August 8, 2025 | 12:37 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Head of the Presidential Communication Office, Hasan Nasbi, said President Prabowo Subianto has instructed the Ministry of Transportation to open as many international flight routes as possible.
According to Hasan, the President views tourism as a key opportunity to increase national revenue and foreign exchange earnings.
“The President stated that one of the opportunities that can be maximized by our nation to increase revenue and foreign exchange is in the tourism sector,” Hasan said during a press conference at his office on Thursday, August 7, 2025, as quoted from a live YouTube broadcast on Friday.
Prabowo has ordered that international flights be allowed to fly directly to tourist destinations, bypassing Jakarta as a transit hub.
“So, it doesn’t have to go through Jakarta first, but goes directly to the destination area,” Hasan added.
Hasan noted that the President wants all airports that are ready to immediately begin operating international flights.
Prabowo believes the tourism sector can significantly impact the national economy by generating employment and boosting state revenues.
“Because this tourism sector will create a lot of job opportunities, and the potential for state revenues is extraordinarily large,” Hasan said.
Earlier this year, the government added five airports to the list of international airports through two decrees: Minister of Transportation Decree Number KM 26 of 2025 and Number KM 30 of 2025. With these additions, Indonesia now has 22 international airports, up from 17 listed in the 2024 decree (KM 31 of 2024).
Director General of Air Transportation, Lukman F. Laisa, stated that the policy aims to strengthen international air connectivity as part of broader efforts to boost tourism and drive regional economic growth.
He said the selection of international airports considers infrastructure readiness, foreign flight potential, and the integration of intermodal transportation systems.
Under Decree Number KM 26 of 2025, three airports have been designated as international: Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in Palembang, H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin Airport in Bangka Belitung, and Jenderal Ahmad Yani Airport in Semarang.
Two more airports, namely Syamsuddin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin and Supadio Airport in Pontianak, were designated as international under Decree Number KM 30 of 2025.
However, the international status of these airports is subject to ongoing evaluation. The Ministry of Transportation will monitor performance based on passenger and cargo traffic, flight frequency, and supporting service readiness.
“This evaluation will be the basis for maintaining or adjusting international status to align with user needs and developments in the aviation industry,” Lukman said.
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