Peak of Lebaran Exodus Predicted for 18 March; Pelni to Operate 55 Vessels for 2026 Lebaran Transportation
The peak season for the 2026 Lebaran transportation period will take place from 6 March to 6 April 2026. According to Nadya Nathasya Zahra, Corporate Communications Manager of PT Pelni, the peak of the Lebaran exodus is projected to occur on 18 March 2026, coinciding with the joint holiday for Nyepi Day.
“To support the smooth Lebaran transportation, Pelni will operate 55 vessels, consisting of 30 pioneer ships and 25 passenger ships. From the entire fleet, the total capacity reaches 56,069 seats, including vessel dispensations, with a total of 751,550 tickets available during the 2026 Lebaran period,” said Nadya when met on KM Dobonsolo from the Makassar Port while heading to the Baubau Port, Southeast Sulawesi, on Wednesday (25/2).
In terms of safety, Pelni ensures the availability of safety equipment exceeds international standards. If international regulations require a minimum of 125% of passenger capacity, Pelni provides safety equipment up to 144% of passenger capacity.
In detail, there are 61,191 safety equipment available for passenger ships, while there are 19,438 safety equipment for pioneer ships. The capacity dispensation for 2026 is set at 39%.
Regarding passenger movement, Pelni projects the five busiest ports for departures to be the Makassar Port, Balikpapan Port, Batam Port, Ambon Port, and Baubau Port.
Meanwhile, the busiest arrival ports are projected to be the Kumai Port, Makassar Port, Tanjung Perak Port, Balikpapan Port, and Ambon Port.
The five busiest routes during the Lebaran period are Belawan–Batam, Batam–Belawan, Balikpapan–Surabaya, Kumai–Semarang, and Makassar–Surabaya. To anticipate congestion on the Belawan–Batam route, Pelni has assigned KM Kelud to make round trips as a “shuttle” to alleviate passenger surges.
“We have mapped out the points of congestion and prepared operational strategies to ensure that services to the public remain optimal during the Lebaran transportation,” Nadya concluded. (Fal/I-1)
PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia or PT Pelni (Persero) continues to improve the quality of passenger services during the peak season of the 2026 Lebaran Transportation.
PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia or PT Pelni (Persero) Makassar Branch ensures the readiness of Lebaran Transportation services in 2026 by operating 14 ships.
The Nataru surge is a crucial moment to ensure that minimum service standards are met.
Pelni will assist in the distribution of aid for disaster victims in Sumatra by waiving shipping costs for goods intended for disaster victims in Sumatra.
Based on calculations from the budget provided by the government, this discount stimulus targets 405,881 passengers during the upcoming Nataru period.