TransNusa operated its inaugural Bali to Phuket flight on 9 September 2026, with flight 8B541 departing I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar at 11:30 AM. The service initially runs four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays using 174-seat Airbus A320 aircraft, with a flight time of approximately four hours. Frequency increases to daily from 3 October 2026.
The route is TransNusa's second direct Indonesia-Thailand link, following the airline's Jakarta to Bangkok service launched on 6 August 2026. TransNusa Group CEO Datuk Bernard Francis described the launch as bridging two world-class tourism capitals and enabling travellers to combine both destinations on a single itinerary without a connecting flight.
Thailand's Tourism Authority (TAT) welcomed the new service as part of its Airline Focus strategy and the Thai government's Ease of Travelling initiative. TAT and TransNusa signed a memorandum of understanding in Jakarta on 4 August 2026 covering destination marketing, travel product development and air connectivity. FTN News notes the launch coincides with Thailand's introduction of a revised visa-exemption framework from 15 September 2026.
TAT data cited at the launch showed Thailand welcomed 429,778 Indonesian visitors between 1 January and 7 September 2026, with an annual target of 890,000. The Bali route is also consistent with TransNusa's broader international network, which already serves Singapore, Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Perth, Shenzhen and Bangkok.
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