AirAsia opens new gateway to Lake Toba via Silangit

2 min readUpdated Jun 4, 2025Aug 3, 201810:14 AM

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AirAsia’s new route to Silangit in North Sumatra is more than just a direct flight to the gateway of Lake Toba. It also marks the airline’s commitment to sustainable tourism development there.

Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said AirAsia strives to connect travellers to the hidden treasures of Indonesia while ensuring the sustainability of these destinations.

“Our team has already been to Silangit to work with the local authorities.

“We are building a recycling plant there and we are hoping to work with the local government on sanitation.

There will be four flights from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) to the Silangit Airport in Tapanuli every week beginning Oct 28.

Prior to the new route, travellers wishing to visit Lake Toba had to take a six-hour bus ride from Medan.

“We will put more flights on if the demand comes and with the infrastructure built along with it.

“The ultimate aim is to build a hub. It won’t be a big hub, as Jakarta will still be our main hub,” said Fernandes.

The new Kuala Lumpur-Silangit route was launched by Maritime Affairs Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Air Transportation acting director-general Pramintohadi Sukarno, Fernandes, AirAsia Group Bhd executive chairman and AirAsia X Co-Group CEO Datuk Kamarudin Meranun and AirAsia Indonesia CEO Dendy Kurniawan.

Pandjaitan is confident that the new route will boost tourist arrivals in Lake Toba – one of Indonesia’s top 10 priority tourism destinations.

“We are upgrading the facilities at Silangit Airport and extending the runway length from 2,650m to 3,000m.

“We are also expanding the apron and terminal building to accommodate more aircraft and passengers and we hope this new route will benefit the local economy and community.”

AirAsia is offering special introductory all-in-fares from Kuala Lumpur to Silangit from RM39.10.

These fares are available for booking on airasia.com and the AirAsia mobile app from Aug 2 to Aug 12 for the travel period from Oct 28 this year to March 29, 2019.

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What this means

AirAsia's new Silangit route is a shrewd, low-cost entry into Indonesia's developing tourism infrastructure, bypassing the six-hour bus journey from Medan. This move puts pressure on other regional carriers to identify and service emerging 'hidden treasures', particularly those with government backing for infrastructure upgrades. AirAsia has a strong track record of opening new routes and building hubs, albeit smaller ones like this, as evidenced by its extensive network. While the sustainability pledges are positive, the real metric of success will be whether initial introductory fares translate into sustained passenger volume. We will be watching the passenger load factor and AirAsia's subsequent announcements on increasing flight frequency beyond four times weekly.

Sarah Chen · Retail News Asia newsroom

Questions & Answers

How often will flights operate between Kuala Lumpur and Silangit?

There will be four flights from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) to Silangit Airport in Tapanuli every week beginning October 28.

What is AirAsia's long-term objective for its operations in Silangit?

AirAsia's ultimate aim is to build a hub in Silangit, although it will not be as large as their main hub in Jakarta.

What infrastructure improvements are being made at Silangit Airport?

Facilities are being upgraded, the runway length extended from 2,650m to 3,000m, and the apron and terminal building expanded.

What efforts is AirAsia making towards sustainable tourism in Silangit?

AirAsia is building a recycling plant in Silangit and hopes to work with local government on sanitation initiatives there.

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