Ngurah Rai airport handled 15.5 million passengers in the first eight months of 2026, and Bali gained another direct route from Australia in June. On the ground, the big new idea is a tram from the airport to Canggu, while the long-promised subway has stalled. For people based in Sanur and the east, what has not changed matters as much as what has.
The airport: busy, and being reworked
According to the airport’s general manager, Nugroho Jati, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport served 15.5 million passengers from January to August 2026. That was 10 million on international routes and 5.5 million domestic, or about 64,000 passengers a day. The third quarter (July to September) was the busiest so far, with 6.6 million passengers, up 16 per cent on the second quarter. About 4.3 million of them flew international routes.
InJourney Airports, which runs the airport, said in June that 2026 work would focus on the terminals, with a target capacity of 32 million passengers a year. The work includes upgrading the international departure pier at Gates 1 to 9 and building a connecting bridge between the domestic and international terminals for transfer passengers. Airside capacity is due to follow in a later phase. No new runway is planned.
More ways to fly in from Australia
Australia remains Bali’s largest market. Airlines have kept adding routes:
| Airline | Change | When |
|---|---|---|
| Virgin Australia | Canberra–Denpasar, three flights a week on a 737 MAX 8; Virgin’s first international route from Canberra | First flight 22 June 2026 |
| Jetstar | Direct flights added from the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Avalon and Newcastle | In place by end of March 2026 |
| Indonesia AirAsia | Melbourne–Denpasar | From March 2026 |
| Garuda Indonesia | Daily Sydney and Melbourne flights resumed | Late 2025 |
Virgin now flies to Bali from Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Qantas flies daily from Sydney and Melbourne. Schedules change by season, so check with the airline before planning a move or a family visit.
The North Bali airport: still a plan
A second airport at Kubutambahan in Buleleng, on the north coast, is listed as a National Priority Project in the government’s 2025–2029 medium-term plan. In July 2026 President Prabowo met the developer, PT Pembangunan Bali Mandiri, and called for faster progress. The government expects the airport to be built as a public-private partnership and to open about three years after work begins.
As of August 2026, work had not begun and no date had been set. The choice of site has also been debated. Expanding the existing Letkol Wisnu airfield in the north-west has been raised as an alternative. Whatever happens, the North Bali airport would mainly serve the north. It would not change how most people reach Sanur.
Roads: one toll road in use, one still on paper
The toll road Sanur residents use every week already exists. The 12.7 km Bali Mandara toll road, opened in 2013, runs over Benoa Bay and links the Benoa side of Denpasar with the airport and Nusa Dua.
The planned Gilimanuk–Mengwi toll road in the west is still years away. The Public Works Ministry said in April 2026 that it plans to tender the 96.84 km project in 2027 and open it in 2031. The investment is estimated at Rp12.7 trillion. In the meantime, the central government has agreed to separate freight from passenger traffic. Trucks from Java are to be sent to ports at Celukan Bawang, Amed or Gunaksa, keeping the Gilimanuk–Mengwi road for passenger vehicles. This could ease traffic on the routes towards East Bali over time.
Other projects on the list:
- Jimbaran underpass/overpass (about Rp350 billion) to ease traffic in South Badung. In October 2026 the governor said it was still being designed.
- Sea taxi from the airport to Nusa Dua and Canggu, slated to start in 2026–2027.
- Underpass at Tohpati, the busy junction on the Bypass north of Sanur. It has been named by the provincial government but has no timeline.
Rail: from subway to tram
The underground railway that broke ground at Kuta in September 2024 has not progressed. In April 2026 the Transport Minister told parliament that no investor had come forward. In August 2026 Governor Wayan Koster said Bali would build an autonomous rail transit (ART) tram instead, calling it “far more efficient” and easier to build.
On 1 September 2026, the province, Badung Regency and state railway company KAI signed an agreement for a battery-powered tram from the airport to Canggu. It would be about 12 km long, take 30 minutes end to end and run every 10 minutes. It is designed for up to 60,000 passengers a day. The corridor currently carries about 150,000 people and 80,000 vehicles daily. The target is groundbreaking in March 2027, a first section in 2028 and the full line in 2029. The Jakarta Post put the cost of two phases at about Rp2.2 trillion.
The tram targets the west coast corridor. Nothing announced so far runs to Sanur.
What this means for Valora Sanur
Most new transport projects aim at the airport–Canggu corridor and the Bukit. Sanur’s access depends on roads that already exist and work today. From Valora Sanur on Jl. Bumi Ayu, Ngurah Rai airport is 16.1 km, about 30 minutes via the toll road. Daily needs are close: Sanur Beach is 1.8 km away, Icon Bali mall 1.2 km and Grand Lucky supermarket 1.9 km. Bali International Hospital is 2.7 km away. For owners who travel, the after-handover service package includes a buggy to selected areas of Sanur that can also serve as an emergency ride to hospital. You are welcome to visit the marketing gallery on site, open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, or contact the team at atrea.id.
