Jakarta. State-run airport operator Angkasa Pura I announced on Thursday that the combined number of air passengers at the 15 airports under its management has reached 33.1 million in the first half of this year. 

This accounts for 87 percent of the passenger figures recorded in the first half of 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. 

The number of cargo and passenger aircraft traffic stood at 274,906, which is 82 percent of the pre-pandemic levels.

"Cargo plane traffic made up the majority of overall air traffic in those airports, totaling 223,473 flights," Angkasa Pura I CEO Faik Fahmi said in a statement. 

He further highlighted that the volume of cargo plane traffic has exceeded the figures recorded in the first half of 2019, reaching 103 percent.

Several factors have contributed to the strong recovery in airport traffic, including the occurrence of Ramadan holidays, Hajj pilgrimage flights, and a series of long holidays during this period, according to Fahmi. 

He said the relaxed air transportation requirements issued by the government for both domestic and international flights as a contributing factor.

In the first half of the year, Angkasa Pura I airports served 26.3 million domestic flight passengers and 6.7 million international flight passengers. The air traffic figures comprised 234,945 domestic flights and 39,961 international flights.

Looking ahead, Angkasa Pura I aims to serve a total of 68 million passengers by 2023, according to Fahmi. The upcoming MotoGP race in Mandalika and the year-end holiday season are anticipated to further boost air traffic volume in the coming months.