Update April 25: The Transportation Ministry further clarified that international commercial flights are still operating out of Indonesian airports, though the number of flights have decreased significantly due to the outbreak. The ministry said that, on average, Soekarno-Hatta Airport handles 40 flights per day, while Medan’s Kualanamu handles up to two flights per day.
Update: In a press release issued today, the Transportation Ministry clarified that domestic flights are still allowed to transport passengers in order to honor existing bookings until the end of the day. Original story follows.
Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry has officially banned domestic and international commercial flights throughout Indonesia, following the government’s mudik homecoming exodus ban to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia. The policy takes effect starting today until June 1.
“For the air transportation sector, there is a prohibition to travel domestically or overseas, whether by scheduled air transportation or chartered,” the ministry’s air transportation director general Novie Riyanto said yesterday in a teleconference with the press, as quoted by Tirto.
Although there are restrictions on flights for passengers, Novie said the air navigation services will remain open, and the same applies for airports, as they’re still required to serve airplanes that take off and land.
Airlines are reportedly expected to refund passengers affected by the policy, whether in cash or vouchers, worth 100 percent of the canceled tickets.
There are several exceptions to this flight ban, including flights that carry leaders of state institutions or foreign envoys, flights organized for repatriation of foreign or Indonesian citizens, law enforcement and emergency services, as well as essential cargo operations.
Indonesia has banned foreign citizens from entering or making a transit in Indonesia since April 2.
Meanwhile, the Transportation Ministry has officially set up road blockades to limit movement out of COVID-19 red zones in its enforcement of the mudik homecoming exodus ban, which was announced by President Joko Widodo on Monday. Public transportation vehicles and private vehicles leaving red zones, including the Greater Jakarta Area, will be forced to turn back at road checkpoints.
The mudik ban has also ceased public transport by sea and rail.
Also Read — For ‘mudik’ ban, authorities to turn back vehicles leaving COVID-19 red zones: official
