Strategic Airlines plans to close the Perth-Bali route after 18 months following intense competition driving fares down to unprofitable levels. The last flight will be on October 29.
In a statement the airline said: “We have conducted a network-wide review of our operations and as a result of this review and the current Perth-Bali competitive environment, we have made a decision to withdraw from operating our Perth-Bali-Perth service for the foreseeable future.”
Strategic said that “any passengers affected by the discontinuation of these services will be offered a full refund.”
The cancellation of the route is surprising considering traffic on the route for the 12 months to May this year rose by 27% to 768,000 passengers – the eighth busiest route from Australia.