International passengers to Soetta limited to 90 people per flight
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.
Investor Daily - Penumpang International Menuju Soetta Dibatasi 90 Orang Per Penerbangan
01 October 2021
By: Thresa Sandra Desfika
Jakarta – The Transportation Ministry has limited the number of international flight passengers to Soekarno-Hatta Airport to 90 passengers per flight as of 30 September 2021. This regulation is an effort to prevent new Covid-19 variants from entering Indonesia via air transportation.
“It is true [that the number of passengers is limited] to 90 passengers,” Air Transportation Director General of the Transportation Ministry, Novie Riyanto, said when he was asked for a confirmation by Investor Daily on Thursday (30/9).
According to Novie, the purpose of the policy that limits international passengers is to prevent long queues at polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test sites and to maintain the test quality, so the quarantine procedure can be carried out maximally and every passenger meets all applicable conditions.
Similar passenger limit regulations have also been implemented in other countries, such as Australia, the Philippines, and Japan. Moreover, they are all implemented to maintain and prevent Covid-19 spread.
“We are asking for the understanding of all national air transportation enterprises and foreign air transportation companies to implement this regulation for arriving passengers and to report their international flight data in Soekarno-Hatta Airport as they can only carry 90 passengers per flight at most. This must be implemented so that we can conduct tighter observation and prevent new Covid-19 variants from entering Indonesia,” Novie said.
Novie Riyanto added that international passengers arriving in Soekarno-Hatta Airport must also submit their flight arrival schedule and the number of passengers carried as well as the number of Indonesian and foreign passengers before the aircraft takes off. The data will be handed over to the Airport Facility Committee Chairperson, Air Task Force Commander, Port Health Office Head, and Airport Executive General Manager.
According to him, the number of passengers is temporarily limited because, on average, the number of passengers arriving in Soekarno-Hatta Airport in August 2021 reached 1,500 passengers per day, and it will continue to increase.
Continuously evaluated
Novie continued that regulators and airport operators are preparing to increase the PCR swab test capacity using the TCM and the NAT methods that can produce results in 1 hour at most. This facility will increase the capacity of passengers tested from 200 people per hour to 1,000 people per hour, and this facility meets the Lab Bio Security Level II (BSL 2) standard.
“This facility is expected to be finished in the several weeks, so the passenger limit per flight will continue to be evaluated according to the preparedness of facilities and infrastructure in Soekarno-Hatta Airport,” Novie said.
Previously, AP II President Director, Muhammad Awaluddin, also explained that the BSL2 test lab could conduct PCR tests for 700 to 1,000 passengers per hour or significantly more than the current capacity at 200 passengers per hour.
“The BSL 2 test lab can accommodate more PCR tests for foreign passengers who have just landed at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, and the PCR test result can be provided faster in only one hour,” Awaluddin explained.
According to Awaluddin, the BSL 2 test lab strengthens biosafety management at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. The biosafety management that is implemented by AP II to prevent and handle Covid-19 includes lab testing facilities, biohazard precautions, environment screening, infrastructure sterilisation, and public health assurance. Lab operation and PCR test implementation will be supported by information technology utilisation to support international arrivals.
Besides that, Awaluddin continued that the test lab would also tighten inspection for passengers from high-risk countries. Moreover, in the arrival area in Terminal 3, PCR test rooms for passengers are increased from 10 rooms to 20 rooms.
Meanwhile, Transportation Minister, Budi Karya Sumadi, has visited Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport this week. During his visit, the Transportation Minister made sure that the international arrival process was in line with the applicable direction and excellently implemented health protocols.
“Regarding international passenger at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, PT Angkasa Pura II has been conducting excellent handling. PT Angkasa Pura II has provided three holding bays for international passengers who will take the PCR test and two waiting bays for passengers who are waiting for the PCR test result so that there will be no buildup,” he stated.
Soekarno-Hatta Airport is implementing an international arrival procedure that is in line with Transportation Ministry Circulating Letter Number 77/2021 that states international travellers who use air transportation during the Covid-19 pandemic must take a PCR test at the airport after arrival to prevent Covid-19 transmission from increasing and the development of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant that has mutated to become the Alpha variant, the Beta variant, the Delta variant, the Gamma variant, and the Mu (B1.1.621) variant, as well as other new variants.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, explained that conditions for international travel from other countries were tightened as tourists must be fully vaccinated, take three PCR tests, be quarantined for eight days, and be limited to certain entrances for easier observation. Air transportation can only go through Soekarno-Hatta Airport (Tangerang and Sam Ratulangi (Manado). Entry via sea transportation can only go through Batam Port and Nunukan Port (North Kalimantan). Meanwhile, entry via land transportation can only go through Aruk and Entikong Cross-border Posts (PLBNs).
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