last edited Apr 14, 2026
Flying to Indonesia
Location Map of Indonesia
Indonesia
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General Information
With over 17,000 islands stretching across thousands of kilometers, it’s no surprise that Indonesia has several hundred airports and airfields of all sizes and serving all types of networks. Among them, around fifty handle significant traffic, and about thirty see over a million passengers annually.
By far the busiest are Jakarta (50 million passengers) and Bali (25 or 26 million), though the airports in the capitals of other major islands also see considerable traffic. In short, no matter where you plan to go in the archipelago, flying remains a possible and convenient option—often offering a great time-to-cost ratio compared to other modes of transport.
That said, most traffic, regardless of the airport, is still concentrated on domestic routes and connections to Asia or the Pacific. Very few flights serve other regions, including Europe, where only KLM (for historical reasons) offers direct flights to Jakarta and Bali from Amsterdam.
Local Airlines
Given the importance of air travel in the country, it’s no surprise that Indonesia has around twenty regular airlines.
To simplify, these can be divided into three categories: the Garuda Group (the national carrier, which isn’t in the best financial shape, and its low-cost subsidiary, Citylink), the Lion Air Group (its direct competitor, including airlines like Batik Air and Super Air Jet), and all the other carriers—often smaller and serving niche markets—except for Indonesia AirAsia, the local branch of the Malaysian group Air Asia, which is very active in Bali. There’s plenty of choice, though many recommend prioritizing Garuda, Citilink, Batik Air, or AirAsia for service and safety standards.
By Region
Each Indonesian island or region has its own air hub(s). Here’s a breakdown:
- Flying to Bali: to/from Denpasar, the island’s only airport and Indonesia’s second busiest.
- Flying to Java: to/from Jakarta, the country’s primary hub, as well as Surabaya or Yogyakarta.
- Flying to West Papua: to/from the capital’s airport, Jayapura, usually requiring a layover in Jakarta.
- Flying to the Lesser Sunda Islands: primarily to/from Lombok’s airport (Mataram), though Denpasar in Bali offers far more connections.
- Flying to Sumatra: to/from Medan, the island’s main airport, but especially from Singapore, which is nearby.