TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II or AP II president director Muhammad Awaluddin said his side had calculated the flow of flights following the exemption of airport tax. This government’s policy has been in effect at five airports from October 23 until the end of the year.

“It is hoped that traffic of domestic flights will at least start to rebound,” said Awaluddin in a Tempo’s Live Talk via Instagram @tempodotco on Monday night, November 2, 2020.

Awaluddin admitted that many international institutions projected that air travel would grow minus 52 to 62 percent by the end of 2020. However, the reference was based on international flights, he added.

Indonesia was experiencing different conditions. During the recent long weekend holiday from October 28 to November 1, there were 1,137 flights per day or 54 percent of normal conditions. Of which, only 3 percent were international flights. “So domestic air travel recovers faster,” he said.

From October to November 2020, Awaluddin estimated that domestic flights will grow by 20 percent. It even has the potential to grow by 40 percent in December 2020.

Despite a possible hike in the number of flights later, Awaluddin confirmed that the load factor number or the aircraft occupancy will still be 70 percent at maximum. “We must be consistent on the matter,” the AP II president director said.

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FAJAR PEBRIANTO