TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Statistics Agency or BPS stated that airfares in Ramadan in March 2024 experienced deflation of 0.97 percent. BPS acting head Amalia A. Widyasanti said that 20 provinces experienced deflation in air transportation rates, while 17 provinces experienced inflation and one province was stable.

"The reason is that during Ramadan in March, there were still few people using air transportation," Amalia said in a press conference on Monday, April 1.

In addition to the decline in demand, Amalia said that many airlines are currently not increasing fares. In fact, she said, some airlines are even offering lower fares compared to February, causing deflation in ticket prices for air travel in March.

According to BPS records, 4.7 million domestic air passengers departed in February 2024, down 2.65 percent from the previous month. The number of passengers traveling to overseas destinations also dropped by 4.66 percent to 1.4 million people.

On the other hand, Amalia revealed that a number of airlines have increased the number of routes and flight frequencies in several provinces. She said that this is a major contributing factor to the reduction of air fares.

Among the provinces that experienced a decrease in airfares are Bangka Belitung, Pangkal Pinang and Bali.

"The number of flights from Jakarta to Bali is also increasing in frequency and types," she said.

According to Amalia, the reduction in airfares was also driven by government policy. The government has ordered airlines to reduce airfares specifically for super priority tourism destinations or PSP areas.

This policy, she added, is aimed at encouraging more people to travel to PSP destinations. Priority destinations that have experienced a reduction in airfares include Lake Toba, Labuan Bajo, Mandalika and Bali.

"Airfares to NTT and Lombok have also been observed to have decreased," said Amalia.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

Editor's Choice: Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno Reviews Short Term Visa Plan

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News