Jakarta. Indonesia's aviation industry has not fully rebounded from the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced airlines to ground fleets for several years, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said on Friday.

Despite a significant increase in air passenger numbers over the past two years, the aviation sector still needs more time to return to pre-pandemic levels, Budi noted during the Jakarta Globe Forum held at Mulia Hotel in Jakarta.

"During the pandemic, many aviation companies ceased operations for two to three years, which led to their collapse. The same happened here in Indonesia," Budi said in a discussion with forum host Enggartiasto Lukita.

"Before COVID-19, we had around 650 commercial planes in operation, but today that number has dropped to about 420," he added.

Additionally, the minister pointed out that consumer purchasing power has not fully recovered, with many opting for cost-saving alternatives like trains for long-distance travel.

"We have observed an increasing number of sea passengers traveling to destinations like Ambon and Papua," Budi said.

He added that the government is working on measures to revive the aviation industry and maximize the utilization of passenger planes, with the goal of returning to pre-pandemic capacity.