AirAsia Flights To Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat AirAsia Flights

In an exciting turn in aviation news, AirAsia is currently considering adding several flights to new destinations around Indonesia, and one of them comes as a shocker. There may soon be AirAsia flights to Raja Ampat.

Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes mentioned that they are currently in talks with the relevant authorities about flights to Belitung. They are also looking at direct flights to Banyuwangi and Raja Ampat.

Update 2023: The AirAsia SuperApp now allows multiple bookings through the app, where you can book via other airlines to fly to Raja Ampat. Life gets better!

AirAsia Flights To Raja Ampat

Arborek Raja Ampat
Arborek Island is one of the popular destinations in Raja Ampat.


The news came about in early August 2018 when Tony Fernandes spoke to the media after announcing direct flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (klia2) to Silangit Airport in Tapanuli, North Sumatra.

If this materialises, it would be a massive game-changer for scuba divers, as Raja Ampat has always been one of the most beautiful dive destinations in the world and one of the hardest to reach.

Some even claim that it costs too much to dive at Raja Ampat, which can reach up to RM10,000 per person for a live-on-board dive trip.

Landing at Raja Ampat
My flight is about to land at Sorong in West Papua.


As I visited Raja Ampat in late 2017, I discovered how complicated it can be to get to this part of West Papua.

I also wrote an article on the many airlines that fly to Raja Ampat, which provides detailed information.

According to the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, 25 per cent of international tourists currently travel to Indonesia via the AirAsia Group.

AirAsia is dedicated to supporting the ministry in achieving a target of 20 million visitors by 2019 versus the target of 17 million arrivals for 2018.

Why Do People Want To Go To Raja Ampat? 

Raja Ampat Diving
A photo taken by me while scuba diving in the pristine clear waters of Raja Ampat.


This place is one of the earth's most beautiful and natural destinations, not spoiled by general tourism. Imagine Bali 50 years ago; that is how it is here. Well, it is more than that.

Raja Ampat's underwater biodiversity is so rich that it has become one of the best places on earth to dive. Most divers that have been here usually stay on a live-on-board or at a dive resort on Waisai Island.

Raja Ampat Scuba Diving
Checking out the world's largest clam in Raja Ampat.


Imagine I spent five days here, and during every dive I did, there was only my group and no one else around. At times, I felt like we were the only diving tourist here.

This is how peaceful and enjoyable Raja Ampat is. No pretentious or wannabe tourist, no shouting tourist, no screaming kids, none of that.

Many would want to avoid Raja Ampat ending up like Bali or Labuan Bajo, which looks like a tourist circus versus a beautiful vacation destination. I hope this place will remain pristine and not over-commercialised.

Watch one of my Raja Ampat Scuba Diving Videos below.


How Do You Go To Raja Ampat?

Bandar Udara Domine Eduard Osok
The Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong, West Papua.


The airline group has been discussing this route, but knowing the AirAsia group, they will eventually do it via AirAsia Indonesia. Will the flight last? That all depends on whether the road is profitable or not.

When AirAsia flies to Raja Ampat, you can just hop on a flight, arrive there, check in, and go for your dive. Sorry, you got it all wrong, as it is a little more complicated because of connecting flights or ferries to Waisai.

The Sorong Airport, which recently had a makeover in 2017.


The only airport AirAsia can land in is Sorong Airport, simply called the Raja Ampat Airport. Sorong is a city in western West Papua, known as Indonesia Papua.

This is where all international and domestic flights land, and the airport can cater to small and mid-sized aircraft like Airbus A320s, Bombardiers or even the Boeing 737 series.

Raja Ampat AirAsia
The island of Waigeo is where most of the Raja Ampat Resorts are located.


You must travel from Sorong to Waisai Harbour on Waigeo Island, also known as Raja Ampat. This can be done either by flight or boat.

All this is extra travel time, which you should note, and you can find out in detail in my article on how to go to Raja Ampat, which covers flights and boats.

Final Thoughts

If AirAsia starts flying to Raja Ampat soon, this would be a massive bonus for scuba divers as it has been a dream diving destination for many.

Honestly, it is not your Bali, Lombok or Gili Trawangan destination, so for the general travellers, you can still visit, but do not keep your expectations too high.

Malaysia Asia Raja Ampat
I am sitting at the view deck of the famous Piaynemo in Raja Ampat.


This would also be a super bonus for bird watchers as bird watching in Raja Ampat is also high on the bucket list where people want to spot the beautiful Bird of Paradise. This species can only be spotted here and nowhere else in the world.

I look forward to AirAsia flying to Raja Ampat, as I would love to return for more bird watching and scuba diving there, so we can only wait for the news to be official.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

2 Comments

Please Select Embedded Mode To Show The Comment System.*

Previous Post Next Post

Contact Form