PKS Legislator: High Airfares Impede Education and Healthcare Services
A member of Commission V of the House of Representatives from the PKS faction, Saadiah Uluputty, has criticised expensive aircraft ticket prices, which are frequently complained about by the public. Saadiah stressed that high aircraft ticket prices are not merely a business matter, but have repercussions on health and education sectors.
This was conveyed by Saadiah during a meeting discussing the readiness of infrastructure and transport services for the 2026 Eid exodus in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (11 March 2026). The meeting was attended by the Minister of Transport (Menhub) Duddy Purwagandhi.
“Air transport certainly has a strategic role in opening economic access to regions and promoting tourism growth, and aviation tariff policy should not be viewed solely from a business perspective,” said Saadiah.
“Aircraft are not merely a choice, but a primary necessity. And when ticket prices are high, public access to education, healthcare services, and economic activities becomes obstructed,” she added.
Saadiah noted that high aircraft ticket prices are also a factor in the rising cost of goods in eastern Indonesia.
“That is why the price of goods in eastern or central Indonesia is always high; one reason is related to transport,” she said.
“And as the Commission V chairperson mentioned earlier, air transport is not an elite form of transport, but also a mass necessity—not merely a choice, but a requirement,” she added.
Furthermore, Saadiah made recommendations regarding the affordability of aircraft ticket fares. One of these was to encourage the government to ensure that cost-reduction policies, such as tax and airport tariff reductions, truly reach consumers in full.
“Eliminating VAT on aviation fuel for domestic flights should also be carried out to reduce airline operational costs,” she said.
“So that ticket prices do not skyrocket, and there needs to be more humane yet firm oversight of maximum fare absorption on busy routes because tickets still feel burdensome to the public, despite discussions about price reductions,” she concluded.