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The greeting of passengers at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali.(ANTARA)

Badung, Bali - The I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali bid farewell to passengers of the last aircraft departing from there in 2019 and greeted those of the first plane arriving in 2020.

Dubai-bound Qatar Airways QR961 aircraft was the last to depart from the airport in 2019, state airport operator I PT Angkasa Pura, as the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport’s management, noted in an official statement released on Wednesday.

PT Angkasa Pura I Marketing and Service Director Devy Suradji draped scarves around the necks of the last passengers leaving the airport and handed out souvenirs to them on Tuesday night.

Similarly, passengers of the first plane arriving at the airport in 2020 also received a warm welcome during a ceremony featuring Balinese traditional music of gamelan and dance upon arrival at the airport.

General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport Herry A. Y. Sikado remarked that I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport was the main gateway for foreign tourists to visit Indonesia, especially Bali Island.

Hence, the airport’s management has made persistent attempts to lend a good first impression when the passengers set foot in Bali in the New Year.

The first impression will boost the moods of tourists recently arriving in Bali, he stated.

"After the tourists were seated aboard the plane for hours, we greeted them with the nuances of Balinese culture to serve as a mood booster upon arrival at the airport," he remarked.

Irian, who was among the last passengers to leave Bali airport in 2019, admitted to being impressed by the farewell ceremony organized by the airport’s management.

"I am immensely pleased with the greetings extended by the Bali Airport’s management before I fly. Of course, this will leave an unforgettable impression on me," she stated.

David, one of the first passengers to set foot on Bali in 2020, admitted to feeling astonished and pleased by the greetings extended to him.

"This is the first time for me to become one of the first passengers in the New Year," he added. (ANTARA)