TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Charter airline Susi Air owner Susi Pudjiastuti responded to public concerns about domestic flight ticket prices being more pricey than international ones. “Because the economies of scale are not enough. Why??? Because insufficient frequency, poor connectivity, service fees that do not use service principles,” Susi tweeted on her Twitter account @susipudjiastuti, as quoted Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

The former minister for maritime affairs and fisheries outlined the costs, including landing fees, navigation fees, ground handling fees, coordination fees, and others.

“The Bali airport’s landing fee is more expensive than Selatar [airport in Singapore]. Expensive avtur (aviation fuel), [they are] more pricey than those abroad. Everything is expensive compared to prices in other countries. In the end, it is better to have no flights than reducing the price or dismissing the support costs,” Susi said.

The issue of high ticket prices for domestic routes emerges again. A TikTok account named Paruikgang compared the prices for flight tickets for Jakarta-Singapore and Jakarta-Padang with the same airline, Batik Air.

The ticket price for the domestic route is Rp1.16-1.19 million, while the international route ticket is only Rp361,000-487,000. “The price gap is so high,” wrote the account. The post has been liked and commented on by hundreds of accounts.

Transportation Ministry responds to the pricey airfare

In March 2023, a spokesperson for the Transportation Ministry, Adita Irawati, responded to the price of airplane tickets for domestic routes which are considered more expensive than international routes. She said the surge in airfares was not a problem as long as it was within the price ceilings and floors or TBA and TBB.

Adita explained that TBA and TBB could fluctuate. “The fluctuation is affected by the aviation fuel component, which is around 30 percent, maintenance costs 20 percent, and other costs,” Adita told Tempo on March 6, 2023.

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI | RIRI RAHAYU

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