| Indonesia has been going through a quiet economic | | | | offering Indonesians weekend packages to more |
| revolution and part of that has been the opening of | | | | exotic, and previously neglected destinations. Boosting |
| Indonesia's skies to low budget airlines. This has | | | | local business, and connecting the local population to |
| fuelled a change in the way most Indonesians travel, | | | | cheaper trade routes. |
| and opened up previously unknown destinations to | | | | Sukarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta, is the main regional |
| local tourism. | | | | hub for domestic airlines, and it resembles more an |
| Before Indonesia had an open skies policy, most | | | | upscale bus terminal nowadays, with affordable food |
| Indonesians used to travel on long journeys bus or a | | | | courts, and a wide array of safe transport to the |
| boat. To many migrants who flocked to the nation's | | | | city. But so has Batam in Riau, or Makassar in |
| cities, this often meant traveling for days, to get | | | | Sulewesi, and a wide range of lesser airports like |
| home to see their loved ones. | | | | Surakarta airport in central Java that has flights to |
| All this has changed as many more destinations have | | | | Singapore, and Malaysia. |
| opened up, and airports have sprung up in the most | | | | Indonesian airlines also have adopted a sophisticated |
| isolated and unlikely places. Average Indonesians are | | | | booking system, with etickets, and a payment |
| on the move, as air flights still remain low compared | | | | system through local ATM's. Prices are based on the |
| to International prices- largely fuelled by the country's | | | | European model, depending on the season, and how |
| cheap oil. | | | | long you book in advice, may differ. Consumers in |
| This quiet revolution in Indonesian air travel, was not | | | | Indonesia are kept up to date by the airlines, |
| without its critics. During the early days of | | | | receiving regular text messages offering "specials" on |
| deregulation, some airlines sprung up selling cheap | | | | certain routes- and passengers can relax in private |
| tickets, but cut back on safety to make a profit. | | | | lounges offered by the airlines, if they become |
| Adam Air was one infamous example, but after one | | | | members of their "club." |
| plane simply disappeared into the sea, and several | | | | The benefits of Indonesia's open skies policy has |
| accidents. They were closed down. | | | | shielded the country from the recession, and created |
| The days of the 'wild west' feel of flying domestically | | | | hundreds of thousands of jobs. Businesses are |
| in Indonesia has changed. Safety measures have | | | | expanding throughout Indonesia, to cater for the |
| meant that ticket prices have increased, but so has | | | | growing demand in inter-island commerce, and |
| the choice of destinations- and most domestic airlines | | | | tourism. |
| can now fly again to Europe, and other areas of the | | | | Yet the main benefit has been for the Indonesians |
| World. | | | | themselves, who now can easily visit there loved |
| There are over half a dozen low budget airlines in | | | | ones, and move around more quickly to seek |
| Indonesia. Some are regional, ferrying workers to far | | | | business or newer employment opportunities. Whilst |
| off Islands in Riau province, to national airlines which | | | | International tourism should grow as the knowledge |
| ply all the major cities in Indonesia. Some airlines | | | | of this quiet revolution should attract thousands of |
| specialize in more remoter destinations, opening them | | | | visitors - who can now directly reach most |
| up to tourism and boosting their local economies, | | | | destinations in Indonesia, within a few hours. |