With just days to go until Christmas, Bali is already starting to feel busier. Here at The Bali Sun, we can see that the festive spirit has definitely arrived on the island.
For the next two weeks, government agencies will be working around the clock to keep the island flowing as it should.
All of Bali’s major transport hubs, from the airport to harbours to bus stations, will have more security personnel present over the next two weeks. This is in addition to more officers out on patrol and coordinating traffic across the province.
On Thursday, 18th December, the Benoa Class II Harbormaster and Port Authority has opened a Sea Transportation command post for Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026. The post will operate until 5th January, 2026, to ensure smooth travel and safety during the year-end holiday period.
Speaking to reporters, the Head of the Benoa Class II KSOP, Aprianus Hangki, said that Christmas and New Year command posts are focused on three strategic locations, which are Benoa Harbor, Sanur Harbor, and Serangan Harbor. The command center for the logistical operation is located at Benoa Harbor.
Hangki explained, “This post involves various related agencies, including Basarnas, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and the Indonesian National Police (Polri), regional government agencies (OPD), and port authorities such as Pelindo and Pelni.”
His explanation revealed how large-scale an operation is underway to protect the public at this time.
The operations have eight main focuses, which include prioritizing shipping safety by ensuring the seaworthiness of ships and the competence of crews, increasing supervision of passenger and cargo capacity, and strengthening cross-sector coordination with the Bali Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, Search and Rescue Teams, the army, police, local governments, and shipping operators.
Hangki concluded, “Safety cannot be compromised. The principle is zero compromise for safety.”
Sanur Port, in particular, will be super busy this Christmas and New Year period as the harbor serves as the main gateway for tourists traveling to Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan, and Nusa Lembongan. Typically, over the Christmas and New Year period, fast boat services sell out due to high demand.
With all this extra passenger traffic and the extreme weather conditions that Bali is facing due to Cyclone Seed 93S and the rainy season, teams are committed to ensuring the safety of all passengers and crews embarking on the island crossings.
The Head of the Bali National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Nyoman Sidakarya, confirmed that the 40-meter Arjuna SAR Ship, Rigid Inflatable Boats, Rescue Boat Bodies and other state vessels on standby at the Benoa harbor basin to respond to emergency call out in Bali’s waters, whether for fishing crews, fast boats or for tourists who have got into trouble during marine tourism activities.
Sidarkaya explained, “In accordance with central government directives, this year we need to be vigilant for potential hydrological and geological disasters. Therefore, we have deployed 144 personnel.”
It’s not only at Bali’s ports and harbours where tourists will see more staff and officers on duty, but at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport too.
Speaking to reports as the Christmas and New Year Command Post opened at Bali Airport also on Thursday, 18th, Airport General Manager, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, explained, “We have collaborated with the Transportation Agency, the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport Police, the Indonesian Air Force, and traditional villages to support the smooth flow of vehicles to and from the airport.”
He added, “Armed with a commitment to wholehearted service, we want to ensure that everyone traveling through Ngurah Rai Airport experiences a more comfortable and safe journey, especially during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, like now.”
With so many more passengers traveling through the airport, Shahab and his team have launched a new information service to help all passengers access the support they need as they travel through the terminals.
Shahab explained, “During this Christmas and New Year holiday season, we are introducing a new service innovation, where staff will be actively moving around the terminal and providing solutions directly to passengers, such as in the check-in area, boarding lounge, arrivals area, and so on.”
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