When "Earth Sriwijaya" was isolated from the international world

Yes, since the issuance of Decree of the Minister of Transportation Number 31 of 2024 concerning the Designation of International Airports which was signed on April 2 2024, SMB II Airport is not included in the 17 airports designated as international airports. That means SMB II Airport has moved down from international to domestic airport.

Also read: Palembang Airport's Declining Status Makes South Sumatra's Economic Resurrection Difficult

Hence, SMB II Airport will no longer serve direct flights from Palembang to foreign countries and vice versa. However, the Angkasapura2.co.id website stated that SMB II Airport has held international status since January 1st, 1950.

The decision has left a number of taxi drivers who usually hang out at SMB II Airport feeling dejected. National taxi network driver, Jumingan (50), said that the downgrade of SMB II Airport's status will have a big impact on the income of taxi drivers there.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, SMB II airport could serve around 60 flights per day, including international routes. This resulted in taxi drivers receiving at least seven to eight orders from the airport to the city each day. The average fare for these trips was Rp 85,000 one way. However, the situation has reversed due to the pandemic.

Since the pandemic, SMB II Airport has only been serving around 30 flights a day. As a result, we can only serve a maximum of three trips from the airport to the city per day.

"Since the pandemic, SMB II Airport has only been serving around 30 flights per day. As a result, we can only accommodate a maximum of three trips from the airport to the city per day," said a driver from Purwokerto, Central Java.

Now, in order to maintain their daily income, Jumingan and his friends have to work hard to find passengers by going around the city. "Finding passengers in the city is very tiring because competition has become increasingly fierce since online motorbike taxis and taxis appeared. "Sometimes, in a day, I only get five or six orders at most," he said.

More distant

For residents of 30 Ilir, Ilir Barat II sub-district, Palembang, Kiagus Muhammad Habibillah (35), the downgrading of SMB II Airport's status on Thursday (9/5/2024) has made it even more difficult for him to visit his extended family in Singapore. Since 2014, Habibillah has been regularly visiting his family from his parents' side in the "Lion City."

Habibillah can come and visit four to six times a year. His paternal grandmother migrated to Palembang around the early 1900s. Habibillah followed his elder sister to Palembang. "But, my grandmother's siblings in Singapore still exist, so the Palembang-Singapore relations are still maintained," he said.

Also read: Palembang Airport's Status Decline Risks Hitting South Sumatra's Tourism World

This is supported by the availability of the easy and cheap Palembang-Singapore flight route. At that time, there were at least three airlines that provided direct round trip flights for this route. The fares are affordable, with the cheapest being IDR 600,000-IDR 700,000 per person for one-way flights.

However, during the peak of the pandemic from 2020-2022, Habibillah was unable to meet with his family in Singapore at all as international flights were suspended. After the government lifted the pandemic status on January 21, 2023, Habibillah is hopeful that SMB II Airport can soon resume international flights as usual.

Unfortunately, Habibillah's hopes were shattered when he read some news that SMB II Airport is no longer an international airport since the issuance of Minister of Transportation Decree No. 31 of 2024. Currently, Habibillah feels that Singapore is a faraway place that requires extra costs, energy, and time.

From the Traveloka online ticket purchasing application, the Palembang-Singapore flight can only be done with a transit first in Jakarta. "The flight fare is automatically much more expensive, starting at around Rp 1.5 million per person for a one-way trip. In addition to being expensive, the flight is also exhausting as it requires at least a 6-7 hour transit," said Habibillah who traveled to Singapore via Jakarta in the middle and end of last year.

Also read: Tourism Actors and Observers Criticize Revocation of International Status at 17 Airports

Now, if there is no urgent need, such as attending a celebration or visiting sick family members, Habibillah is reluctant to go to Singapore. Conversely, families in Singapore who usually visit Palembang three to four times a year now have to think twice before coming.

Furthermore, a majority of families in Singapore are elderly. They are reluctant to deal with the hassle of transit, which means switching planes, carrying baggage, and waiting for flights for hours.

In the past, his extended family in Singapore used to routinely come in groups to Palembang. They could have up to 20 people coming at once. While in Palembang, they also went shopping and tasted local cuisine. They bought songket fabric in bulk and brought pempek back to Singapore. "They even planned to open a travel package to Palembang because many of their friends were curious about this place. However, the plan couldn't be continued because there was no direct flight from Singapore to Palembang," said Habibillah.

Widespread impact

Overall, the downgrade of SMB II Airport status will have a broad impact on potential sectors greatly influenced by flight accessibility to and from Palembang. The Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) in South Sumatra, Kurmin Halim, said that this could cause a drastic decrease in foreign tourist visits to Palembang or South Sumatra. This is due to the cost, energy, and time required for travel to Palembang from abroad being much higher.

