17 Dec 2025
Mangupura, December 17, 2025 - The Christmas and New Year (Nataru) period, which traditionally marks the peak travel season, is expected to bring a surge of passengers at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, with an estimated 1.5 million travelers to be served. To ensure passenger journeys remain comfortable and smooth amid the anticipated increase, PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia has activated an Integrated Service Post for Monitoring Nataru Transportation Operations 2025/2026 at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport. The post has been in operation since December 15, 2025, and will continue through January 4, 2026, located in the public area of the domestic terminal.
During the 21-day operational period, aircraft movements are projected to reach 9,304, averaging more than 440 flights per day. The expected rise in flight traffic is also supported by the submission of 510 additional flight schedules, or extra flights, serving domestic routes.
Peak passenger density is predicted to occur ahead of Christmas Day, on December 19, 2025, with approximately 79,993 passengers served. Meanwhile, the peak of the return flow is forecast for Sunday, January 4, 2026, with an estimated traffic volume of around 79,481 passengers.
In the first two days of the service post’s operation, passenger numbers reached 125,806, averaging 62,903 passengers per day. Aircraft traffic during this period totaled 813 movements, with an average of 406 flights per day, exceeding the January–November daily average of 391 movements. These positive figures highlight the need for more intensive management and monitoring to ensure passenger flow remains well maintained.
To anticipate the increase in air travel activity, the Nataru service post—bringing together all stakeholders at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport—functions as a centralized hub for coordination, supervision, and integrated service control. Airport operational monitoring is conducted in real time, including anticipating congestion and mitigating the impacts of rainy weather conditions that could affect travel smoothness and flight safety.
Cross-unit collaboration has been strengthened to maximize speed and service quality at key service points (touchpoints), ensuring service times remain under control, particularly during peak hours when increases in passenger traffic, flights, and vehicle movement are likely.
General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, stated that the operation of the Nataru Service Post reflects the company’s commitment, together with all airport stakeholders, to delivering safe, smooth, and well-managed services.
“Based on previous experience, traffic surges frequently occur during the Christmas and New Year period. This is a challenge that must be managed properly. Over the past several months, we have been intensively coordinating internally as well as with all related stakeholders. We want to ensure that all service points are fully prepared, in terms of facility reliability, personnel readiness, infrastructure, and procedures,” said Syaugi.
“In order to maintain orderliness, we are also optimizing technology-based operations and services through the Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM) system and the MOT traffic-based operations management system. These systems can predict passenger congestion and provide recommendations on the number of facilities and personnel required, ensuring service quality remains well maintained,” he added.
As with other peak holiday seasons, the airport has prepared mitigation and handling measures to anticipate conditions beyond normal operations, including potential traffic congestion and flight delays.
“To address increased vehicle volumes to and from the airport, we have set up traffic monitoring posts at several points, involving the airport police, the Indonesian Air Force, and traditional security officers (pecalang). We have also prepared tactical operational plans. If necessary, traffic engineering measures will be implemented, including traffic signal management (APILL) and the deployment of tow trucks,” he explained. To anticipate the rainy season, preventive measures include inspections and maintenance of airside facilities, checks on drainage systems and flood control pumps, maintenance of terminal building facilities, and real-time weather monitoring in coordination with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
“Upholding our commitment of ‘Serving Wholeheartedly,’ we hope to provide a travel experience that is smooth, comfortable, calm, safe, and memorable,” Syaugi concluded.
It is also noted that the Nataru Transportation Service Post 2025/2026 at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport is staffed not only by PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia personnel as the airport operator, but also involves the wider airport community, including AirNav Indonesia, the Ngurah Rai Air Force Base (TNI AU), the Ngurah Rai Airport Area Police, airlines, ground handling companies, the Port Health Office (BBKK), Customs, Immigration, BMKG, airport business partners, and local traditional villages, with a combined total of more than 2,000 personnel.
