Ministry Of Transportation Says Airplane Tickets Are Already At The Top Of The Upper Limit During The Eid Season

Airplane (photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) Adita Irawati said that there was already a trend of increasing aircraft ticket prices ahead of Lebaran 2024. In fact, there are already airlines that charge ticket prices at the end of the upper limit tariff (TBA) set by the government.

"Indeed, the average is at the end of the TBA, yes," he said when met at the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo), Jakarta, Monday, March 25.

Furthermore, Adita explained that the trend of increasing ticket prices was very clear because last January it was a low season. Meanwhile, it has begun to enter the high season period.

"It seems drastic because we have run out of low seasons. In January, everyone gave a really cheap price, yes, and once we enter the high season demand, automatically, this is the mechanism for airlines to increase prices to the upper limit," he said.

Adita explained that the trend of increasing ticket prices has been seen on fat routes. He said that the fatr the route or the more demand, the higher the price will be.

"The trend has begun to appear, especially for flights that are indeed on full days, yes, if we involve the trend on D-7 to D+7, that's the high season," he explained.

"If you get fatter (the route), demand will get higher, usually the price will be high too," he continued.

Even though there has been an upward trend in aircraft ticket prices, Adita admits that she has not found an airline that has applied prices exceeding the predetermined upper limit.

"There has been (an increase trend), but what I also say is that we have not identified any violations. But if the price is at the top, there is. Already there," he said.

Minister Of Home Affairs Reminds Airlines Not To Aji While Raising Ticket Prices

Previously, the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian warned airlines not to set the highest price during the 2024 Eid homecoming period. The reason is, the high ticket price when demand increases will raise inflation in the transportation sector.

"Don't let demand be high, then benchmarks (at the highest price), while that's it, they are profitable but later the impact (cost) of transportation will increase, inflation will increase, and food prices will also increase," he said on the sidelines of the Food Supply and Price Security Coordination Meeting Ahead of Fasting and Eid Al-Fitr, at Kempinski Grand Ballroom, Jakarta, written Tuesday, March 5.

Tito said that the price of airplane tickets is often the main contributor to inflation during the Lebaran homecoming period and Christmas and New Year. Therefore, he wants airlines to be able to determine ticket prices are not too high.

"This is the most important thing, always before the holiday and New Year's Christmas, the number one contributor is air transportation rates," said Tito.

Furthermore, Tito also asked the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi to gather airlines to discuss the price of aircraft tickets during the Lebaran 2024 homecoming period.

"We really ask that if you can collect friends from the airlines, so you don't take the highest benchmark price, but it's a natural thing that can be (affordable), because the demand is very high," he said.