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Airline passengers to grow by double digits during Idul Fitri holiday: Ministry
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Airline passengers line up at check-in counters at Terminal 1C of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on June 26, 2016. (kompas.com/Andri Donnal Putera)
T
he Transportation Ministry has projected that the number of passengers traveling by air will grow by around 10 to 11 percent during the long holiday of Idul Fitri.
The projection was based on the number of airline seats sold during the mudik (exodus) period, said Agus Santoso, the ministry’s air transport director general.
“We predict that the total number of [airline] passengers will reach 5.9 million, or up by 10 percent to 11 percent compared to last year,” he said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.
Agus said airlines posted the highest number of passengers of all transportation modes during the Idul Fitri holiday this year.
He pointed out that a shift in trend had occurred during this year’s Idul Fitri mudik as the peak period was last Saturday, or six days before the celebration on Friday.
Read also: 'Mudik': Indonesia’s annual mass exodus
Last year, the peak period of mudik occurred just two days before the festivity, he said, adding that the changing trend was caused by a longer collective holiday this time.
The government in May decided to maintain its joint ministerial decree (SKB) decision, which set the collective holiday starting from June 11 to 20 despite protests from employers and the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) as it might disrupt economic activities.
However, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani said a longer holiday could help improve traffic flow, which usually saw heavy congestion, as well as provide enough time for people to spend with their families. (ris/sau/gda)
