Tourists set to be in Bali between 23rd March and 8th April 2025 are being reminded to leave plenty of extra travel time.
One of the most important journeys to time well during a vacation in Bali is the journey back to the airport. Tens of thousands more tourists will be visiting Bali for Eid al-Fitr, and one thing we know for you: there will be queues!
Operation Ketupat Agung 2025, the nationwide security operation launched to oversee all public safety during Eid al-Fitr in Indonesia and in Bali to oversee both Nyepi and Eid, will come into effect on 23rd March 2025.
On 23rd March, the first waves of domestic tourist movement will start in Indonesia as tourists from around the archipelago start their journeys to be with their families for the festive season.
Though Bali is a majority Balinese Hindu island, many thousands of Indonesian families travel to the province to celebrate Eid al-Fitr; similarly, many thousands of Muslims who live and work in Bali travel to their home provinces all around the country.
During the final roll call and launch of the security mission on Thursday 20th March the Bali Police Chief read out a message from the National Police Chief, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, he shared “This troop roll call is a form of final check on the readiness of personnel and infrastructure before the operation. “
“This is also to ensure that all elements involved are ready to provide the best service to the community.”
Operation Ketupat Agung 2025 will see thousands of police, army, transportation, and security officers deployed throughout Bali and the country.
In Bali, there will be a special focus on transportation hubs such as Gilimanuk Habor in West Bali, and I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.
The General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, has spoken to the media about preparations across both international and domestic terminals for the influx of Eid al-Fitr tourists. This year, Nyepi, Bali’s holy day of silence, will fall on the same weekend as Eid.
Nyepi will be observed on Saturday, 29th, March, and Eid will either be observed on Sunday, 30th or Monday, 31st of April.
Shahab told reporters “We estimate that there will be an increase in passenger traffic of 4.5 percent or around 1.5 million passengers and flight growth of 5.6 percent or around 9,000 aircraft movements.”
He confirmed that over the Eid holiday, known in Indonesia as Lebaran, 912 security and support staff will be on duty at Bali Airport and in the surrounding area. These support staff include airport security officers, operational control assistance teams from the Indonesian Air Force, Airport Police, and Pecalang of Tuban Traditional Village.
Shahab shared his confidence that all operations will run smoothly, noting to reporters “On previous occasions, all stakeholders successfully escorted the [Christmas and New Year] transportation successfully. We are optimistic that this year’s Lebaran transportation will also be able to run safely and smoothly.”
He confirmed that plans are in place to secure the airport even during its closure on the 29th of March for Nyepi. On Nyepi Day all of Bali falls silent and there is no transportation or movement on the island.
All people, including non-Balinese Hindus and tourists, are expected to honor the rules of the day and stay within their homes, hotels, resorts, or villas.
Though I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport will be closed for 24 hours, Shahab told reporters “We will still place officers on standby to anticipate if there is an emergency service request.”
An additional 401 flights have been added to the schedule at Bali Airport to support the huge rise in demand for Bali travel over the next three weeks.
Shahab concluded “These additional flights come from 7 airlines, namely Lion Air, Super Air Jet, Wings Air, Garuda Indonesia, NAM Air, Trans Nusa, and Pelita Air with destinations to Surabaya, Jakarta, Makassar, Semarang, Lombok, Timika, Pontianak, Sorong, and Jogjakarta.”
While teams will be working around the clock to keep the public moving throughout the holiday period, tourists traveling to Bali Airport should be mindful to leave extra time so that in the event of traffic congestion around Denpasar and the airport, they still arrive in plenty of time for their flight check-in.
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Nigel
Sunday 23rd of March 2025
Traffic maybe, but international flights should be normal, most will be domestic travellers, and probably driving the opposite way, chaos on streets 😁
Randy
Sunday 23rd of March 2025
“Nyepi will be observed on Saturday, 29th, March, and Eid will either be observed on Sunday, 30th or Monday, 31st of April.” BIG TYPO ERROR. It’s March NOT April. And April does not end with 31st just saying.