Banyuwangi Airport: Flight Occupancy Rises Ahead of BEC Event

Banyuwangi (ANTARA) - The management of Banyuwangi Airport in East Java has reported that seat occupancy on the Jakarta-Banyuwangi route has increased to 90 per cent ahead of the colossal Banyuwangi Ethno Carnival (BEC), which will be held on Saturday (18/7).

General Manager of Banyuwangi Airport Mohamad Holik Muardi said on Friday that the increase in air travel began several days before the annual event, with flights on the Jakarta-Banyuwangi route nearly full.

“Ahead of the BEC 2026, we have recorded an increase in demand for air travel, and occupancy on the Jakarta-Banyuwangi route has reached around 90 per cent,” he said.

Holik noted that on Wednesday (15/7), the airport recorded 176 passengers arriving from Jakarta, and on Thursday (16/7), 167 passengers arrived from the capital.

“We estimate that the number of passengers will continue to increase until the day of BEC 2026,” he said.

According to Holik, the high flight occupancy is a positive sign that Banyuwangi Ethno Carnival is increasingly recognised as a national tourism event capable of attracting visitors from various regions.

He also assessed that the increase in passenger mobility has a direct impact on the air transport sector while simultaneously driving the regional economy.

“BEC has a positive impact on the air transport sector and the regional economy,” Holik said.

The BEC 2026 event will feature a spectacular parade of ethnic costumes with the theme “Perang Bayu” (Bayu War), a heroic tale of Banyuwangi residents fighting against Dutch colonisation in the 18th century, which also marks the founding history of Banyuwangi.