TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Transportation will be launching an investigation on airline operators that offered its services at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in the early morning of May 14, 2020, after a photo showing a densely-packed queue of passengers at the airport’s Terminal 2 went viral.

The Ministry of Transportation Director-general of Transportation Novie Riyanto, said that the Ministry plans to commence an investigation on air carriers' compliance with regulations limiting the capacity of an airplane as part of the COVID-19 physical distancing protocol.

"We immediately followed it up by ordering the aviation inspector to conduct an investigation about the incident," Novie said on Thursday, May 14, 2020.

If the air carriers are proven guilty of a violation, Novie explained that sanctions will be imposed pursuant to Minister of Transportation Regulation No. 18/2020. The regulation states that air carriers could only carry 50 percent of its full capacity to maintain physical distancing.

The Ministry of Transportation claimed to have received a tip that air carriers were not imposing any physical distancing measures and were offering airfares exceeding the maximum capacity of the protocol.

"We strongly urge air carriers to abide by the existing rules," said Novie.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA