Citilink's Passenger Load Factor Rises to 85% During Idul Fitri Exodus
Jakarta. Citilink, the subsidiary budget airline of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, reported a spike in passengers during the Idul Fitri exodus season this year, improving the airline's capacity utilization.
From June 16-22, Citilink flew a total 263,268 passengers to destinations across the archipelago, with an average passenger load factor of more than 85 percent. The airline's average load factor so far this year is around 80 percent, Citilink said in a statement over the weekend.
In the week leading up to Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the government typically grants airlines additional time slots to operate flights in order to cater to the many million Indonesians traveling home for the holiday.
This year, Citilink provided around 65,000 additional seats on added flights granted by the government, compared to just 16,800 seats last year.
"Citilink Indonesia is optimistic that we can accommodate the needs of air transport users during this year's Idul Fitri, including with return trips," said Banny S. Butarbutar, the airline's vice president of corporate communications.
Benny said the airline flies 250 times daily to and from countless destinations in the country during the exodus season, compared to 236 daily flights on a regular schedule. Citilink is currently operating its entire fleet of 49 Airbus A320 aircraft to accommodate travelers during the peak season.
The Ministry of Transportation expects traffic to remain at high levels until at least eight days after the end of Idul Fitri. As many as 5.5 million Indonesians will take to the skies during this year's exodus season.
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