Navy Warship Deployed to Carry Eid Travelers from Jakarta to Bangka Belitung

Jakarta: The Indonesian Navy has deployed one of its warships to transport residents returning to their hometowns for Eid al-Fitr, responding to the surge in inter-island travel demand ahead of the holiday.

According to the Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff’s Operations Assistant, Rear Admiral Yayan Sofiyan, the warship KRI Semarang-594 was deployed on the Jakarta–Bangka Belitung route for this year’s Eid homecoming.

While sending off the warship at a Navy military dock in North Jakarta on Sunday, he stated that this marked the first time the vessel has been deployed to sail to the Bangka Belitung Islands during the Eid holiday.

“We usually sail to the eastern part of Java, such as Semarang and Surabaya. However, we sailed to Bangka Belitung this year to follow up on a request from the province’s governor to the Navy Chief of Staff,” Rear Admiral Sofiyan said, as quoted from Antara, Monday, March 16, 2026.

He noted that the ship was available to support the homecoming, prompting the decision to deploy it during this year’s holiday.

KRI Semarang-594 will sail northward for approximately 400 nautical miles to the Bangka and Belitung Islands and is expected to transport travelers returning to Jakarta after the holiday ends. Travelers sail with the warship free of charge, he added.

“The warship will stand by in Bangka Belitung to transport passengers again during the end of the holiday period,” Sofiyan noted.

The Navy official said that deploying the warship for the Eid homecoming will help reduce congestion in land transportation while also encouraging residents to avoid using motorcycles for long-distance journeys home.

The homecoming program also reflects the Indonesian Navy’s support for resident mobility during the Eid al-Fitr holiday period, he remarked.