TEMPO.CO, Palembang - Low-cost carrier AirAsia is set to reopen its Palembang-Kuala Lumpur-Palembang flight route following Sultan Mahmud Badarudin II Airport's re-designation as an international airport in April 2025.
Eddy Krismeidi Soemawilaga, Head of Government and Policy Affairs for PT AirAsia Indonesia, announced that the inaugural international flight is tentatively scheduled for September or October.
"The licensing process has been submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and other relevant sectors. We hope it proceeds smoothly. It might even be possible to open sooner if the licensing process is completed faster," Eddy said during an interview in the South Sumatra Governor's Office lobby on Monday, June 2, 2025.
He explained that Kuala Lumpur was chosen as AirAsia's first international flight from Palembang because it serves as one of AirAsia's largest international hubs. "Kuala Lumpur, as the capital of Malaysia, significantly contributes to foreign tourist numbers compared to other destinations," he added.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, AirAsia operated the same route, achieving an impressive 83 percent performance rate and carrying approximately 160,000 passengers. "We will resume with one flight per day, as we did before," Eddy confirmed.
Airport Prepares for International Flights
Meanwhile, R. Iwan Winaya Mahdar, General Manager of Sultan Mahmud Badarudin II Airport, confirmed that all preparations for international flights are complete, including facilities and human resources. This readiness follows the issuance of Ministerial Decree Number 26 on April 25, 2025.
Iwan noted that SMB II Airport previously handled international flights before its status was downgraded to domestic. In 2019, the airport served around 253,634 international passengers on routes to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, utilizing airlines such as AirAsia, Jetstar, Tigerair, Scoot, Lion Air, and Garuda Indonesia.
"Of course, we are open to this, and we hope this will be AirAsia's inaugural flight, which will certainly foster competition with other airlines," he remarked.
When asked about other airlines planning to operate subsequent flights, Iwan indicated that while no formal letters have been sent directly to the airport, informal information suggests that the Batik Air group's Malindo, a Malaysian-owned airline, is considering operating flights in Indonesia.
"They have reapplied, so we hope it can proceed as it did before, offering an alternative for airport service users whether to choose AirAsia, Malindo, or other carriers," he concluded.
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