Thanks to the introduction of lower fares by Lion Air, tens of millions of people now have an ability to travel between the many islands of Indonesia in a way which was undreamed of only a few years ago. 

Lion Air with Boeing Livery. Photo Makhfud Sappe/LIONMAG   

Over many years and literally dozens of trips to Indonesia, my many Lion Air flights have given me more dazzling views of one of the most exotic and extraordinary landscapes on earth than I can remember.

While so business travellers tend to fly on Lion Air within the Medan – Jakarta –Surabaya – Balikpapan – Makassar circuit and most holiday travellers do not venture far beyond Java to Bali, my best memories of Lion flights have been to the far flung reaches of Indonesia. 

As I write this I can clearly picture in my mind’s eye the many rich shades of green and the ocean when approaching Manado and Ambon, the volcanoes and Ternate and Tidore protruding from the Manado Sea, the coral reefs just off the coasts of South and South West Sulawesi, the great spectacle of the volcanic clouds of steam and ash from Gunung Semeru in East Java, and the beautiful necklace of islands of Nusa Tenggara Timur seen as one approaches Kupang. All this is to be contrasted with the almost overwhelming seething mass of urban mayhem which you see from the plane window on approach to modern Jakarta.

What has also been amazing as I have watched Indonesia over the past few years has been not only how much the country has changed but how fast it has changed.  Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the aviation industry.  Since the advent of private airlines like Lion Air, Indonesia’s 200 million people has been given unprecedented freedom to travel. 

Thanks to the introduction of lower fares by Lion Air, tens of millions of people now have an ability to travel between the many islands of Indonesia in a way which was undreamed of only a few years ago.  Sitting in an airport terminal waiting for my flight, I often wonder at the amazing range of people from smartly dressed business men and women to entire families or students doing a visit to their island or kampung to splendidly attired pilgrims returning from the haj. Without cheap air travel, none of this would be possible for many of these people.

Booking on Lion is easy. The website has become more informative and helpful in recent times.  While the Indonesian travel agents network is very efficient when you are inside Indonesia, I look forward to a website that lets you pay for and print out an electronic ticket for anyone online. It would do wonders for Lion’s foreign business.  

Over the past few years I have watched Lion Air improve the frequency of its flights to many destinations. For business travel, the numerous flights make getting to Indonesia’s major commercial centres like Jakarta, Medan, Makassar and Surabaya a breeze from almost anywhere.  The newer aircraft have increased the comfort, punctuality and reliability of services of the airline.  The check in staff are always friendly and always usually try to put my 187 centimetre frame into an exit row. In flight, nothing is a problem for the cabin crew.  

* Campbel Bridge : Practice as a Senior Councel, mediator, facilitator and arbitrator. He works throughout Australia. He has strong connections with Asia, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

READ IN BAHASA INDONESIA : Terbang dengan Lion Air (Sebuah Pengalaman Pribadi)