Coordinating Minister Airlangga: The 10 Percent Airline Ticket Price Reduction Policy To Increase The Indonesian Tourism Sector

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. (Photo: Doc. Coordinating Ministry for the Economy)

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated that the policy of reducing plane ticket prices reached 10 percent aimed at encouraging the domestic tourism sector.

"The government has decided that domestic tickets have decreased by 10 percent. So we encourage domestic tourism to increase," said Airlangga on the sidelines of attending the 2024 Kadin National Leadership Meeting (Rapimnas) in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Monday 2 December.

Airlangga said that the reduction in flight ticket rates was an effort to encourage the domestic tourism sector according to the direction of President Prabowo Subianto.

Furthermore, Airlangga said that the President had also said that Indonesia would open domestic flights, for example in the Tanjung Kalayang economic area on Bangka Belitung Island.

He said that if there were no flights to these tourist destinations, it would be difficult for tourists to reach tourist destinations in the area.

He revealed, in a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto, his party had said that Indonesia would open regional flights with the aim that tourist destinations could re-enter.

"For example, the economic area in Tanjung Kelayang on Bangka Belitung Island, if there are no difficult flights for tourists to come because they have to go to Jakarta first then to Bangka Belitung or Palembang first then to Babel. Even though regionally, tourists can come immediately if it's a flight open," said Airlangga.

Furthermore, he emphasized that his party maintains the principle of equality in the domestic aviation industry. Moreover, currently the number of Indonesian aircraft is only below 400 units. On the other hand, domestic domestic flight demand is increasing.

"Because before COVID-19 the number of pilots, the number of aircraft in Indonesia was 500 units, but after COVID-19 was less than 400 units. So supply and demand were not balanced," he said.

Moreover, the number of foreign tourists reaches 17 million, while Indonesian citizens who leave the country reach 7.5 million.

"So we have to protect everything and the highest number of levers is from the tourism sector. So this is what we ask for a quick win that we encourage," added Airlangga.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) Elba Damhuri said that the Government decided to lower ticket prices for domestic flight flights during the Christmas 2024 and New Year 2025 periods at all airports in Indonesia.

Elba in a statement in Jakarta, Wednesday said that the policy regarding the reduction in air transport flight fares was a direct direction of President Prabowo Subianto to help the community in order to reduce the burden on aircraft ticket prices.

Yesterday, President Prabowo held a meeting with the Minister of Transportation and a number of Ministers at the Merdeka Palace to discuss the reduction in aircraft ticket prices during the Nataru (Christmas and New Year) period. As a result, the Government agreed to lower the ticket price for domestic flights by 10 percent during Nataru, at all airports in Indonesia, "said Elba.

The implementation of the tariff adjustment itself will take effect for 16 days during the Christmas and New Year period, from 19 December 2024 to 3 January 2025 for tickets that have not been sold.

Elba hopes that the decision to reduce the ticket price of this aircraft will be good news for the Indonesian people who will travel by airplane during the Nataru period.

He also believes that this decision will be able to boost the economy and domestic tourism in the last quarter of 2024.