Pelni Denpasar dispatches 946 homebound passengers to NTB on H-4 Idul Fitri

Denpasar, Bali — PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Persero) Denpasar branch dispatched 946 homebound passengers from Benoa Port, Bali, to Lembar and Bima in Nusa Tenggara Timur on four days before Idul Fitri 1447 Hijriah (H-4) on Tuesday.

“This represents the final homebound trip before Nyepi and Idul Fitri,” stated Denpasar Pelni branch head Arfah Yusuf in Denpasar, Bali, on Tuesday.

Hundreds of homebound passengers were transported using the motor ship KM Tilongkabila, which departed at 06.00 WITA, heading to its first stop at Lembar, with approximately 500 passengers continuing onward to Bima, Nusa Tenggara Timur.

During the homebound and return migration period, in accordance with the Lebaran transport post operating from 15-30 March 2026 at Benoa Port and based on shipping operator schedules, there are six scheduled vessel visits to serve 2026 homebound passengers.

However, the return migration is still predicted to occur on 1 April 2026 in accordance with shipping operator schedules, though Yusuf noted this would not be significant.

Lebaran transportation at Benoa Port is serviced by three Pelni vessels: KM Awu, Binaiya, and Tilongkabila. These three vessels normally have a capacity of 1,000 passengers, but for the 2026 Lebaran homebound season their capacity has been increased to 1,500 persons.

Meanwhile, KM Leuser has been deployed to Java and Kalimantan regions as the homebound migration volume at Benoa is not as dense as in other parts of the country.

Benoa Port Authority (Pelindo Benoa) has forecast a decline of nearly 40 per cent in the number of Lebaran 2026 homebound passengers. Based on preliminary estimates for the period 7 March to 7 April 2026, Benoa Port is projected to handle 4,480 passengers across eight vessel visits. This projection represents a decline compared to the 2025 Lebaran period, when Benoa Port handled 7,424 passengers.