Citilink Indonesia, a subsidiary of Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda, had served the Dili-Denpasar route from September 2015, but had stopped flights in January, 2017, citing market competition.

Speaking at the official launch at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, Andy Adrian, Citilink Indonesia’s Chief Commercial Office, said he was confident the service could compete with existing carriers.

“The regular flight service to Dili is an effort to expand connectivity and to accommodate the demands of our customers,” said Adrian.

“2017 will be a big year for Citilink, because [the airline] will expand its operations in eastern Indonesia and in the wider region, including Timor-Leste,” said Adrian.

Two other airlines – Sriwijaya Air and its subsidiary Nam Air – currently fly from Denpasar to Dili. About 300 people fly from Denpasar to Dili and vice versa every day.

For the inaugural flight from Jakarta to Dili, Citilink carried 80 passengers on an Airbus A320 aircraft, which has a capacity of 160 passengers.

The flight departs from Jakarta at 4:55 a.m. and from Dili at 1:20 p.m. local time.