Government Monitors Transportation Ticket Price Stability During Long Christmas and New Year Holidays
By: Haris Bachtiar )*
The government continues to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring the stability of transportation ticket prices during the long Christmas 2024 and New Year (Nataru) 2025 holidays. One of the significant policies implemented is a 10 percent reduction in domestic flight ticket prices. This step was taken in response to the high demand for air transportation during the year-end holiday period which is often an important momentum for people to travel, either for vacations or to gather with family.
Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), explained that this policy is the result of intensive discussions conducted by the government over the past two weeks. In the process, the government involved airlines and other related parties to ensure that all parties are fully committed to implementing the policy.
AHY also emphasized that the support of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN), especially through reducing the price of aviation fuel (avtur), is a key factor in realizing this policy.
In the previous cabinet meeting, President Prabowo Subianto expressed his appreciation for this success. The President said that the move to reduce airfares towards the end of the year is usually rare because ticket prices generally increase sharply during that period.
The President praised the synergy between ministries that was able to reach this agreement. The President also emphasized the importance of the readiness of all parties in facing the surge in activity during the Nataru holiday, so that the public can enjoy a safe, comfortable and smooth journey.
PT Pertamina (Persero) also plays an important role in supporting this policy by reducing the price of avtur at 19 priority airports. This step was taken as part of a national strategy to reduce airline operational costs, so that airline ticket prices can be more affordable.
Pertamina’s President Director, Simon Aloysius Mantiri, explained that this policy was implemented by considering the needs of the community during the holiday season, where air transportation activities increased significantly. In addition, Pertamina through its subsidiary, Pelita Air, also increased domestic flight capacity by 44 percent. This addition is expected to be able to meet the increasing public demand.
Not only in the air sector, the government also ensures readiness in the land and sea transportation sectors. This step includes improving facilities, adding fleets, and optimizing services at terminals, ports, and train stations. All of these efforts are designed to ensure that public mobility remains smooth during the Nataru period, without significant obstacles.
The government is optimistic that the policies implemented to face Christmas and New Year will have a positive impact not only on smooth transportation, but also on increasing economic activity, especially in the tourism and trade sectors.
Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir also paid great attention to the implementation of this policy. During his recent visit to Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Erick confirmed that more affordable airfares have come into effect.
Erick highlighted the importance of changing people’s mindsets in planning trips, especially in taking advantage of the opportunity to buy tickets early. Erick said that people’s habits of buying tickets at the last minute often cause ticket prices to increase, which are considered unaffordable.
Erick also revealed that the government is preparing a five-year roadmap to anticipate the surge in passengers during the holiday season, including during Christmas, New Year, and Eid. This roadmap is designed to create a more efficient transportation system, while also addressing the challenges of often limited airport capacity. He hopes that strategic steps like this can be a long-term solution that benefits the community.
The decrease in airfare is projected to have a broad impact on the community. With more affordable transportation costs, people’s mobility is expected to increase, both for vacation purposes and trips to their hometowns. In addition, this policy is also expected to boost the tourism sector, considering that the end of the year period is the peak time for tourist destinations throughout Indonesia.
The government is optimistic that this policy will create a multiplier effect , not only in the transportation sector, but also in other sectors such as hotels, restaurants, and micro-businesses in tourist destinations.
In addition to monitoring airfare prices, the government also conducts periodic evaluations of this policy to ensure its effectiveness. Erick Thohir emphasized that this evaluation is important to provide maximum benefits to the community. He hopes that this policy can not only be implemented during the Nataru holidays, but also become a model for other transportation policies in the future.
This ticket price reduction policy also shows how the government is present to answer the needs of the people. This step is not only about numbers, but also a form of government concern for the comfort of the community. With more affordable tickets, the community has a greater opportunity to plan a trip without the burden of heavy costs.
The government also uses this momentum to improve the image of the national transportation sector. With better services, competitive prices, and infrastructure readiness, the government hopes that public trust in the transportation system in Indonesia will increase. This policy also reflects the spirit of cooperation between the government, BUMN, and the private sector to create solutions that are beneficial to the community.
)* The author is a contributor to Pertiwi Institute
