Batam International Airport projects 280,000 passengers during Lebaran 2026 transport period

Batam International Hang Nadim Airport in Kepulauan Riau is projecting passenger numbers during the Lebaran 2026 transport period to reach approximately 280,000 people, representing an increase of around 3 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The airport’s Operational Director, Anton Marthalius, stated that during the Lebaran period from 13 to 30 March, there will be approximately 1,800 flight movements.

“Our projection is to serve around 280,000 passengers, which is an increase of about 3 per cent from last year, whilst the number of aircraft is estimated to increase by around 1 per cent,” he said in Batam on Thursday.

The airport has also established Lebaran transport command posts to ensure smooth service to passengers during the holiday travel period.

“We have just conducted a readiness assembly for the Lebaran transport command posts. The posts will operate from 13 March to 30 March,” Anton said.

He explained that the peak outbound travel period is estimated to occur on 18 March, whilst the peak return period is predicted to fall on 28 March.

During these peak periods, passenger movements are estimated to reach approximately 18,000 people per day.

“During peak times, we expect around 18,000 passengers. Whilst the daily average is usually around 10,000 passengers, so this is quite a significant increase,” he said.

He also noted that for domestic routes, several cities remain popular destinations for passengers from Batam, including Jakarta (Cengkareng), Medan (Kualanamu), Pekanbaru, Surabaya, Palembang, and Padang.

Several airlines have also submitted proposals for additional flights to anticipate increased demand during the holiday travel period.

“Currently there are proposals for around 266 extra flights from airlines, but these are still awaiting approval from the Ministry of Transportation. Once approved, we will announce them,” Anton said.

For international routes, flights to and from Malaysia remain an active service operated from Hang Nadim Airport during the Lebaran period.

Anton added that on 13 March, AirAsia will launch its inaugural flight on the Batam-Kuala Lumpur route, which is expected to increase international passenger movements.

“Previously for the Kuala Lumpur route there was one flight per day, now there will be two daily flights with Batik Air and AirAsia. So we hope there will be an increase in passengers on this route,” he said.