Boarding A Java-Bali Airplane Only Needs Negative Antigen, Pushing The Aviation Sector To Rise?

Illustration of Airplane Passengers (photo: Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The government has relaxed the travel requirements for passengers on Java-Bali flights, namely they can use the Antigen rapid test with a validity period of 1x24 hours. However, this policy only applies to passengers who have received two doses of the vaccine.

Then whether this policy can encourage the aviation sector to rise?

Logging observer Alvin Lie believes that this government policy has no impact on the air transportation sector. Because the government still has problems in the logistics of vaccine procurement and distribution.

Moreover, said Alvin, the total number of people who had received the second dose of vaccination was only 20 percent of the target. Meanwhile, the total number of Indonesians who have received vaccine injections twice has only reached 12 percent of the total target.

"This regulation is too complicated and restrictive and has no effect on air transportation because it is disorganized, the regulations are too strict and do not support the restoration of air transportation at all," he said when contacted by VOI, Sunday, August 15.

The government previously issued a new regulation regarding aircraft travel on domestic and international routes during the PPKM level 10-16 August 2021. The regulation was stated in the Ministry of Transportation Circular Number 62 of 2021 which came into effect on 11 August.

In this circular, the government regulates that intra-Java-Bali passengers with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine must include an RT-PCR test. Meanwhile, passengers with the second dose of vaccine can choose the Antigen result.

However, this rule does not apply to other modes of transportation, such as buses, trains, or ships. He considered that there should be no need for different policies for air transportation because it would make it difficult for business actors and passengers. "This is far too complicated to confuse consumers, confusing officers too," he said.