Santai Seaplane and Indonesia tourism ministry plan new island routes

Santai Seaplane and Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism are working to expand direct access to coastal and island destinations, starting with Bali and several other hubs. The effort could widen tourism beyond established gateways and support longer, multi-stop trips across the archipelago.

Why it matters: - Indonesia’s island geography makes air access a major barrier for many destinations. - New seaplane routes could move travelers beyond established hubs and into places that are harder to reach by conventional runway service. - The partnership is aimed at supporting higher-value tourism, longer stays and wider spending across local communities.

What happened: - Santai Seaplane and Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism held a high-level strategic meeting on regional tourism access and water-landing infrastructure. - Seaplane Asia Group CEO Dennis Keller and Santai Seaplane CEO Wirmandi Sugriat met with Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana and Deputy Minister for Marketing Ni Made Ayu Marthini. - The discussion centered on a national framework for water landing sites. - The first locations identified were Bali (Benoa), Lombok (Sira Beach and Mandalika), Labuan Bajo, Kangean, North Maluku and Lake Toba. - Additional hubs and destinations are expected to follow.

The details: - Santai Seaplane plans to begin initial operations from Bali and nearby destinations in 2026. - The company will operate a fully certified amphibious aircraft in full company livery. - Demonstration flights are planned for destination and industry partners. - A VIP demonstration flight in Labuan Bajo is planned with the Ministry of Tourism. - The demonstration will show a transition from airport takeoff to water landing. - At the ministry’s invitation, Santai Seaplane will carry Indonesia’s official "Wonderful Indonesia" branding across its fleet. - The branding will appear on every sector the aircraft flies. - The ministry also encouraged route development in the Mentawai Islands. - That access push is tied to a major West Sumatra culinary conference next year.

Between the lines: - The collaboration signals a policy push toward quality tourism rather than volume alone. - Seaplane service can create point-to-point links that traditional airport networks do not easily provide. - The route map suggests the ministry wants tourism growth spread across more islands, not concentrated in a few entry points. - The use of national branding on the fleet points to a close public-private tourism strategy.

What's next: - Santai Seaplane will launch its initial Bali-area operations within 2026. - Demonstration flights will be used to introduce the aircraft to tourism and industry partners. - The ministry and Santai Seaplane will continue developing water landing sites and new routes. - Mentawai route planning is likely to advance ahead of next year’s West Sumatra culinary conference.

The bottom line: - Indonesia is betting on seaplanes to open harder-to-reach islands and make tourism more distributed, connected and experience-driven.