Peak Return Flow: 26,000 Passengers Expected to Crowd Kualanamu
PT Angkasa Pura Aviasi recorded positive and stable operational performance at Kualanamu International Airport during the 2026 Eid Transport Post period compared to the previous year, particularly in passenger movements and flight operations.
Based on operational data from 13-21 March, the total flight movements reached 1,464, the same as last year, reflecting operational stability. Passenger movements were recorded at 208,030 people, indicating sustained high societal mobility during the homecoming period.
“This achievement shows a strong recovery rate of 102.6% compared to 2019 or the pre-pandemic period,” said Acting Director of Operation and Services of PT Angkasa Pura Aviasi, Dedy Sri Cahyono, in a written statement on Monday, 23 March 2026.
On the cargo side, Dedy said, the 2026 realisation was recorded at 1,295 tonnes. Overall, cargo performance remains on a good recovery track with a recovery rate of 139.5% against 2019 achievements, signalling that logistics activities remained maintained during the Eid period.
Operationally, the airport’s utilisation rate showed solid performance, with flight realisations reaching 94.8% of the total flight schedule. Passenger movements reached 88.4% of the available seat capacity.
“This performance indicates optimal operational coordination and readiness of facilities in accommodating increased societal mobility during the homecoming season,” Dedy stated.
Based on traffic data, the routes with the highest utilisation rates are Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Batam, and Singapore. The dominance of these routes reflects the high connectivity of Kualanamu as the main hub in western Indonesia, both for domestic and international travel.
Dedy conveyed that this year’s Eid transport traffic shows good and stable performance. The recovery rate that has exceeded the pre-pandemic period serves as an indicator of increasing societal mobility and confidence in air transportation. He predicted the peak return flow on H+7 or 29 March 2026.
“Estimated passenger movements will reach 26,495 people. We have prepared anticipatory measures for smooth operations,” Dedy said.
In addition to ensuring operational smoothness, Kualanamu International Airport also presents an Eid atmosphere for service users through various services and cultural activities in the passenger terminal.
On H-2, passengers were treated to Sufi dances. After Eid al-Fitr prayers, a Halal Bihalal event was held in the passenger terminal area as a moment to strengthen togetherness among service users, stakeholders, and airport personnel.
“Monitoring and evaluation are continuously carried out in real-time through the integrated post to anticipate traffic dynamics during the homecoming and return flows,” Dedy said.
The Eid transport post was opened from 13-30 March 2026. During that period, the number of arriving and departing passengers is estimated at 443,036 people with a total of 3,009 aircraft movements. To anticipate increased traffic, there are 151 additional flights from several airlines, dominated by routes to and from Jakarta and Palembang.
A total of 439 Aviation Security (Avsec) personnel, 61 Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) personnel, and 1,237 ground handling personnel were deployed to support operational smoothness. To support passenger connectivity to and from the airport, ground transportation modes were prepared: 60 bus units, 70 taxi units, 175 online taxis, and airport train services with 24 trips per day.