03 Jan 2025
Mangupura, January 2, 2025 – PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport has begun preparations to handle the return flow of passengers during the 2024 Christmas and 2025 New Year holiday season (Nataru). Anticipatory measures are being focused on key congestion points, starting from airport access roads, check-in counters, passenger screening checkpoints, up to departure areas.
In a press statement, General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, explained that in the early days of the Nataru Command Post period, arrivals were higher than departures. “The trend indeed showed more arrivals, but based on our records, post-Christmas particularly on December 29, 2024 departures surpassed arrivals, reaching 17,622 domestic passengers and 20,820 international passengers. These figures were above the average daily departures during the command post period, which stood at around 14,000 for domestic and 18,000 for international passengers,” Syaugi stated.
He further noted that as of Day 15 of the Command Post (Wednesday, January 1, 2025), the return flow became more evident. On that day, departing passengers totaled 17,933 domestic travelers (57% of the 31,000 domestic passengers), while 21,131 international passengers (52%) departed on the same day marking the highest departure figures recorded so far during the period.
Syaugi predicted that as daily activities resume after the holidays, departures will continue to outpace arrivals, particularly from Friday to Sunday (January 3–5, 2025), coinciding with the first weekend of the new year. For Thursday (January 2, 2025), passenger traffic was forecasted to reach 71,178 travelers, comprising 33,775 arrivals and 37,403 departures.
*"Over the first 15 days of the Nataru Command Post, we served 1,069,653 passengers, reflecting a 7 percent increase compared to 1,000,005 passengers during the same period last year. Of these, 570,630 were arrivals (53%) and *499,023 were departures (47%),” Syaugi added.
The airport also recorded two peak travel periods: December 22, 2024 (three days before Christmas) with 76,669 passengers, and December 29, 2024 (post-Christmas) with 79,162 passengers. “Overall, arrivals are still higher, but the return flow has clearly begun,” he said.
To anticipate surges during the return flow, Syaugi confirmed that mitigation measures have been mapped out. “Potential bottlenecks include toll gates in and out of the airport, check-in counters, passenger screening at security checkpoints (SCP), and crowded departure waiting areas,” he explained.
"Ahead of Nataru, we completed several facility optimization works, such as adding passenger screening lanes and X-ray machines. For the return flow, we will fully operate 19 screening lanes across both domestic and international terminals, supported by 80 aviation security officers per shift. We have also added seating capacity in waiting areas, optimized gate and parking stand assignments, and coordinated landside traffic management with support from the Airport Police, Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU), and pecalang (traditional Balinese security personnel),” Syaugi continued.
To support smooth airport operations, passengers are advised to pay attention to flight schedules, prepare required travel documents in advance, and allow extra travel time to the airport in anticipation of road congestion during the return peak.
