BADUNG, Bali — Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport handled approximately 2.1 million passenger movements in October 2026, recording an increase in air traffic as the island prepares for the busy Christmas and New Year holiday season.

The airport recorded an average of around 68,000 passenger movements per day during October, according to airport operator PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia.

Passenger traffic increased by 2.5% compared with September, while aircraft movements rose by 8.5% to approximately 12,900.

Airport General Manager Nugroho Jati said the figures provided positive momentum ahead of the year-end holiday period, when Bali traditionally experiences increased travel demand.

Of the 2.1 million passenger movements recorded in October, approximately 1.3 million involved international flights, while 756,000 were on domestic routes.

Nearly 20 Million Passengers in Ten Months

The October figures brought the airport’s total passenger traffic between January and October 2026 to approximately 19.7 million movements.

International flights accounted for 12.7 million of those movements, compared with 7 million on domestic services.

The airport also handled around 118,000 aircraft movements during the ten-month period.

Singapore remained Bali’s busiest international air route, accounting for approximately 2.2 million passenger movements between January and October.

Kuala Lumpur followed with 1.2 million, while Perth recorded around 1 million. Melbourne and Sydney accounted for approximately 928,000 and 734,000 passenger movements, respectively.

On domestic routes, Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport remained the busiest connection, recording approximately 3.1 million passengers.

Surabaya followed with around 1 million, while Labuan Bajo, Lombok and Makassar were also among the airport’s major domestic connections.

Australians Remain Bali’s Largest Foreign Visitor Market

Australian visitors continued to lead international tourist arrivals through Ngurah Rai Airport, with approximately 1.5 million arrivals recorded during the first ten months of 2026.

China ranked second with around 520,000 arrivals, followed by India with 450,000, the United Kingdom with 262,000 and South Korea with 251,000.

The figures underline the continued importance of international tourism to Bali, particularly travellers arriving from Australia and major Asian markets.

Bali’s international connectivity also expanded in October with the introduction of two new flight services.

Taiwan-based STARLUX Airlines began operating its Taipei–Bali route on October 1, while Indonesian carrier TransNusa launched Bali–Melbourne flights on October 19.

Nugroho said the additional services would strengthen Bali’s air connections and its position in the international tourism market.

Airport Prepares for Christmas and New Year Rush

With the Christmas and New Year holidays approaching, airport management is preparing for another potentially busy travel period.

Nugroho said the airport was reviewing operational readiness, including passenger facilities, services and staffing, to accommodate the expected increase in traffic.

The operator also plans seasonal activities and installations to improve the passenger experience during the festive period.

Based on previous travel patterns, airport officials anticipate higher passenger traffic during the year-end holidays than on ordinary days.

However, the operator has not announced a specific passenger forecast for the upcoming Christmas and New Year period.

For travellers planning to visit Bali during the holidays, the latest figures indicate sustained demand for flights to the island as the airport prepares for one of its busiest travel periods of the year.