TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-run airport operator Angkasa Pura I (AP I) recorded a surge in passenger traffic by 20 percent at 15 airports following the issuance of the Transportation Ministerial Circular No. 21/2022 that took effect starting March 8, 2022.

“The increase in passenger traffic and domestic aircraft movements after the latest travel regulations is a positive signal that the aviation and tourism industry is slowly recovering,” said AP I President Director Faik Fahmi in a statement quoted in Jakarta, Wednesday, March 16.

The circular notes that fully vaccinated domestic travelers are no longer required to present negative results of the RT-PCR or rapid antigen test.

Faik explained that on March 8-14, the company served 761,234 passengers, which rose by 20 percent compared to that of March 1-7 with 631,271 passengers at 15 airports.

The state firm also logged 7,208 aircraft movements on March 8-14, up by nine percent compared to March 1-7 with 6,610 aircraft movements.

Yogyakarta Adisutjipto Airport reported the highest hike in passenger traffic at 33 percent, followed by El Tari Kupang Airport at 29 percent, and Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport at 28 percent.

Faik further mentioned that international flights at Ngurah Rai Airport continued to show a positive trend. Since the international gates open on February 3, the number of international passengers in the airport reached 8,770 with aircraft traffic totaling 142 as of March 14.

To date, seven airlines with international routes have operated at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport.

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ANTARA