Ministry Of Transportation Denies There Is A Mafia Buying And Selling Aviation Hours

Director General of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation (Dirjen Hubud Kemenhub) Lukman F Laisa denied that there was a mafia buying and selling flight hours in the Indonesian aviation industry.

Every airline can choose their own flight time slot. However, he said, of course, it will be adjusted to the availability of slots at the airport.

Slot time is the official schedule given by airport authorities to airlines to take-off or land at certain airports.

"There is no mafia slot. The slot depends on which airline you want to choose, it's up to him. What time he wants to choose, it's up to him. But usually the consideration is market, aircraft rotation, the same (availability) there is a slot at the airport," he said in a media briefing, in Jakarta, Tuesday, September 30.

Lukman said when there is an empty flight slot, the airport will provide information to the airline. That way, he said, airlines could find out and decide whether to take it or not.

"The airport when (there is an empty flight slot), it will provide information on the runway this hour is empty. So there is no (mafia slot time)," he said.

Regarding this flight time slot, Lukman continued, it has also been regulated in the Regulation of the Minister of Transportation Number 2 of 2025.

In the regulation, he said, when airlines do not use flight slots that have been given for two consecutive weeks, they will be taken back by the Ministry of Transportation.

"Indeed, there are (airlines) that have been revoked, feel that they should not be revoked unless requested. We cannot, basically not used, it is revoked. 2 weeks not used, we immediately revoke it," he said.

Throughout May to July 2025, continued Lukman, the Ministry of Transportation has revoked 651 flight time slots.

"Even up to these three months, starting in May, June, July, we have removed 651 slots. Because they are not used. So we will take it immediately now," he said.

Even so, Lukman said airlines that needed additional flight time slots could submit to the Ministry of Transportation.

"So when there is a suggestion, then we give it," he said.

Previously, a member of Commission VI of the DPR from the PDI-Perjuangan faction, Mufti Anam, revealed allegations of a mafia buying and selling flight hours in the aviation business in Indonesia.

In fact, continued Mufti, flight hours can be traded at a quite fantastic price of billions of rupiah.

"Is this true, there is no mafia about this flying time? He said the price is billions of rupiah, if there is, we ask law enforcement to investigate this matter," he said at the Hearing Meeting between Commission VI and Garuda Indonesia, InJourney Airports, and IAS, Monday, September 22.

The suspicion of the sale and purchase mafia during this flight, continued Mufti, started with the absence of Garuda Indonesia flights in favorite hours. Likewise with Garuda Indonesia's subsidiary, Citilink Indonesia.

"I had a chance to chat with Commission V friends, he said that the flight hours were traded. Is that right, sir? We ask you to answer on the spot, don't be afraid, sir. We will help you how Garuda can have idle hours," he said.

Sekadar informasi, jam idle penerbangan biasanya merujuk pada waktu pesawat tidak beroperasi atau menunggu di darat antara penerbangan. Kondisi ini lebih sering disebut trunaround atau waktu berhenti terbang.

“Karena ternyata jam-jam idle itu dikuasai oleh penerbangan swasta. Bahkan jam-jam tertentu karena idle banget itu ada penerbangan yang jaraknya hanya 30 menit dan kalau kosong itu dijadikan hanya satu penerbangan,” ucapnya.

Mufti bilang, akibat penggabungan itu, banyak penumpang pesawat yang terdampak delay atau penundaan penerbangan.

“Akhirnya berdampak kepada penumpang harus delay dan sebagainya,” katanya.

For your information, flight idle hours usually refer to the time the plane does not operate or wait on land between flights. This condition is more often called a trunaround or time to stop flying.

"Because it turns out that idle hours are controlled by private flights. Even certain hours because it's really idle there are flights that are only 30 minutes away and if it's empty it's used as just one flight," he said.

Mufti said, due to the merger, many airplane passengers were affected by the delay or flight delays.

"Finally, it has an impact on passengers having to delay and so on," he said.