Indonesian start-up carrier Air Paradise International is delaying its planned 27 October launch following the 12 October car bomb blast that struck Bali, killing almost 200 people and injuring around 300.
The airline plans to serve Perth four times weekly and Melbourne thrice weekly from its Bali base using two ex-Singapore Airlines Airbus A310-300s. Services to Jakarta are also planned, while Seoul and Taipei will follow once the second aircraft is delivered.
Air Paradise backer Kadek Wiranatha owns hotels, nightclubs and taxi companies in Bali. Air Paradise insists Kadek remains committed, but general manager Barry Hess is unable to say when flights will start.
Garuda Indonesia, Qantas and Singapore Airlines (SIA) last week laid on extra flights to Australia to fly tourists from the island after the attack. Garuda more than doubled the capacity of its scheduled services from Bali to Australia, while SIA added an extra daily flight.
Qantas, the Royal Australian Air Force and Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) operated a complex joint airlift to evacuate victims of the Bali attack.
By 14 October Qantas had carried over 1,500 people to Sydney on special flights with further operations scheduled to Adelaide, Darwin, Melbourne and Perth, while the RAAF evacuated the wounded to Darwin. The RFDS diverted aircraft from regular aeromedical and ambulance functions in northern Australia to shuttle seriously wounded victims.
Australia-Bali flights were also used to transport medical workers and security staff to Bali. Qantas last week warned domestic and international customers it would have to reschedule other operations for further Bali flights.
Source: Flight International