Aircraft Traffic at Palembang Airport Rises 10.5% Ahead of Eid al-Fitr

Palembang, South Sumatra (ANTARA) - The management of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport (SMB II) in Palembang recorded a 10.5% increase in aircraft movement traffic ahead of Eid al-Fitr 2026. Executive General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia’s SMB II Airport Branch Office, Ahmad Syaugi Shabab, stated in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Friday that the total aircraft movements on Thursday (19/3/2026) reached 84 flights. Of this number, 19 flights were extra flights, all of which were realised or achieved 100% implementation. “The daily aircraft movement realisation reached 84 movements, growing by 10.5% compared to 2025,” he said. He explained that the number of passengers was relatively stable at 12,156 people compared to the same period the previous year. Meanwhile, the cargo sector experienced a significant increase of 29.5%, with total transport reaching 23.3 tonnes. In addition, the on-time performance (OTP) of flights was recorded at 83.3%, with 70 flights departing on schedule. Based on the collected data, the daily passenger load factor reached 78.3% out of a total of 15,142 available seats. In the international aviation sector, there were four aircraft movements with 560 passengers, indicating a positive recovery trend with a recovery rate of 200%. The use of flight slots at SMB II Airport also reached 100%, reflecting the optimal utilisation of the airport’s operational capacity. “We continue to monitor traffic movements through a monitoring post to ensure all operations run smoothly and the public’s mobility needs are served optimally,” said Syaugi.