Minister of Transportation: South Sulawesi is strategic gateway to eastern Indonesia during Eid travel 2026

Jakarta – Indonesia’s Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Dudy Purwagandhi has affirmed that South Sulawesi (Sulsel) holds a strategic role as the primary gateway to eastern Indonesia during the 2026 Eid travel period, necessitating preparedness and collaboration between central and regional governments.

“As a region with a key role in the national transportation system, preparedness, collaboration, and alignment of perception between the central government and regional governments are required,” said the Minister of Transportation in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.

In response, the Minister of Transportation undertook coordination with South Sulawesi Governor Andi Sudirman Sulaiman to prepare for the 2026 Eid travel operations.

Coordination was undertaken given that, based on a survey by the Transportation Policy Agency (BKT), South Sulawesi is one of the provinces serving as both a source and preferred destination for travellers this year, and is the primary gateway to eastern Indonesia.

As a destination province, South Sulawesi ranks among the top five, with approximately 3.40 per cent or 5.36 million people estimated to travel to South Sulawesi.

“In accordance with this, several transport hubs in Makassar are also expected to become congestion points, including Sultan Hasanuddin Airport and Soekarno-Hatta Port,” said the Minister of Transportation.

Based on the survey results, Sultan Hasanuddin Airport ranks among the top five busiest airports for both origins and destinations. It is estimated that 10.20 per cent or 508,270 people will depart from Sultan Hasanuddin Airport.