The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, KEMLU, has issued a clarification to confirm that international flights aren’t affected by the recent travel bans.
Restrictions on rail, road, air, and sea travel were announced by the Ministry of Transportation on 24th April in an attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus.
In the release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it has been confirmed that “The new regulation restricts means of transportation including land, trains, sea, and air transportations without any intention to disrupt international flight activities as well as the evacuation or repatriation of Indonesian nationals and foreign nationals”.
All other travel will remain restricted, with passenger ships unable to operate until 8th June, long-distance train journeys not possible until 31st May, and road travel being monitored with roadblocks checkpoints until a week after Idul Fitr. Internal flights are scheduled to be out of action until 1st June.
See: Flights, Ships, and Train Services Halted Across Indonesia
The measures have been introduced to restrict movement across Indonesia as the holy month of Ramadhan begins. Traditionally many millions of Indonesians, mainly living in Jakarta, would travel to their towns and villages across the country in time for Eid, a migration known locally as “mudik”.
With increasing numbers of people contracting COVID-19, and Jakarta being a particular hotspot, it has been decided to stop all unnecessary travel.