Jakarta. Air passenger numbers in Indonesia saw a 10.2 percent increase during the Christmas 2024 and New Year 2025  holiday period, surpassing the initial forecast of a 5 percent rise, according to Acting Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa.

"The public's enthusiasm for air travel during the year-end holidays was quite high. The number of passengers increased by 10 percent compared to last year, exceeding the previous prediction of 5 percent," Lukman said on Friday.

From Dec. 18, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025, the total number of air passengers reached 3,875,032, marking a rise of 359,177 passengers compared to the same period in 2023, which recorded 3,515,855 passengers.

Domestic flights dominated the period, with 3,015,813 passengers traveling within the country, as monitored across 56 airports. Meanwhile, international travel accounted for 859,219 passengers at 17 airports.

Denpasar, Kualanamu, and Surabaya were the top domestic destinations during the holiday period. Internationally, the busiest routes were to and from Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia.

National carriers, including Garuda Indonesia Group, reported significant increases in passenger numbers. The group, which includes Garuda Indonesia and Citilink, experienced a 24 percent rise in passengers during the holiday period.

"Garuda Indonesia Group operated 482 flights, including 44 extra flights, during this Nataru season," said PT Garuda Indonesia President Director Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan, commenting on the surge in passenger numbers.