Air Indonesia. |
Via Lion Air Indonesia
Lion Air From Manado to Raja Ampat
- Flight JT796 – Direct Flight
- Depart Manado (MDC) – 08:05 Sam Ratulangi Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 10:30 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight time: 1 hour 25 minutes
*an additional flight connects via Makassar before heading to Sorong. The total flight and transit time is 5 hours and 20 minutes, and you depart at 06:45 and arrive at 13:05.
Lion Air From Raja Ampat to Manado
- Flight JT799 – Direct Flight
- Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 16:40 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Arrive Manado (MDC) – 17:20 Sam Ratulangi Airport
- Flight Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
* five other flights make stopovers before arriving in Manado. These flights take 6 – 12 hours for transits and so on.
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Ambon in Maluku, Indonesia. |
Flying from Ambon to Raja Ampat
Ambon is also one of the up-and-coming scuba diving destinations, and this city is located on the island of Maluku, between Raja Ampat and Makassar. It truly is one of the unexplored destinations of East Indonesia and well worth visiting.
Via Garuda Indonesia
Garuda from Ambon to Sorong Raja Ampat
- Flight GA680 – Direct Flight
- Depart Ambon (AMQ) – 12:00 Pattimura Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 12:55 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight Time: 55 minutes
- Flight GA681 – Direct Flight
- Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 14:10 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Arrive Ambon (AMQ) – 15:15 Pattimura Airport
- Flight Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
*There is an alternate flight to and from Ambon to Raja Ampat, but that is a transit flight that takes about 15-24 hours of flight time.
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The Pattimura Airport in Ambon. |
Via Wings Airlines
Wings Air from Ambon to Sorong Raja Ampat
- Flight IW1506 – Direct Flight
- Depart Ambon (AMQ) – 12.00 Pattimura Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 13:10 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Flight IW1505 – Direct Flight
- Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 06:50 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Arrive Ambon (AMQ) – 08:00 Pattimura Airport
- Flight Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
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The on board meals on Batik Air are impressive and very local. |
Via Sriwijaya Air
A third airline, Sriwijaya Air, also flies to many remote destinations around Indonesia. It has direct and transit flights to Raja Ampat but has a track record of being delayed or re-timed.
Sriwijaya Air from Ambon to Sorong Raja Ampat
- Flight IN607 – Direct Flight
- Depart Ambon (AMQ) – 09:30 Pattimura Airport
- Arrive Sorong (SOQ) – 10:20 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Flight Time: 50 minutes
- Flight IN606 – Direct Flight
- Depart Sorong (SOQ) – 12:10 Domine Eduard Osok Airport
- Arrive Ambon (AMQ) – 13:00 Pattimura Airport
- Flight Time: 50 minutes
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Landing at Sorong, Raja Ampat. |
The above are all the flights from various cities around Indonesia to Raja Ampat. The flight timings and other information are taken from the respective airline’s official websites.
An essential tip in booking your flights is to ensure you have enough time to make that transit for your next flight. Otherwise, you may miss your connecting flights. The easiest way is flying to Raja Ampat via Makassar in Sulawesi, as they have the most flights starting exceptionally early in the mornings.
Not only that, but three airlines fly out of Makassar with multiple direct and connecting flights. Most travellers fly into Makassar and check in at the airport Novotel Hotel to catch the early morning flight the following day. This is the safest way to take advantage of your flight.
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Marinda Airport in Waisai, Raja Ampat |
Flights from Sorong to Waisai, Raja Ampat
This is a new option for those who prefer to fly closer to Raja Ampat, as there is a once-a-day flight from the Sorong Airport to the Waisai Airport. The flight is a 30-minute flight versus a two-hour ferry ride and is suitable for those who get seasick.
The price is quite reasonable, but you need to connect on this flight from Sorong, so your original flight must be on time. On my trip here, the flight to Sorong was delayed by 20 minutes, and due to many passengers connecting, the Sorong to Waisai flight actually waited for our plane to land.
Other Airlines that Fly to Raja Ampat
Other airlines fly into Raja Ampat, but mainly the smaller local airlines which service the smaller cities around the east Indonesia sector. However, if you are in that part, you can check out those local airlines, which are;
- Nam Air
- Susi Air
- Xpress Air
Overall, I recommend researching and planning before booking your flights for anyone wanting to visit Raja Ampat in West Papua. You should plan your trip according to your flight timings, as it will be smooth sailing once it is well planned.
Raja Ampat is well known as one of the best marine biodiversity places on earth and is literally non-commercialized. Many people have one fear that the destination is expensive. When planned well, it is only that expensive if you plan to spend your time on a live-on boat.
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A Garuda Airline stewardess serving meals and drinks on board the flight |
You should also know that you need to get the Raja Ampat Marine Park permit once you arrive in Sorong. Officials will check when you are at the airport or harbour heading to Waisai.
For those who want different alternatives, I have also done another article on how to get to Raja Ampat using boats and ferries. This is suitable for those travelling on a budget and who have the luxury of time to travel slowly.
The most commercial way to travel from Sorong is by taking the Bahari Express Ferry to Raja Ampat, which takes about two hours. This is an air-conditioned, fast, and reliable boat service.
As an option, AirAsia MOVE now connects travellers to most of the airlines mentioned above, making it easier to book flights and hotels via the website or app. This was once known as the AirAsia Superapp.
This article has provided most of the critical information for travelling here and for those who want to know what are the airlines that fly to Raja Ampat. Remember, you need at least two days of travel to get here, which includes flights and boats.
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