INDUSTRY.co.id - Batam - Citilink Indonesia Airlines, Lion Air and Sriwijaya are adding flight schedules from Batam with the aim of a number of cities in Indonesia to meet the needs of the community during Eid 2018.

"There are additional flights for Eid this year, Citilink to Padang and Palembang," said Hang Nadim Airport Director, Suwarso in Batam, Riau Islands, Tuesday (5/22/2018)

Citilink increased its flight schedule from June 11 to June 24, 2018. "The addition of one-day flight," said Suwarso.

Later, Lion Air added flight schedule of Batam-Pekanbaru route, one flight a day, starting June 11 until June 16, 2018.

Sriwijaya added flight schedule for Batam-Jakarta and Batam-Jambi. "Sriwijaya a day," he said.

He said the airline is still proposing additional flights from Batam to the Ministry of Transportation, including Lion Air with the aim of Batam-Surabaya and Batam-Medan.

The Ministry of Transportation is still considering the readiness of airlines to fly the route, as well as the availability of flight time at Hang Nadim Airport.

"Lion is still applying for the purpose of Surabaya and Medan, has not been approved," he said.

Hang Nadim Airport Batam estimates the peak of homecoming going from Eid D-7, when the joint leave begins.

Meanwhile, Citilink Indonesia provides as many as 86,400 additional seats during the Eid Period, from 8 to 28 June 2018.

President Director of Citilink Indonesia Juliandra Nurtjahjo said the figure is increasing compared to 2017 which is only 60,000 additional seats.

Ministry of Transportation has predicted the growth of air transport during Eid period of 2018 will increase more than nine percent. This is related to the improving economy of today's society.

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi previously said that on last year's Eid transport growth of air transport reached 8.4 percent.

"This air transport is superior because last year's growth was 8.4 percent and we see that people's purchasing power has improved, so we estimate the growth in air transportation is higher than nine percent," he said.