REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Ministry of Transportation will provide 4.9 million seats to meet the surge in air passenger traffic during the Idul Fitri holiday.

Director General of Air Transportation Suprasetyo said here on Tuesday that although there are 4.9 million seats available, the authority predicted that the number of airline passengers during the Idul Fitri holiday this year will reach 4.2 million.

The number of passengers during this year's Idul Fitri holiday will increase only by 2.8 percent, lower than the previous year's 10 percent growth.

"The fluctuating value of the dollar has also contributed to high operational costs," Suprasetyo pointed out.

However, some airlines have asked the ministry for extra flight slots, particularly to meet the demand in high-density routes such as to Central Java, East Java, West Sumatra, North Sumatra and South Sulawesi.

Furthermore, the ministry has asked airlines to improve their on-time performance and management delays, especially during the Idul Fitri holiday.

According to Ministerial Regulation (Permenhub) Number 77/2011 on transportation, passengers should be given a compensation of Rp300,000 (1 U. S. Dollar = Rp13,000) if their flight is delayed by up to four hours.

Moreover, the respective airlines must provide accommodation at a hotel if a flight is delayed for longer than six hours.

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