Passengers Complain of Expensive Mudik Flight Tickets; Transport Minister Seeks Solutions

At Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on Monday, 16 March 2026, passengers voiced complaints to Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi about high airfare prices for the Lebaran mudik (homecoming) season.

One passenger informed the minister that tickets from Balikpapan to Jakarta were approximately 1.5 million rupiah per person, whilst the return route from Jakarta to Balikpapan was significantly cheaper at around 700,000 rupiah per person.

When the minister inquired about booking platforms, the passenger indicated they had reserved their ticket through Traveloka. Dudy subsequently checked the application directly to verify the fares displayed. Upon reviewing the pricing disparity, the passenger noted that whilst fares from Jakarta appeared relatively affordable, the Balikpapan to Jakarta route remained expensive.

“We shall look for ways to make it cheaper,” Dudy stated in response.

During the engagement, the minister was accompanied by Citilink Indonesia Chief Executive Darsito Hendroseputro and Angkasa Pura Indonesia Chief Executive Muhammad Rizal Pahlevi.

According to Yudistiawan, Assistant Deputy Communication and Legal Officer at Angkasa Pura Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta branch office, the airport recorded an estimated 167,602 passenger movements. This comprised 93,998 departing passengers and 73,604 arriving passengers.