KRI Banda Aceh-593 deployed to transport thousands of homebound migrants from Jakarta free of charge

The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) deployed the warship KRI Banda Aceh-593 to transport thousands of homebound migrants from Jakarta free of charge on Tuesday, 17 March 2026. The vessel transported 1,447 passengers bound for Semarang and Surabaya as part of a joint initiative between TNI AL and Baznas (Indonesia’s National Charity Agency) to provide complimentary sea transport during the Lebaran holiday period.

The free migration programme aims to minimise traffic congestion and reduce road accidents on major highways during the annual Lebaran exodus, when millions of Indonesians travel back to their hometowns to celebrate the Islamic holiday. The initiative represents a collaborative effort to ease the burden on the national transport infrastructure during peak holiday season.