What happened at Ngurah Rai
I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali said another carrier has started direct service to Melbourne. The new operator is the Indonesian airline TransNusa. Airport general manager Nugroho Jati congratulated the airline on its inaugural return service in an official statement issued in Denpasar on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
The first flight, 8B018, departed Bali on Monday, 19 October, at 20:33 WITA (Central Indonesia Time) carrying 139 passengers. The inbound service 8B019 from Melbourne touched down in Bali on Tuesday morning at 10:10 with 86 passengers.
How many airlines fly to Melbourne
According to the airport, TransNusa will run the route on a regular basis, seven times a week. That amounts to a daily return connection.
With the newcomer, seven airlines now link Bali and Melbourne. They are Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Garuda Indonesia, Batik Air Malaysia, Indonesia AirAsia and now TransNusa. For travellers this means more choice on timing and service. The source gives no fare data, so it is too early to say how the new service will affect ticket prices.
What TransNusa already flies from Bali
Jati noted that Melbourne adds to TransNusa's international network from the island. The airline previously launched services to Perth, Singapore, Guangzhou and Phuket. The Melbourne link becomes its fifth international destination from Bali.
The airport manager said Melbourne is among the international routes with the highest passenger volumes. In his view the route has strong potential to reinforce the airport's role as a tourism hub for Indonesia. This is the airport operator's assessment rather than a confirmed result, and load figures for the new service will only be known later.
Airport figures and the Australian market
Airport records to the end of September 2026 show service to 63 routes operated by 50 domestic and international airlines. Of those routes, 22 are domestic and 41 are international, reaching 16 countries.
Australia remains the largest source of foreign visitors to Bali. Through the end of September 2026, the island received 1.3 million Australians, equal to 25 percent of all international arrivals. The airport expects the new service to help raise visitor numbers from that country.
Why it matters for the market
Air links directly shape how many guests reach the island and in which months. When a core source market gains another carrier, travellers have more ways to plan a trip, including a short one. For the short-term rental segment this is a relevant demand factor.
For now this is only the start of the route. The airport did not give expected load factors or numeric forecasts for tourist growth. The sensible reference will be actual flight and arrival data published over the coming months.