JAKARTA – The government is once again demonstrating its support for the public ahead of the 2026 Eid homecoming season by offering discounts on transportation tickets, particularly airline tickets. This policy is expected to ease the burden of travel costs while simultaneously boosting the national economy during this period of high mobility.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto revealed that the government will offer discounts on airline tickets ranging from 17 to 18 percent. The discounts will be provided through a Value Added Tax (VAT) scheme, which will be fully covered by the government.
“The actual discounts on airline tickets will be around 17-18 percent, with the VAT covered by the government. Last Christmas, the government covered 6 percent of the VAT, but this time the VAT will be covered in full,” said Airlangga.
Airlangga explained that the government is also currently drafting the technical regulations for this policy through the issuance of a Minister of Finance Regulation (PMK) and aims to finalize the regulations soon. This policy was implemented considering the success of public mobility last December, which has proven to boost economic growth.
“In addition to ticket discounts, the government is also preparing a flexible work policy, or Work From Anywhere (WFA), ahead of Eid al-Fitr to reduce mobility congestion,” he added.
Overall, the government has prepared an economic stimulus package worth IDR 12.83 trillion. Of this amount, around IDR 200 billion is allocated specifically for transportation discounts, including airline tickets, while the remainder is used for social assistance and other stimulus measures.
“We are preparing a stimulus package that reflects Indonesia’s economic growth. We have allocated IDR 12.83 trillion for transportation discounts during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, including airline ticket discounts,” said Airlangga.
Similarly, Cahyo Widiantoro, Legal and Public Relations Manager of KAI Daop 9 Jember, stated that his office has recorded a surge in ticket sales ahead of the 2026 Eid al-Fitr transportation period. This figure is expected to continue to increase as ticket reservations are still open with the D-45 scheme.
“As of February 9, 2026, 37,188 tickets had been sold for the departure period of March 11–26, 2026. The high number of reservations indicates that people are starting to plan their homecoming trips early by utilizing train services,” he said.
Meanwhile, Teguh Iswara Suardi, a member of Commission V of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the NasDem Party faction, assessed that the government’s step to provide a stimulus to reduce airline ticket prices reflects the state’s presence in maintaining people’s purchasing power.
“We welcome the government’s move. This demonstrates the state’s presence in protecting people’s purchasing power while maintaining national connectivity,” Teguh stated.
A similar view was expressed by Richard Ahmad Sugiarto, Executive Director of the Indonesian Young Study Circle, who encouraged cross-ministerial coordination so that ticket pricing policies truly have a broad impact on the public, especially in island and remote areas.
“The seasonal discount policy needs to be complemented by structural reforms to ensure airline ticket prices remain affordable throughout the year,” he explained.
With these policies, the government hopes that the 2026 Eid homecoming will be more affordable, smooth, and have a positive impact on national economic growth. (*/rls)