TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi in the Changi Aviation Summit 2022 on Tuesday expressed optimism about the gradual recovery of the global and national aviation industry, which he assumes will come sooner than later.

“I am optimistic about Indonesia’s aviation industry which will likely rise again soon, considering Indonesia is an archipelago country which relies on air transportation for its connectivity,” said Budi in a statement on May 17.

He believes this positive trend will depend on each country’s geographical characteristics and policies.

A number of indicators, he explained, include the fact that 70 percent of air travelers are domestic passengers, the high vaccination rate, and the dropping number of Covid-19 cases. He also believes the loosened travel restriction and rising demand for air transportation will help the industry recover from the coronavirus slump.

Budi assessed that this year's Eid mass exodus was momentum for the revival of the national aviation industry. As restrictions were no longer put in place in 2022.

"We need to think outside the box to come up with the best scenario for mass exodus, namely a safe trip, and putting inconveniences to the bare minimum," he said. However, this year, said Budi, will pose a challenge on how to serve the high demand for air travel with fewer available aircraft compared to the previous year.

He hopes that this year’s high demand for air transportation will continue in the future and be a turning point for the national aviation industry. Many experts believe this year will grow up to 78 million air travel passengers from last year’s 35 million passengers.

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M FAIZ ZAKI