Lion Group, the largest aviation group in Indonesia, continues to strengthen its role in facilitating easy access to air transportation in Indonesia by providing a flight network that connects big cities to sub-district areas.

Through airline affiliation, Lion Group is committed to expanding its flight coverage to reach various regions in Indonesia, both main economic centers and remote areas.

As an example, for the flight from Jakarta to Waingapu, Sumba Island; the flight uses Batik Air (ID) for the first route from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport / Jakarta (CGK) to El Tari International Airport (KOE) Kupang . Then, it will be continued using Wings Air (IW) from Kupang (KOE) to Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport (WGP), Waingapu.

This connectivity does not only ease travel between regions, but it also plays an important role in supporting local economic development, tourism, and community mobility in developing regions.

Network Expansion

Lion Group’s services, which include more than 1,000 daily flights, demonstrate the company’s commitment to expanding accessibility to various regions in Indonesia, both major cities and sub-district level areas.

With this wide-reaching service, Lion Group plays a vital role in supporting the economic, social, and cultural integration in an archipelago country like Indonesia.

As a concrete example, Lion Group through Batik Air serves direct flights from Jakarta to major cities such as Kualanamu International Airport (KNO) Medan, Juanda International Airport (SUB) Surabaya, Internasional Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport (BPN) Sepinggan Balikpapan, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) Bali, and Sultan Hasanuddin International AIrport (UPG) Makassar.

Meanwhile, Wings Air serves routes that connect main cities with small and isolated regions, such as Kupang (KOE) – Waingapu (WGP), Balikpapan (BPN) - Melalan Airport (GHS) Kutai Barat, Medan (KNO) – Cut Nyak Dien Airport (MEQ) Meulaboh.

Using modern fleets and offering a high frequency of flight schedules, Lion Group assures that passengers will enjoy their travel comfortably, quickly, and securely.

This expansion enables many entrepreneurs, tourists, and locals to access developing areas, which will boost economic mobility enhancement and widen opportunities for some sectors such as tourism and trade.

Benefits and Accessibilities Improvement for Community

With its network, Lion Group has a significant impact on society, both in the context of personal and professional travel. With connectivity that covers various regions in Indonesia, people can now reach destinations that were previously difficult to reach more quickly and efficiently. This allows individuals to carry out business, educational, and tourism activities with better mobility.

For example, entrepreneurs or people in Ewer Asmat, Papua, who are engaged in traditional handicrafts (which have a high selling value) can easily send products to Jakarta or other big cities via Wings Air (IW) flights from Ewer Airport (EWE), Asmat to Mozes Kilangin International Airport (TIM) Timika. From Timika (TIM), the delivery continues with Lion Air (JT) to Makassar (UPG), which is directly connected to Jakarta (CGK).

Previously, distribution of products from Asmat to the national market required a long time and high costs, especially if you had to rely on sea or land routes. However, with this flight route, delivery times and operational costs can be reduced significantly, thereby helping SMEs in Asmat to be more competitive in the national market.

In addition to the benefits for the business sector, students from Asmat who wish to continue their education in Makassar or Jakarta can now travel more easily, without facing transportation limitations which previously were a major obstacle.

Furthermore, tourists who want to visit Papua’s natural beauty, such as the Lorentz National Park or the unique culture of the Asmat tribe, can get benefits from this easy access, which also helps encourage local tourism development and increase regional income.

Tourism and Business Sector Supports

With its strategic role, Lion Group can connect areas rich in tourism potential, such as Raja Ampat, Labuan Bajo, and Lombok. Not only does the flight network ease tourists to reach these locations, but also promotes local tourism.

This connectivity provides great opportunities for tourist destinations to develop, attract more visitors, and drive the local economy through the hospitality, transportation, culinary, and other creative industries sectors in turn.

A clear example of this impact is the increase in visits to Labuan Bajo, which is now more easily accessible via direct flights from Jakarta (CGK) or Surabaya (SUB) using Batik Air (ID) or Lion Air (JT) to Komodo International Airport (LBJ), Labuan Bajo. This contributes to the growth of the local economy, with an increase in the number of accommodation, restaurants, and tour providers.

Apart from that, the business sector, both local and national, also benefits from more efficient flight routes. Businesspeople can now quickly travel between big cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya, or reach areas with industrial potential, such as Batam and Makassar, which are recognized as trade and manufacturing centers. The availability of regularly scheduled flights allows business activities to run more smoothly, increases operational efficiency, and supports broader economic growth.

Local Economic Development Using Air Connectivity

The air connectivity provided by the Lion Group also has a positive impact on economic development in areas such as Namlea, which is located on Buru Island, Maluku.

For example, Namlea’s local entrepreneurs who produce seafood can take advantage of Wings Air (IW) flights from Namlea Airport (NAM) to Pattimura International Airport (AMQ), Ambon, which is then connected with Lion Air flights from Ambon to Makassar (UPG) and Jakarta (CGK).

With this network, products that were only marketed locally, now they can be delivered more quickly and efficiently to large trading centers. This allows products such as fresh fish, cloves, and other plantation products from Namlea to be sold in major markets in Jakarta, increasing income for SMEs and creating new jobs.

This connectivity also reduces dependence on sea routes which take longer and the quality reduction of fresh products, thereby accelerating local economic growth and opening up opportunities for SMEs in Namlea to compete in the national market.