• Welsh

KLM connecting Cardiff and Bali

Published: 24 November 2009

KLM will be bringing Bali closer to Wales from 07 December 2009 with the start of new connecting flights from Cardiff to Denpasar Ngura Rai Airport, Bali, via Amsterdam Airport, Schiphol.

The service will operate three times weekly, marking the resumption of Amsterdam-Bali service which was last operated on 15 October 1997.  KLM operates three flights a day from Cardiff during the winter season, and the Cardiff - Bali flights will depart on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 1640, arriving in Denpasar the following day at 2010, with a two hour connection time at Amsterdam. The return flights will depart at 2130 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, arriving at Cardiff at 1410.

Bali is a popular destination with European holidaymakers, offering a mixture of Balinese culture and heritage as well as beautiful beaches and outstanding weather. The island has a lot to offer nature lovers and water sports enthusiasts alike, from the mysteries of the jungles to the remarkable waves of the Indian Ocean.

Spencer Birns, Cardiff Airport's head of air service development commented: "This announcement is great news for the airport as we now have even more worldwide destinations available to passengers from their local airport.

We would urge travellers from South Wales to consider connecting flights when making their holiday plans, as there are many advantages to travelling from their local airport via a hub such as Schiphol.

Travelling to London to fly to destinations which aren't served direct from Cardiff may appear the better option, but it is often more convenient and time efficient to fly on connecting flights from Cardiff. A journey from South Wales to Heathrow could take up to 4 hours whereas Cardiff Airport can be reached in an average of 40 minutes. Passengers also need to allow more time to travel through a larger London hub than a small, regional airport, and connection times in Amsterdam on flights from Cardiff can be as little as 50 minutes.

With very competitive prices for connecting flights and taking additional costs of travelling to London into consideration, connecting flights from Cardiff often turns out to be a better option."

Says Henri Hourcade, General Manager, AIR FRANCE KLM UK & Ireland: "We're delighted to be resuming our services from Cardiff to Bali this winter.  The new route enhances our already substantial network to Indonesia's capital Jakarta, meaning we now serve the two key airports in the region.  With competitive prices and excellent frequencies, travellers from Cardiff Airport have access to over 900 destinations on the global KLM and SkyTeam partner networks, with quick transfer times via our award-winning hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol."