Thresa Sandra Desfika, Jakarta – Lion Air Group's Lion Mentari Airlines, Wings Abadi Airlines and Batik Air – Indonesia's largest private airline group – resumed flights on Wednesday after the government made it simpler for travelers to fly domestically despite the Covid-19 pandemic showing no sign of slowing.

Lion Air Group grounded all scheduled flights on June 5, arguing many of their passengers were unable to meet the government's Covid-19 health protocol.

Since then, the Transportation Ministry has simplified the requirements by omitting the need for passengers to show a letter of assignment from their employers or proof of family emergencies.

Travelers now need only to bring an identification card, documents showing the result of their Covid-19 PCR or rapid tests and install the government's tracking app on their phone.

"[The regulation] is much simpler now," Danang Mandala Prihantoro, Lion Air Group's director of corporate strategic communication, said on Tuesday.

Lion Air's flight resumption came a day after the government allowed flight operators to bump up passenger capacity despite recent spikes in new coronavirus cases.

The government has been pushing for a reopening of the Indonesian economy after imposing the so-called large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) and a travel ban for over two months.

Indonesia reported 1,043 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday – the highest single-day case rise in the country – with new 40 deaths and 510 recoveries.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/lion-air-resumes-flights-after-govt-eases-travel-requirements