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When the first Batik Air flight departed from Canberra to Bali in early June, the prospect of Canberra introducing its second international carrier was exciting for the region.
But just four months on, the airline has announced it will suspend its services temporarily, with no time frame on when they will resume.
The airline said the decision came after a "thorough review" of operational and commercial factors and the need to prioritise the its long-term sustainability.
"While this decision is not taken lightly, it reflects a commitment to ensuring the reliability and quality of service that passengers expect," the statement said.
The first Batik Air flight departs Canberra for Bali. (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
"Batik Air recognises the impact this suspension may have on its passengers and is actively reassessing the Denpasar-Canberra route."
During this period, the operator said it would provide passengers with alternative travel arrangements or full refunds.
"Batik Air sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused … the airline looks forward to resuming services on the Denpasar-Canberra route at the earliest opportunity," it said.
But the journey between the two destinations has not been easy since the beginning.
Teething issues from the first take-off
The inaugural flight with Batik Air was investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) for flying below safe altitude levels.
While none of the passengers were injured, the ATSB labelled it a "serious incident".
Two months later, the airline walked back on its commitment to servicing three flights a week from Canberra, dropping it to two.
Michael Thomson, the head of aviation at the Canberra Airport, said demand for the flights had been lower than expected. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
Canberra Airport head of aviation Michael Thomson said the reduction of flights was due to the slower-than-expected demand.
But he said it was disappointing the airline had decided to pause its operations so soon.
"While new routes often require time to build momentum, we also understand that the airline has faced operational challenges," Mr Thomson said.
For some passengers who booked flights while the flights were operating, this came at a cost.
Two Canberrans were forced to re-book with another airline from Sydney after they were informed by the airline through WhatsApp that their flight was suspended and shifted seven days earlier.
While they obtained a refund through the booking website, Webjet, they had to cover the extra transport and accommodation costs.
What does this mean for future international flights to Canberra?
International flights have struggled to get off the ground at Canberra Airport. (AAP: Lukas Coch)
Batik Air is the second airline to announce international flights out of the nation's capital following a decision last year by Fiji Airways to fly direct to Nadi from Canberra.
And while Canberra Airport hopes to bring in more international carriers in the future, this is not the first time that international flights to and from Canberra have been a challenge.
International flights out of Canberra were halted in 2020 during the pandemic.
During this time, Singapore Airlines announced it would no longer fly direct from Singapore to Canberra, even once coronavirus restrictions eased, citing a lack of demand.
CQUniversity aviation expert Doug Drury said this might make it challenging for the airport to lure other international operators in the future.
Professor Drury said by citing "operational issues" Batik Air indicated it was not filling flights.
"If we can't put enough passengers on these airplanes to make it a break even … then they're not going to stay with it," he said.
"If they couldn't convince Canberrans to fly out north to a warmer climate during the winter — because it's one of the coldest spots in Australia — then I'm not sure they'll have a lot they'll have to think about".
But he said Canberra was a viable destination for international travel.
"There's nothing wrong with the Canberra Airport. There's nothing wrong with the socio-economic viability of the public in that area … they (Canberrans) can travel and they do travel" he said.
'I can't see a lot of government business'
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Batik Air Group strategy director Chandran Rama Muthy, and Canberra Airport CEO Stephen Byron at the Canberra Airport. (ABC News: Lottie Twyford)
At the launch of the inaugural flight, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he hoped the number of flights to Bali would bump up from three to five flights per week.
He also anticipated it could open more prospects for international tourism in the capital.
"We hope that this flight will provide opportunities, not only for Canberrans to experience Bali, but also for inbound tourism as well," he said.
But on Wednesday, Mr Barr said there was not much demand coming out of Bali into Canberra.
"I can't see lot of government business on the Canberra-Bali services," he said.
"It's not as if federal public servants are going to be utilising that, It's not a defence link, it's a leisure route.''
Mr Barr said the ACT government had not invested much in advertising for the flights.
"This was a commercial arrangement between Canberra Airport and the airline … it's really a matter for the airline".