Indonesia’s air traffic
Indonesia has at least 683 airports, and 34 of them are commercial airports, which are managed by state-run airport operators: PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I) and PT Angkasa Pura II (AP II). In 2020, there were over 3.3 million international air passengers departing from all across the country. Most international flights to Indonesia come through the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), which is located about 25 km west of Jakarta, the capital city.In 2020, the number of flight routes in Indonesia stood at 231 and is expected to increase further in the coming years. However, the country's aviation industry has yet to gradually recover from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. While most travel restrictions were lifted globally at the beginning of 2021, the state of air transport in Indonesia continued to suffer during the year, with air passenger traffic continuing to decline, particularly for arrivals. The pandemic and related travel restrictions have significantly disrupted the growth trajectory of Indonesia's aviation sector. In March 2022, Indonesia lifted most of its travel restrictions for international tourists, two years after imposing border restrictions. However, it will take some time before the country's airlines and tourism sector can fully recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
Challenges facing the Indonesian aviation industry
Even before the pandemic, despite the growth of the aviation market, the aircraft industry in Indonesia has been facing challenges of poor maintenance, safety issues, and lack of support. There were more than a hundred serious aviation incidents in the past decade and the nation's flagship airline, Garuda Indonesia, also has been having financial issues long before the COVID-19 travel restrictions.According to the Aviation Safety Director of the Ministry of Transportation, Indonesia’s aircraft security system is lagging due to the limited personnel, technology, and obedience in following the SOPs. As an effort to improve this, the Indonesian government is establishing the National Aviation Security System Integration/NASSI 2014-2024, an integrated security system for all airports in Indonesia. As an initial step, NASSI will be applied in five Indonesian main airports, which are Soekarno-Hatta, Kualanamu, Juanda, Ngurah Rai, and Sultan Hasanuddin. By 2024, NASSI is expected to be implemented in all Indonesian airports.