Sources
- BCA Sekuritas / IQPlus (from Antara) — “Bandara Bali layani 15,5 juta penumpang hingga Agustus 2026” (Jan–Aug passengers, movements, 64,000/day, GM Nugroho Jati) — 1 Oct 2026 — https://bcasekuritas.co.id/latest-news/news/bandara-bali-layani-155-juta-penumpang-hingga-agustus-2026
- BCA Sekuritas / IQPlus — “Bandara Ngurah Rai alami kenaikan penumpang di triwulan III 2026” (Q3 6.6m, +16%, 4.3m international) — 14 Oct 2026 — https://bcasekuritas.co.id/latest-news/news/bandara-ngurah-rai-alami-kenaikan-penumpang-di-triwulan-iii-2026
- Katadata (with Antara) — “InJourney Kembangkan Empat Bandara pada 2026, Termasuk Soetta dan Ngurah Rai” (32 million capacity target, Gate 1–9 pier, connecting bridge, airside later) — 18 Jun 2026 — https://katadata.co.id/berita/industri/6a33affcea086/injourney-kembangkan-empat-bandara-pada-2026-termasuk-soetta-dan-ngurah-rai
- Virgin Australia Newsroom — “Virgin Australia launches first-ever international flight from the nation’s capital” — Jun 2026 — https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/newsroom/2026/6/virgin-australia-launches-first-ever-international-flight-from-the-nations-capital/
- Australian Aviation — “Virgin flies first international Canberra service” (22 Jun 2026, VA127, 737 MAX 8) — Jun 2026 — https://australianaviation.com.au/2026/06/virgin-flies-first-international-canberra-service/
- Australian Frequent Flyer — “Overview of Airlines Flying from Australia to Bali in 2026” (Jetstar, AirAsia, Garuda, Qantas routes) — 7 Feb 2026, updated 13 Mar 2026 — https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/australia-bali-airlines/
- detikBali — “Bandara Bali Utara Diproyeksikan untuk Pesawat Berbadan Lebar” (Kubutambahan, PEMBARI, National Priority Project under Perpres 12/2025, Prabowo meeting 14 Jul 2026, PPP, ~3 years) — 6 Aug 2026 — https://www.detik.com/bali/berita/d-8606692/bandara-bali-utara-diproyeksikan-untuk-pesawat-berbadan-lebar
- Bali.live — “North Bali Airport Project Returns to the Government Agenda” (site not finalised; Letkol Wisnu alternative) — undated — https://bali.live/p/new-airport-in-north-bali-is-back-on-the-authorities-agenda
- DJKN Kemenkeu (Kanwil Bali Nusra) — “Jalan Tol Bali Mandara” (12.7 km, Benoa–Ngurah Rai–Nusa Dua, opened 2013) — https://www.djkn.kemenkeu.go.id/kanwil-balinusra/baca-berita/28509/Jalan-Tol-Bali-Mandara.html
- Petromindo — “Government to tender Gilimanuk–Mengwi toll road in 2027” (96.84 km, Rp12.7 trillion, open 2031) — 8 Apr 2026 — https://www.petromindo.com/news/article/government-to-tender-gilimanuk-mengwi-toll-road-in-2027
- Antara News Bali — “Gubernur Bali: tiga menteri prioritaskan pembangunan infrastruktur” (Jimbaran underpass, sea taxi 2026–2027, freight/passenger separation, ports) — 22 Apr 2026 — https://bali.antaranews.com/berita/403951/gubernur-bali-tiga-menteri-prioritaskan-pembangunan-infrastruktur
- detikBali — “Sederet Proyek Infrastruktur untuk Urai Kemacetan Bali” (Jimbaran underpass Rp350bn) — 8 Jan 2026 — https://www.detik.com/bali/berita/d-8297088/sederet-proyek-infrastruktur-untuk-urai-kemacetan-bali
- Antara News Bali — “Pemprov Bali percepat infrastruktur genjot ekonomi merata” (Jimbaran overpass still being designed) — 16 Oct 2026 — https://bali.antaranews.com/berita/415809/pemprov-bali-percepat-infrastruktur-genjot-ekonomi-merata
- Antara News Bali — “Pemprov Bali siapkan Rp5 triliun untuk bangun jalan atasi kemacetan” (Tohpati underpass on the list) — 2025 — https://bali.antaranews.com/berita/371525/pemprov-bali-siapkan-rp5-triliun-untuk-bangun-jalan-atasi-kemacetan
- Antara News — “Gubernur Bali pilih transportasi ART gantikan wacana bangun MRT” (ART choice, Transport Minister April 2026 no investor, Kuta groundbreaking Sep 2024) — 6 Aug 2026 — https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5682595/gubernur-bali-pilih-transportasi-art-gantikan-wacana-bangun-mrt
- Antara News Bali — “Pemprov Bali dan KAI kerja sama kembangkan trem berbasis baterai rute Bandara-Canggu” (12 km, 30 min, 10-min headway, 60,000/day, March 2027 / 2028 / 2029) — 2 Sep 2026 — https://bali.antaranews.com/berita/412671/pemprov-bali-dan-kai-kerja-sama-kembangkan-trem-berbasis-baterai-rute-bandara-canggu
- The Jakarta Post — “Bali plans Rp 2.2 trillion tram system to ease congestion” — 11 Aug 2026 — https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/11/bali-plans-rp-2-2-trillion-tram-system-to-ease-congestion
- Atrea Development — Valora Sanur booklet (distances, service package) — internal