After being closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia plans to reopen the airport on the resort island of Bali for international flights on October 14.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stated on Monday that the airport will be open to international flights as long as quarantine and testing requirements are met.

International arrivals must show proof of hotel reservations for an eight-day quarantine.

Pandjaitan said, “We are open to several countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.”

Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populated country, has seen over 4.2 million COVID-19 cases and 142,261 deaths, however infections have fallen in recent weeks after peaking in mid-July.

The reopening of Bali, according to Tourism and Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno, would focus on travelers and returning expatriates who used to live in Bali.

Some steps, such as lists of countries having direct flights to Bali, are still being finalised by the government.

Uno said, “The most important priority is the safety of the Indonesian people in terms of health and being protected from the potential spike in new cases of COVID-19.”

– India’s new age travel digital media