Golkar politician’s charter flight highlights inequality in Eid travel
Jakarta, Thekabarnews.com—A private jet trip taken by Laode Safiul Akbar, a senior figure in the Golkar Party, has sparked public attention during Indonesia’s annual Eid homecoming season. This...
Jakarta, Thekabarnews.com—A private jet trip taken by Laode Safiul Akbar, a senior figure in the Golkar Party, has sparked public attention during Indonesia’s annual Eid homecoming season. This season is known as mudik.
Laode left for his trip on Sunday, March 22, 2026. He flew from Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport to Sugimanuru Airport in Southeast Sulawesi. He flew in an Embraer Phenom 300, a high-end private jet that is only available for business or charter travel.
Authorities said that the flight was a charter flight. “Yes, that is right. It was a charter flight,” Muhammad Khusnudin, the head of Sugimanuru Airport, said, Monday, March 23.
Laode was not alone on his trip; there were other people with him. He brought family members with him to Muna Island, where he is from. He will go back to Jakarta in the same way.
The episode quickly drew widespread attention. This phenomenon was especially true, as it occurred during the peak mudik season. During this time, millions of Indonesians travel to celebrate Eid with their families.
It is difficult to get tickets right now because so many people want to travel. The costs of flights, ferries, and land transportation go up a lot.
Many people said that it was strange to fly on a private jet and that it is challenging for regular people to find cheap tickets. In addition, many celebs fly on charter planes. However, this trip has sparked discussion about the difficulty of travel when many people are on the move. The trip has also highlighted the wealth gap.
From 2024 to 2029, Laode was the secretary-general of the Indonesian Contractors Association (GAPENSI) and a member of the Golkar Party’s central board. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Ateneo de Manila.
Some experts say that when the economy is bad or people are unhappy with the government, they pay more attention to how politicians live. This time of year is called “mudik season,” and it is difficult to plan trips and costs more. As a result, this phenomenon has intensified the debate.
Indonesia continues to see large-scale seasonal travel, and this incident highlights public concern over fairness, access, and the gap between the rich and the deprived.
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