Exodus Rush: Passenger Numbers Surge Sharply at Yogyakarta Airports
Two airports in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY)—Bandara Adisutjipto and Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA)—have recorded sharp passenger increases in recent days ahead of the 2026 Lebaran exodus. Airport authorities have established alert posts operating from 13-30 March 2026, focusing on monitoring flight operations, passenger movements, and security services in real time.
General Manager of Bandara Adisutjipto Yogyakarta, Wibowo Cahyono Soekadi, stated that total passenger numbers at Yogyakarta’s older airport during the 2026 Lebaran period are projected to surge by 518 per cent. “This surge equates to an additional 11,701 passengers compared with last year’s Lebaran period,” said Wibowo on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
Wibowo added that aircraft movements at the airport are also projected to grow by 213.89 per cent, reaching approximately 226 movements. This represents a sharp increase from 2025 figures, which recorded only 72 aircraft movements. “To accommodate this surge, we have prepared 43 additional flights comprising 24 arrival flights and 19 departure flights,” he said.
According to the Lebaran transport calendar schedule, the peak exodus is predicted to occur on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, whilst the return traffic is expected to peak on Saturday, 28 March 2026.
The alert post’s operations emphasise collaboration with the military, police, Avsec officers, and medical teams to strengthen aviation safety and security oversight. Beyond monitoring technical aspects, the post also serves as an information centre for passengers, providing flight schedule updates and complaint services alongside on-site assistance.
Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) has recorded an average of 15,000 passengers daily over the past three days. General Manager of Yogyakarta International Airport, Ruly Artha, stated that actual traffic on Saturday, 14 March 2026 reached 15,644 passengers with 100 flights. On Sunday, 15 March 2026, this figure increased further to 16,407 passengers with 102 flights. “Compared with the 2025 Lebaran alert period, this represents a 26 per cent increase in passenger volume and a 9 per cent increase in aircraft movements,” Ruly said.
He explained that on Monday, 16 March 2026, an estimated 15,031 passengers were recorded, comprising 8,961 arrivals and 6,070 departures, indicating that inbound travel to Yogyakarta continues to dominate.