PT Bandara Internasional Batam (BIB) is set to inaugurate a direct flight route from Batam, Indonesia, to Kunming, China, starting January 20, 2024. The Batam Indonesia Free Zone Authority (BP Batam) sees this initiative as a strategic effort to enhance business and investment prospects. According to Ariastuty Sirait, Head of the Public Relations, Promotion, and Protocol Bureau at BP Batam, the Batam-China route is a crucial step in promoting Batam's strengths on the international stage. She emphasizes that this international flight route will significantly impact Batam's tourism and trade sectors. "This new route will also strengthen the cooperative relationship between Indonesia and China. Consequently, Chinese investments in Batam are poised to increase in the future," explained Ariastuty on Thursday (1/18/2024). Ariastuty is confident that the international flight route will also benefit the development of Batam as a prime investment destination in Indonesia. "This will influence increased visitors, simplify connectivity, and create opportunities to enhance business prospects. Consequently, Batam's economic growth will also rise," she added.
Referring to the Ministry of Investment's records from Q1 to Q3 of 2023, China stands as one of the Asian countries with the highest investment value in Batam. China holds the second position with an investment value of USD 46.42 million across 137 projects, following Singapore. "We aim for the continuous growth of China's investment value in Batam, which will be capable of absorbing thousands of workers in the future," concluded Ariastuty. The international flight plan involves services from and to Kunming (China) provided by Citilink Indonesia. The flights are scheduled to commence on January 20, 2024, with once-a-week flights from January to March. In the subsequent period of April to May, it is planned to increase to two flights per week, and from then until January 2025, it is anticipated to become a thrice-weekly service.
Source: https://bpbatam.go.id/penerbangan-rute-batam-china-tingkatkan-peluang-bisnis-dan-investasi/
