Eid Homecoming 2026: Pelindo Regional 4 Passenger Numbers Exceed 308,473

PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) Regional 4 in Makassar recorded a significant surge in Eid homecoming traffic in 2026, from 15 days before Eid (H-15) through to 5 days before (H-5). Latest data shows that 308,473 travellers completed their journeys via 20 branch ports distributed across eastern Indonesia.

Peak departure traffic was recorded on day H-8, Saturday, 13 March 2026, with a total of 46,902 passengers in a single day. This figure represents the highest daily record during the 6-16 March 2026 period.

“We recorded very high movement on day H-8, where boarding reached 24,312 passengers and disembarkation totalled 22,590 passengers. This indicates that people have started travelling earlier to avoid the main peak homecoming period,” said Yusida M. Palesang, Division Head of Operations at Pelindo Regional 4, in an official statement on Tuesday (17 March).

In terms of distribution across individual branches, Balikpapan Port recorded the highest total passenger volume at 49,712 people, followed by Ternate Port with 34,843 passengers and Makassar Port with 38,826 passengers.

Notably, Balikpapan was dominated by departure traffic with 41,223 passengers, whilst arrivals accounted for only 8,489 people. This indicates high population mobility leaving Balikpapan heading to various regions ahead of Eid.

Meanwhile, Parepare Port recorded a total of 30,215 passengers, with arrivals comprising 23,751 people, making it one of the ports with the highest inbound traffic in eastern Indonesia.

Throughout the 11-day observation period (H-15 to H-5), average passenger movement reached 28,042 people per day. Total departures were recorded at 178,449 passengers, whilst arrivals totalled 130,024 passengers.

“We deployed all personnel to ensure smooth homecoming traffic at our 20 branch ports. Despite the surge, all ports operated safely and in an orderly manner,” added Yusida.

A total of 461 vessels operated during this period, with the peak on day H-8 involving 54 vessels in a single day. Ternate Port was the busiest with 74 vessel movements, followed by Manado (52 vessels) and Ambon (44 vessels).

Pelindo Regional 4 anticipates that homecoming traffic will continue to increase until day H-1. The authority urged prospective passengers to arrive at ports earlier and to always comply with maritime safety procedures.

“Until day H-5, we continued to observe an upward trend. We anticipate the peak return traffic is predicted to occur from day H+3 to H+5,” concluded Yusida.