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STATE-RUN airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II suspended passenger flights from April 24 to June 1 following the government’s ban on the annual exodus during the Idul Fitri celebrations to contain COVID-19 transmission.
However, airports will continue to operate to serve cargo and some special flights, Vice President of Corporate Communication of PT Angkasa Pura II Yado Yarismano noted in a statement here on Friday.
The policy aligns with Transportation Minister’s Regulation No. 25 of 2020 on transportation restriction during the mudik season in 2020 to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
“PT Angkasa Pura II has worked closely with the Transportation Ministry to implement the regulation, and we will adjust it with the airports’ operations,” Yarismano remarked.
The suspension does not apply to flights carrying leaders of state institutions or foreign envoys nor to aircraft engaging in special repatriation operations for Indonesians or foreign nationals. Air cargo transportation will also be permitted.
PT Angkasa Pura II has managed 19 airports that include Soekarno-Hatta in Tangerang, Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta, Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II in Palembang, Kualanamu in Deli Serdang, Sultan Syarif Kasim II in Pekanbaru, and Silangit in North Tapanuli.
The others under the management of PT Angkasa Pura II are Raja Haji Fisabilillah in Tanjung Pinang, Supadio in Pontianak, Banyuwangi, Radin Inten II in Lampung, Husein Sastranegara in Bandung, Depati Amir in Pangkalpinang, Sultan Thaha in Jambi, HAS Hanandjoeddin in Belitung, Tjilik Riwut in Palangkaraya, Kertajati in Majalengka, Fatmawati Soekarno in Bengkulu, Sultan Iskandar Muda Aceh and Minangkabau in Padang.
The Transportation Ministry has restricted all passenger travel, effective from Friday, as the government attempts to prevent citizens from partaking in the annual exodus to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The ban will not apply to cargo transportation or to vehicles serving special purposes, such as ambulances and fire trucks.
“It would apply to vehicles entering and leaving regions that had imposed large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) and those that had been declared COVID-19 red zones,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Adita Irawati explained. [antaranews/photo special]
