"Good News. Thanks to the prayers and cooperation of all parties, (the policy of cutting) airfares by 15 percent becomes a fresh air for the tourism industry. We must appreciate the efforts of the Transportation Ministry, the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), as well as related stakeholders," he said at "The Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno" here on Monday.
Uno lauded the decision to slash airfares that was taken in a fairly short time.
According to the minister, to support the ticket price reduction, airlines, such as Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, and Lion Group, have added to their fleets.
In addition, AirAsia and other international airlines are also supporting the effort so that airfares can be made more affordable, especially during the peak holiday season at the end of the year.
"We will encourage the addition of new flight routes," Uno informed.
Moreover, he said he believed that the increase in airfare that had occurred for a long time had the potential to reduce tourist visits to Indonesia.
“And, we should avoid it, and we thank you. Hopefully, we can maintain this as momentum for our revival," he said.
Meanwhile, while announcing that airfares will be reduced by 15 percent, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said the reduction will be implemented next week for certain flights.
He further said that the 15-percent price reduction on certain flight schedules is part of efforts to fill empty passenger seats.
In addition, the price of avtur (aviation turbine) fuel will be maintained so that airlines can keep selling more affordable air tickets.
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Translator: Sella G, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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