Freight transportation performance: Railways and aircraft zoom off
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Bisnis Indonesia - Kinerja angkutan barang: Moda kereta dan pesawat melaju
2 August 2024
By Lorenzo A. Mahardhika
Bisnis, Jakarta – In the first half of 2024, the volume of freight transported by rail and air increased, while sea transportation experienced a slight decline.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported a year-on-year (YoY) increase of 8.85% in the volume of freight transported by rail from January to June 2024, reaching a total of 35.15 million tonnes.
In air transportation, the volume of freight transported by aircraft from January to June 2024 reached 312,500 tonnes, marking a 7.31% YoY increase.
Acting BPS Head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti stated that the volume of freight transported by rail in June 2024 grew by 8.73% YoY, reaching 6.23 million tonnes.
The majority of freight transported by rail is in Sumatra, amounting to 5.09 million tonnes, which is 81.72% of the total freight.
In Java (excluding Greater Jakarta), the volume of freight carried by rail reached 1.13 million tonnes, a decrease of 0.75% compared to May 2024.
Unfortunately, the volume of freight transported by rail in June 2024 was 6.23 million tonnes, a 2.2% decrease from the 6.27 million tonnes recorded in May 2024.
This confirms BPS’ data showing a decline in the total volume of freight carried by all modes of transportation in June 2024.
He stated that the volume of freight carried by ships in June 2024 reached 30.15 million tonnes, a 5.77% decrease month-to-month (MtM).
On an annual basis, the volume of freight carried by ships decreased by 4.03%, from 31.42 million tonnes in June 2023 to 30.15 million tonnes in June 2024.
“The steepest declines in freight volume were recorded at Panjang Port and Makassar Port. Additionally, the commodities that experienced the most significant decreases were coal, fertiliser, and crude palm oil (CPO),” he said at a press conference on Thursday (1/8).
The amount of freight transported through Panjang Port saw an MtM decrease of 45.50%, dropping from 241,100 tonnes in May 2024 to 131,400 tonnes in June 2024.
In contrast, the amount of freight transported through Makassar Port decreased by 9.9% MtM from 371,100 tonnes to 334,900 tonnes.
Next, Balikpapan Port handled 129,700 tonnes of freight, a decline of 6.56% MtM. Meanwhile, Tanjung Priok Port experienced a 7.07% MtM decrease to 1.34 million tonnes, and Tanjung Perak Port saw a 4.19% MtM decline to 1.22 million tonnes from 1.28 million tonnes in May 2024.
From January to June 2024, the volume of freight carried by ships reached 179.6 million tonnes, a decline of 0.58% compared to the same period in 2023. This decrease in freight volume was also observed at other ports, including Kintap Port, Sangatta Port, Sangkulirang Port, and various smaller ports beyond the main ones monitored.
In contrast, freight volume increased at all monitored main ports, Balikpapan Port saw a 34.03% rise, Tanjung Priok Port increased by 13.56%, Panjang Port grew by 13.06%, Tanjung Perak Port rose by 9.23%, and Makassar Port experienced a 6.84% increase.
In June 2024, the volume of freight carried by air domestically reached 48,800 tonnes, a 5.79% decrease from May 2024. However, it still showed a 2.31% increase compared to June 2023.
The majority of air freight in June 2024 was handled by Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, totaling 16,700 tonnes. This was followed closely by Sentani Airport in Jayapura with 8,800 tonnes and Juanda Airport with 8,700 tonnes.
From January to June 2024, the volume of domestic air freight reached 312,500 tonnes, a 7.31% increase YoY.
Meanwhile, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) has pledged to increase its investment in South Sumatra to support national coal transportation.
Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Public Relations VP Anne Purba aims for coal transportation in South Sumatra to reach 84 MTPA by 2027 and 105 MTPA by 2030. For 2024, the target capacity is set at 58.4 MTPA.
He explained that the development of coal transportation in South Sumatra has been implemented across various sectors, including facilities and infrastructure.
In the infrastructure sector, the development is divided into three segments, namely the Lahat-Kertapati route, the Prabumuli-Tegineneng route, and the Tegineneng-Tarahan route.
He noted that the development of the Lahat-Muara Enim-Prabumulih-Tarahan (Lampung) and Prabumulih-Kertapati/Palembang routes were national strategic projects (PSNs), in accordance with Presidential Regulation Number 109/2020.
As of June 2024, KAI has completed several infrastructure development projects. These include the development of the V, VI, and Badug routes, the construction of Phase 3 of the Simpang Depot in Regional Division III Palembang, the organisation of Kramasan Emplacement in Regional Division III Palembang, the development of electric signaling and intermediate block sections in South Sumatra, the construction of Phase 2 of the Prabumulih-Simpang route, improvements to the Muaraenim Sports Arena, and landslide handling at Bangunan Hikmat (BH 925).
