"Today is the peak of air passenger reverse flow. Demand from passengers for air tickets is very high. Even today we see the highest demand in the past three years," the Garuda Indonesia district manager for Pontianak, Wempie Ohoiwutun said on Sunday.
Not only Garuda but also other airlines recorded a surge in the number of passengers departing from the airport to other cities in Indonesia, he said.
He attributed the increase to the fact that employees of state and private agencies would return to work after nine days of collective leave.
"It is likely demand for air tickets will remain high tomorrow although it will not be as high as today but will be higher than normal days," he said.
Despite the 100 percent rise in the number of air passengers, by Sunday evening Garuda had yet to apply for extra flights to state airport operator PT Angkasa Pura which manages Supadio Airport.
This was apparently because 10 airline companies which serve the Pontianak-Jakarta route six times a day felt that the existing flights were still enough to cope with the surge in the number of passengers.
"But if all seats have been fully booked and many passengers are not served we will apply for extra flights. But I think we will not do that because many planes at Supadio Airport serve the same route as ours," he said. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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