Jakarta. Passenger traffic at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport jumped to an estimated 170,000 on Tuesday, a 26% increase from normal levels, as the annual Eid al-Fitr exodus gathered pace.

A total of 1,179 flight movements were recorded in a single day, underscoring the sharp rise in mobility ahead of the Eid holiday.

Long queues formed at Terminal 3 from Tuesday morning, with thousands of travelers crowding departure areas and causing congestion at several domestic check-in counters.

Preliminary data showed that Terminal 3 handled 236 domestic flights on Sunday, with around 33,081 passengers arriving and departing through the terminal, indicating sustained growth in travel demand.

General Manager Heru Karyadi said passenger traffic during the 2026 Eid travel period, which runs from March 13 to March 30, is projected to reach 3,010,993, up 2.22% from the same period last year.

The surge is being driven largely by individuals and families choosing to depart earlier than the peak travel period. A government policy offering an 18% discount on airfares — including reductions in airport tax and other operational costs — has also contributed to higher demand, although ticket prices remain within the upper limit set by regulators.

Popular domestic routes from the airport include Denpasar, Medan, Makassar, Padang, Yogyakarta and Surabaya, which continue to dominate outbound traffic.

Airport authorities expect the peak of the exodus to occur on Wednesday, March 18, while Eid is expected on March 20 and 21. Passengers have been urged to arrive earlier than usual and to use online check-in services to avoid long queues at airport counters.

“The airport is much busier than before. It feels like the peak is starting as many people are just beginning their holidays,” said Harum, a traveler heading to Batam. “I’m traveling with my mom and will stay in my hometown for about a week. Ticket prices are still quite high.”

To maintain smooth operations during the holiday rush, the airport has deployed 7,832 personnel across security, flight operations and passenger services.

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