aviation

South Sulawesi Provincial Government's Solution After Airlines Stop Flights On Makassar-Selayar Route

Wings Air has temporarily stopped flights from Makassar City to Selayar Regency, South Sulawesi (Sulsel), due to the low number of passengers. The South Sulawesi Provincial Government is currently reviewing the provision of flight subsidies so that the route can operate again. 

It is known that the flight route from Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport Makassar-Aroeppala Airport Selayar officially operated on March 20, 2025. The inaugural flight of the route resumed after being on hiatus for more than a year. 

"It's quite good (vacancy). There was only a flight for 1.5 years," said the Head of the Aroeppala Selayar Airport Management Unit (UPBU), Hery Sugianto to detikSulsel, Thursday (3/20/2025). 

The inaugural flight was officially opened by the Governor of South Sulawesi, Andi Sudirman Sulaiman. The aircraft used to serve the Makassar-Selayar route is the ATR 72-600 

"The inaugural flight for the Makassar-Selayar route is served by Wings Air. Wings Air flies 3 times a week. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday," said Hery. 

After about a month of operation, Wings Air decided to temporarily stop flights on the Makassar-Selayar route due to passenger occupancy or load factor. Wings Air last served flights on this route in the last week of April. 

"Yesterday's flight was temporarily canceled. Yes, maybe it's related to the airline's policy. Maybe the occupancy (load factor) is lacking," said Hery when confirmed, Friday (5/16). 

Hery said that the flight ticket fare from Makassar to Selayar or vice versa is around IDR 900 thousand from Makassar to Selayar. He considered this amount to be relatively affordable. 

"The occupancy is lacking, the occupancy of passengers from Selayar to Makassar and vice versa. The load factor is indeed below 50%," he said. 

Aroeppala Selayar Airport has not confirmed when Wings Air will resume operating the flight route. He assessed that Wings Air had other considerations so that the route was temporarily stopped. 

"Actually, it is also relative because the ticket price calculation is actually quite affordable compared to other routes with the same time. Maybe there are other considerations, we don't know yet," said Heri. 

Flight Subsidy Scheme Reviewed 

The South Sulawesi Provincial Government has again echoed the plan to provide flight subsidies so that Wings Air can resume serving flights on the Makassar-Selayar route. This plan will be discussed with the airline. 

"We will also discuss the planning later. But, of course, it will depend on the airline," explained the Acting Head of the People's Welfare Bureau (Kesra) of the South Sulawesi Regional Secretariat, Iqbal Najamuddin to detikSulsel, Sunday (18/5). 

Tag: Airlines Airport Makassar-Aroeppala Airport Selayar