TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The number of commercial scheduled airline passengers during the 2019 Christmas and 2020 New Year holidays is predicted to plummet by 8.4 percent compared to that of last year. Transportation Ministry estimated the figure will amount to 5.28 million people.

The users’ number will possibly be 480,000 lower than that of the same period in 2018. Last year, the air transport passengers’ number reached 5.76 million.

The ministry’s director-general of air transportation, Polana Banguningsih Pramesti, said the decline is pinned down to various factors, including the shift in trends from air transport to land transport.

“As many as 70 percents of homecomers’ activity is in Java Island. Because of well-built roads in Java and the operation of Trans Java toll road, people switch to land transport,” said Polana in her office, Central Jakarta, Monday, December 9.

According to Polana, people in general, especially families, are interested to use private vehicles given the efficiency and lower cost compared to using air transport.

The transportation ministry’s research and development body head, Sugihardjo, stated the same sentiment. However, he mentioned that the drop in airline passengers’ number will not be as sharp as during the 2019 Eid homecoming season that reached over 20 percent.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA