The Celebration of Eid al-Adha brings high mobility in various modes of transportation, including flights. According to reports, the festive occasion of Eid al-Adha witnessed a significant surge in transportation activities, particularly in the aviation sector. On the day of Eid al-Adha 1444 H, which fell on Thursday, June 29, 2023, a total of 1,400 flights were recorded departing from Soekarno-Hatta Airport, with Ngurah Rai Bali Airport emerging as the preferred destination among travelers.
Cin Asmoro, the Vice President of Corporate Communications at PT Angkasa Pura II, confirmed that the flights took off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport starting from midnight, tallying up to 1,442 flights by 3:00 PM local time. He emphasized that this count encompassed the flights operated during the entire period between midnight and 3:00 PM.
Among the various destinations, Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, Bali stood out as the top choice for passengers departing from Soekarno-Hatta Airport. Cin Asmoro stated that AP II had facilitated 104 flights bound for the enchanting Island of Bali until 3:00 PM on that day.
Other notable destinations included Medan, with 66 flights, and Surabaya, with 55 flights. Additionally, Padang and Ujung Pandang (Makassar) completed the list of the five most favored routes during the Eid al-Adha festivities, with 36 and 35 flights respectively.
The total passenger movement recorded at Soekarno-Hatta Airport from June 27 to June 28, 2023, surpassed the 300,000 mark. Specifically, there were 153,112 passenger movements on June 27 and 152,030 passenger movements on June 28.
In anticipation of the holiday rush, AP II had projected that the total number of air passengers during the extended Eid al-Adha weekend, coupled with the school holiday season from June 22 to July 6, 2023, would reach an estimated 3.62 million passengers.
Muhammad Awaluddin, the President Director of AP II, noted that the number of passengers between June 22 and June 26, 2023, had already surpassed 1.3 million, signifying a notable 7% increase compared to the previous week, from June 15 to June 19, 2023. Awaluddin further added that the airports managed by AP II were projected to experience a 7% to 10% surge in passenger traffic throughout the Eid al-Adha holiday period, encompassing seven days before and after the festive occasion.
The significant rise in air travel during the festive season not only reflects the cultural significance of Eid al-Adha but also highlights the resilience and adaptability of the aviation industry in accommodating the growing travel demands of the populace.
