State-owned shipping company PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (PELNI) said 92.5% of its transportation discount budget has been used, urging travelers to secure tickets before the program ends.
The discount scheme, part of a government economic stimulus, has absorbed about 39.1 billion rupiah ($2.5 million) of its 42.3 billion rupiah allocation since opening on Feb. 11. The program will run until the quota is exhausted or for departures scheduled no later than April 5.
As of March 28, discounted ticket users reached 431,705 passengers, or 96.9% of the projected 445,534 passengers for the March 11–April 5 travel period, the company said.
PELNI Corporate Secretary Ditto Pappilanda said 114,345 passengers used discounted fares during the return travel period from March 23 to March 28, with the daily peak recorded on March 28 at 22,524 passengers.
“The overall return flow is expected to peak on April 2, with around 27,009 passengers,” Ditto said, adding that demand had been supported by a temporary work-from-anywhere policy implemented from March 25 to March 27.
PELNI said it continues to monitor uptake of the program and advised passengers planning return trips to book early through official channels.
Makassar is expected to be the busiest departure port during the return period, while Surabaya is projected to receive the highest number of arrivals. The busiest routes are forecast to include Batam–Belawan and Balikpapan–Surabaya, the company said.
Despite strong demand, PELNI said it remains committed to safety standards and is coordinating with port authorities to ensure ships operate within capacity limits.
The discount applies across PELNI’s official sales channels, including its mobile application, website, contact center, branch offices, and partner networks.
Busiest Ports and Routes
As of March 28, Makassar recorded the highest number of departing passengers at 39,359, followed by Batam (31,349) and Balikpapan (30,892).
Surabaya led arrivals with 46,222 passengers, followed by Makassar (40,231) and Belawan (28,147).
The Batam–Belawan route was the busiest, carrying 26,115 passengers, followed by Belawan–Batam with 17,962 passengers and Balikpapan–Surabaya with 12,265 passengers.