Ahead of Christmas and New Year, Government Needs to Control Airfares

PARLEMENTARIA, Bandung - Member of Commission V of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia Teguh Iswara Suardi is urging the government to strengthen its air-transport fare control policies without delay. The call follows a 15.33 percent year-on-year (year-on-year/yoy) increase in airfares in October 2026. 

He said swift, measured action was needed to keep ticket prices affordable, particularly ahead of Christmas and New Year (Nataru) 2026/2027, when people tend to travel more. He made the remarks when speaking to Parlementaria on the sidelines of a specific working visit by Commission V of the House of Representatives, led by the commission’s Deputy Chair Saiful Huda, in Bandung, West Java, on Friday (13/11/2026).

The NasDem Party faction politician said rising airfares could place an even greater strain on people’s purchasing power, especially those planning to travel for a vacation or to visit family. For that reason, Commission V will urge the Ministry of Transportation to take concrete steps to curb ticket price increases. “This is a warning for us. Hopefully, the government will act quickly so prices can be brought under control again,” he said.

Teguh stressed that rising airfares could not be addressed with just one policy. The government needed to conduct a comprehensive review, taking into account various factors, from airline operating costs to global conditions. 

In this regard, Commission V will continue to carry out its oversight role by evaluating policies, monitoring fares on the ground, and encouraging dialogue with the government and airlines to find appropriate solutions. He said transport incentives could also be a short-term measure to ease the burden of travel on the public.

In addition to controlling fares, the politician representing South Sumatra II also called for free homecoming travel programs and transport incentives to be expanded to regions beyond Java. He said the programs should be accompanied by broader public outreach and an integrated registration system to ensure they reach the intended recipients. 

“A good program should not stop at implementation; public communication must also be effective so people know about it and can benefit from it,” he stressed. He also proposed an integrated transport information system linking the Ministry of Transportation, the police, the Ministry of Public Works, BMKG, and relevant agencies to provide real-time information on tickets, journeys, traffic, and weather conditions.

For context, data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) show that air-transport fares rose 15.33 percent year on year in October 2026, with cumulative inflation from January to October of 5.32 percent. The increase points to the growing travel costs that people must bear. Meanwhile, the government, through the Ministry of Transportation, is preparing a stimulus package worth Rp722 billion in government-borne value-added tax (VAT) for domestic economy-class flights during the 2026/2027 Christmas and New Year period. 

Teguh hopes the stimulus will effectively reduce travel costs, allowing people to continue enjoying air services at affordable fares without compromising the sustainability of the national aviation industry. (rni/rdn)