Tangerang, Banten. Passenger traffic at Indonesia’s busiest airport surged sharply during the Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026 holiday season, with nearly 2 million travelers passing through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang over a 10-day period, airport authorities said.

According to final monitoring data released by the airport’s holiday operations post on Friday, cumulative passenger numbers reached 1,916,170 between Dec. 15 and Dec. 25, reflecting a significant increase in year-end travel as Indonesians headed home or traveled to domestic tourist destinations.

During the same period, the airport recorded 12,461 aircraft movements and handled 20,884 tons of cargo, underscoring heightened mobility ahead of Christmas and the New Year celebrations.

On Christmas Day alone, Soekarno-Hatta served 1,135 flight movements, carrying 171,391 passengers and 1,702.7 tons of cargo. Airport operator data also showed a high realization rate for additional or extra flights, with 45 of 46 planned extra flights operating on Dec. 25, or about 97.8%.

Cumulatively, from Dec. 15 to Dec. 25, a total of 386 extra flights were operated, representing 73.2% of the 527 additional flights approved to accommodate the holiday surge.

Airport management said it continues to conduct intensive monitoring through the Christmas–New Year transport command post to ensure smooth operations, passenger comfort, and flight safety amid elevated traffic. Passenger volumes are expected to keep rising toward the New Year return peak in late December and early January.

Crowds remained visible at the airport heading into the final days of the year. On Saturday morning, long queues were seen at domestic check-in counters as thousands of travelers departed for various destinations. Many passengers said they were taking advantage of the holiday break to return to their hometowns or visit popular tourist spots across the country.

One traveler, Rafa, who was flying to Aceh, said he chose to travel despite a rise in ticket prices. He said his airfare had increased by about Rp 500,000 ($32), from roughly Rp 2 million to Rp 2.5 million.

“Maybe because of the disaster situation in Sumatra, the ticket prices went up,” Rafa said at the airport, adding that he had only just begun his university holiday and wanted to spend time with family back home.

Airport data showed that passenger numbers on Saturday reached around 148,000, with 1,132 flight movements recorded. The most popular routes continued to be domestic destinations, including Bali, Medan, Makassar, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta.

While the airport remains busy, operators noted that passenger growth has begun to moderate after the peak Christmas travel rush, which occurred last Sunday. Even so, overall activity remains elevated as travelers prepare for New Year celebrations.

Since the Christmas–New Year transport post was opened, total passenger movements at Soekarno-Hatta have surpassed the 2 million mark, according to airport management. The operator also confirmed that the total number of flights served during the period reached 12,461, covering both domestic and international routes.

Looking ahead, airport authorities predict a second wave of peak holiday traffic around Dec. 28, driven by travelers taking year-end leave to make additional trips before the New Year.

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