Charter Flight Operations at Ngurah Rai Airport

Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) receives significant charter traffic year-round, with seasonal peaks during high tourism periods from June to September and December to January. Charter flights to Bali originate from Australia, China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, India, and the Middle East, operated by a diverse range of charter airlines, ACMI operators, and tour operator-contracted carriers. Unlike scheduled airline services with established handling agreements and predictable operations, charter flights require flexible, responsive ground handling that can be activated at short notice with complete service delivery from the first flight.

Bali Ground Handling, established in 2015 as part of Juara Holding Group, has built charter handling expertise through years of supporting Bali’s tourism-driven charter market. Our charter desk operates as a dedicated coordination point managing every aspect of non-scheduled flight handling at DPS.

Pre-Arrival Coordination & Permits

Charter flight success begins with thorough pre-arrival preparation. Our charter coordination team manages DGCA landing permit verification and coordination with our flight permit services department, airport slot allocation through Angkasa Pura I slot coordination, aircraft parking stand arrangement based on aircraft type and expected ground time, ground handling service level confirmation covering all required SGHA annexes, customs and immigration pre-notification for charter passenger manifests coordinated with customs and immigration authorities, and catering and fuel arrangements through our catering and fuel coordination services.

For regular charter series (weekly or bi-weekly seasonal operations), we establish Standing Handling Agreements that streamline setup for each flight while maintaining full documentation compliance.

Ramp & Technical Support for Charter Aircraft

Charter flights often operate aircraft types that differ from the standard fleet at DPS, requiring adaptable ramp handling capabilities. Our ramp team is equipped and trained for all narrow-body types including A320/A321, B737-800/MAX, and Boeing 757, wide-body charter aircraft including A330, A340, B767, and B787, and regional turboprops for island-hopping charter routes. Ramp services include marshalling and parking guidance, pushback operations, GSE deployment configured for the specific aircraft type, and aircraft cleaning between charter rotations.

For charter aircraft requiring technical support during their ground time at DPS, we coordinate with approved MRO providers and our technical maintenance partners to arrange line maintenance, AOG response, and spare parts logistics.

Passenger Processing for Charter Flights

Charter passenger handling requires flexibility to accommodate different tour operator systems, group sizes, and passenger profiles. Our charter passenger services include dedicated check-in counters with tour operator branding capability, group manifest processing using both airline DCS and manual check-in procedures, passenger handling at arrival including group immigration lane coordination, meet-and-greet services for tour operator representatives and ground agents, and special assistance for elderly passengers, families with children, and passengers with reduced mobility.

Charter flights frequently carry passengers unfamiliar with airport procedures, particularly tourists on their first international trip. Our multilingual staff (Bahasa Indonesia, English, and conversational Mandarin/Korean/Japanese) provide patient, professional assistance throughout the airport journey.

Cargo Charter Handling

Beyond passenger charters, DPS handles charter cargo flights transporting high-value goods, emergency relief supplies, and oversized cargo that cannot be accommodated on scheduled freighter services. Our cargo charter services include aircraft-specific loading plans coordinated through load control and planning, heavy and oversized cargo handling with appropriate GSE equipment, customs clearance coordination for charter cargo shipments, live animal transport (equestrian, aquaculture) with proper regulatory compliance, and dangerous goods handling per IATA DGR requirements.

Bali’s export economy, particularly in fisheries, agricultural products, and handicrafts, generates demand for cargo charter services that we support through our cargo handling department.

Types of Charter Operations We Support

Our charter handling expertise covers the full spectrum of non-scheduled operations at DPS. Tourist charters bring seasonal holiday traffic from European, Australian, and Asian origin markets. ACMI and wet lease flights supplement scheduled airline capacity during peak periods. Corporate charters transport executive groups for business events, supported by our MICE handling capabilities. Sports team charters handle national and international teams with equipment cargo requirements. Government and diplomatic flights require security-cleared handling and protocol compliance. Repatriation flights during crisis situations demand rapid activation and sensitive passenger management. Medical evacuation charters require specialized boarding assistance and medical equipment handling. Hajj and Umrah charter flights from Indonesian pilgrimage operators involve large groups with specific religious and cultural requirements.

Crew Support Services

Charter flight crews operating at DPS — often unfamiliar with local airport procedures and facilities — require comprehensive crew support. We provide crew transportation between the airport and approved crew hotels, flight operations office access for flight planning and weather briefing, customs and immigration facilitation for operating crew, crew rest area coordination during extended ground times, and local information briefing covering airport procedures, emergency contacts, and local services. For charter series requiring crew rotation at DPS, we coordinate positioning logistics to ensure seamless crew changes without operational disruption.

How quickly can you set up handling for an ad-hoc charter at DPS?

Our minimum setup time for a standard ad-hoc charter is 48 hours from receiving complete flight details, which allows time for airport slot confirmation, GSE allocation, staff rostering, and customs pre-notification. For emergency or humanitarian charters, we can activate basic handling services within 12-24 hours. Regular charter series can be established with full service levels within 5 working days of agreement signing.

What documentation is needed for charter handling?

Charter operators need to provide a valid DGCA landing permit (we can assist via our flight permit services), confirmed airport slot from Angkasa Pura I, signed Ground Handling Agreement (we provide templates based on IATA SGHA), passenger manifest for immigration pre-clearance, and cargo manifest for customs processing. We guide charter operators through the complete documentation process to ensure compliance with Indonesian aviation regulations.

Can you handle charter flights to other Indonesian airports?

While our primary base is Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), we can coordinate ground handling at other Indonesian airports through our network of partner handlers. For multi-destination charter operations within Indonesia, we serve as the single point of contact for all ground handling coordination, simplifying the charter operator’s logistics management across the archipelago.