Due to the absence of direct international flights to Palembang, organizers of international sports competitions will think twice before holding their events here.

On the other hand, it is difficult to increase domestic or local tourist visits because tourist destinations in Palembang and South Sumatra are limited. For example, in Palembang, natural attractions are only dependent on the Musi River, while man-made tourist attractions are very minimal. Without a doubt, all of this will be a factor that lowers hotel occupancy rates and restaurant consumption.

"Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs in South Sumatra were greatly helped by visits from foreign tourists, who were mostly from Malaysia and Singapore. Moreover, prior to the pandemic, there were 10 flights from Palembang to Malaysia and seven flights from Palembang to Singapore per week," he said.

The phenomenon will also threaten the existence of the International Sports Tourism program that has been the mainstay of Palembang and South Sumatra in attracting tourists. It is not impossible that the assets of the Jakabaring Sports Complex, which are a legacy of the 2004 National Sports Week, the 2011 SEA Games, and the 2018 Asian Games, will be at risk of abandonment.

"Because there are no direct international flights to Palembang, organizers of international sports competitions will think twice about holding their activities here," said Kurmin. This is because bringing athletes or participating teams to the relevant championship will be more complicated due to the need to transit before arriving in Palembang.

In addition, the Chairman of the Management Department of the Faculty of Economics at Sriwijaya University, Muhammad Ichsan Hadjri, is concerned that the downgrade of SMB II Airport's status will reduce investment interest in South Sumatra. However, investment is a source of economic growth for South Sumatra.

Also read: Downsizing Airport Status is Believed to Encourage Domestic Connectivity

With abundant natural resources potential ranging from agriculture, plantations, to mining, South Sumatra becomes a unique attraction for domestic and foreign investors. However, due to the lack of ease in air transportation, this attraction may be ignored by prospective investors.

"The downgrade of SMB II Airport status can cause negative multiperceptions among related policy stakeholders, including Sumsel being considered a non-priority area or not optimally supported by the central government. It will have a bad impact on investment development in Sumsel," said Ichsan.

Identity fades

Sumsel Acting Governor Agus Fatoni stated that the solution to the decrease in SMB II Airport's status is to increase domestic flight routes to and from Palembang, especially Palembang-Batam and Palembang-Jakarta. The aim is to facilitate access for foreign visitors to Palembang or Palembang residents who want to go abroad.

"The downgrade of SMB II Airport status does not mean that Palembang is isolated from the international world. We still have the opportunity to develop all the potential that exists here, including attracting tourists and investors from abroad," said Agus.

Also read: Government Revokes International Status of 17 Airports

However, from a socio-cultural aspect, the solution is unable to erase the blemish that fades the identity of Palembang and South Sumatra as part of the international trade network since the era of Sriwijaya (7th-13th century). "The downgrade of SMB II Airport status makes Palembang dwarfed and potentially becoming a frog in a well due to limited interaction," said Palembang history observer and founder of the Sahabat Cagar Budaya community, Robby Sunata.

Referring to the Kedukan Bukit Inscription found in Palembang on November 29, 1920, Sriwijaya is believed to have been founded on June 16, 682 or 1,342 years ago. British historian, OW Wolters, in his dissertation translated with the title "The Maritime Empire of Sriwijaya in World Trade in the 3rd-7th Centuries" first published in 1967, reports that foreigners had come to the capital of Sriwijaya throughout the year because the kingdom and its rulers were so famous.

Arab writer Ibn al Fakih, who visited the capital of Sriwijaya in 902, noted that parrots from Zabag (the Arabian name for Sriwijaya at that time) could speak in many languages, including Arabic, Persian, and Greek. This illustrates the cosmopolitan nature of the capital of Sriwijaya, which had connections with many nations in the world.

JI van Sevenhoven, a colonial government official, once made a report on life in Palembang when he was a regulatory commissioner in 1821. The report was published under the title "Portrait of the Capital of Palembang," which first appeared in 1971. From his observations, in addition to the native people of Palembang, there were also Chinese, Arab, and other foreign nationals, such as Europeans, living in the capital.

Hopefully, the relevant stakeholders can restore the status of SMB II Airport so that the tradition of interaction between Palembang and the international world does not disappear.

According to Robby, since ancient times, people from Palembang have been accustomed to traveling directly anywhere, including overseas. In contrast, all other nations in the world can come directly to Palembang. Until the colonial era, this tradition was supported by the presence of an international sea port and airport in the city known as "Bumi Sriwijaya".

"Traveling internationally and receiving international guests are part of Palembang's tradition. Hopefully, the relevant stakeholders can restore the status of SMB II Airport so that Palembang's interaction tradition with the international world does not disappear," said Robby.