New airline enters Perth-Bali market amid safety certification concerns

Policy

Geoffrey Thomas Editor-In-Chief - US Bureau Chief | Airline Ratings

By Sky Industry News

Jan 19, 2025

On the Perth-to-Bali route, travelers have several low-cost carrier options, with a new addition arriving in March. TransNusa will begin operations on this route on March 20. Despite its competitive pricing, some concerns have been raised about the airline.

One major concern is that TransNusa lacks the IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) certification. Airlines on the IOSA registry consistently show better safety performance compared to non-registered airlines. Since 2005, IOSA-certified airlines have had an all-accident rate of 1.40 per million sectors, whereas non-IOSA airlines have a rate of 3.49 per million sectors. In 2022, IOSA-registered carriers outperformed non-registered ones by a factor of four (0.70 accidents per million sectors vs. 2.82 accidents per million sectors). This has led to calls for more regulators to incorporate IOSA into safety oversight programs.

Several Indonesian airlines like Garuda Indonesia, AirAsia Indonesia, Batik Air, Lion Air, and Wings Air are IOSA-certified. Citilink, owned by Garuda Indonesia, also falls under this category. Notably, AirAsia improved its safety standards significantly after not being IOSA-certified during a tragic accident in 2014 and has now made AirlineRatings’ World’s Safest Low-Cost Carrier list for 2025.

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Another aspect to consider is the age of TransNusa’s fleet; their Airbus A320s average nearly 19 years old and A321s over 20 years old. While fleet age isn't solely indicative of safety—maintenance quality is crucial—older planes often need more frequent upkeep.

Additionally, TransNusa's small fleet size raises operational concerns as they operate seven aircraft with only five allocated for this route. Limited backup capacity can lead to cancellations or delays if technical issues arise.

TransNusa does offer greater onboard comfort and more legroom than competitors on this route and maintains a solid track record in terms of accidents and incidents among Indonesian airlines.

Ultimately, while TransNusa may present an affordable option for the Perth-Bali journey, its lack of IOSA certification and other factors make it less appealing compared to established airlines on this route.

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