These agents are normally ground handling agents but not necessarily as some agents are only permit agents. However one similarity is that all these agents have to be Indonesian locally registered business entities.

The process of applying landing as well as overfly permits for Indonesia is the same, hence all requirements are the same, except that overfly permits don't require passengers manifest. This process takes around forty eight (48) working hours, starting at at Ministry of Foreign Affair to obtain the diplomatic clearance, then Ministry of Defense to obtain security clearance and finally the Ministry of Transportation, represented by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to obtain the flight permit in the form of permit number (download sample of Indonesian permit / flight clearance).

The following documents are required when a permit agent wishes to apply for an Indonesian landing / overfly permit for its client.

1. AOC (if you are an AOC holder) or OC (for privately managed aircrafts)
2. Certificate of Airworthiness
3. Certificate of Registration
4. Certificate of Insurance
5. Pilot license of both pilots & all crew passport details
6. Passengers details (except for overfly permits)

Please make sure that ALL documents are valid for the flight schedules. Please email to ops@afmaviasi.com.

Once granted, flight permits are normally valid for five (5) days, unless the flights are for special purposes such as humanitarian, disaster relief and other similar flights.

Tip on Applying a Flight Permit Efficiently

Indonesian flight permits allow three airports of origin for inbound flights and another three airports for outbound flights, with a single destination in Indonesia. For instance (although Indonesian DGCA prefers IATA codes over ICAO):
a. WSSS/WSSL/WMSA – WIHH – VHHH/RPLL/WSSL or
b. WSSS/WSSL/WMSA – WADD – VHHH/RPLL/WSSL

This way, your aircraft can fly into WIHH (Jakarta Halim Perdanakusuma) airport from either WSSS/WSSL/WMSA. Thus, should your original plan to fly to WIHH was from WSSS, but for some resons you have to change the route to WMSA to WIHH, you can do that without changing the permit – as long as the airport is stated in one of the three airports for the incoming flight. Otherwise we have to apply for a new permit. The same applies for outgoing flights. To enjoy this flexibility, you need to tell AFM Aviasi or your permit agent from the beginning, on which other potential airports you will want to be included in the flight permit. Failing this, we will have to do a guessing for you. Doing this right from the beginning will save you a lot of headache and money, should last minute changes occur.

Permen 109 (replaces Permen 66)

As of October 2016, one year after Permen 66 was introduced, Indonesia Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) has applied this new regulation, a minister decree called Permen 109, which allows foreign aircrafts to fly domestic legs in Indonesia, under one condition: obtain a special permit from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) prior to applying for a landing permit/s.

How to obtain a special permit to fly domestic legs? You need to write a letter to the DGCA. See samples of letters both in English and Indonesian, click here. There is no need to write the Minister of Transportation. You need to justify your request, for instance if you are doing the flights to seek for investment opportunities in Indonesia, hence will create job opportunities. You need to write the letter on the investing company’s letter head, not the aircraft operator’s letter head. This will surely get you the special permit. There is no limit to the number of domestic legs allowed for you to fly. We have managed to obtain special permits for up to eight airports in one go, all domestic flights including to those airports without CIQ facilities, as long we clear CIQ at an entry airport.

Again, your flight purposes must fall into at least one of these categories, if you wish to fly domestic legs:
 

1. Investment/business purposes (visiting plantation sites, factories, meeting local government, etc.)
2. Tourism purposes (holiday, visiting tourist destinations)
3. VVIP flights (heads of states, heads of international organizations)
4. Humanitarian Aids – need a sponsor letter from the related state department in Indonesia

No. 1 is straight forward, just need a letter as mentioned above. No. 2,3 and 4 above, we need to obtain a sponsor/endorsement letter from the related government offices, before we can apply for the special permit. For instance, for tourism purposes, we need to obtain a letter from the Ministry of Tourism. For humanitarian aids, if it is related to free health care services, we need to obtain a letter for the Ministry of Social. AFM can assist you liaise with those offices, if you need.

Most special permits granted are for six months, if you request for six months in your application letters. However when DCA replies, they will only state the permit validity for one or two months. Before the permit expires, they will extend by themselves.
 

No.	Routes	Before	As of October 2016
1.	Singapore - Jakarta - Bali - Hong Kong (Jakarta-Bali is a domestic sector, must obtain a special permit)	Not allowed	Allowed
2.	Manila - Manado (CIQ) - Kendari - Bali (CIQ) - Bangkok (Kendari is not a port of entry, must obtain a special permit, clear CIQ in Manado/Bali)	Not allowed	Allowed

Not all international airports have provisions of providing CIQ facilities (customs, immigration, quarantine) around the clock. Some airports are supported by downtown offices, which means that prior arrangements need to be made. Certain airports may have no visa on arrival facilities, which means passengers need to obtain visa prior to visiting. These situation may change from time to time hence it is advised to always check with AFM Aviasi if in doubt.

A copy of the Permen 109 regulation, translated into English, is available for your viewing (download here ).

The special permit to fly domestic legs is valid for private, non-revenue flights only. Charter flights and medical evacuation flights are not included.

Slot System in Airports (Obtain Slots, then Apply Landing Permits)

Slot system has been applied in most airports in Indonesia. As of the last week of October 2016, Indonesia DCA has instructed all permit agents to secure slots prior to applying for landing permits. Expect slight delay in getting landing permits as opposed to the era before DCA gave the instruction. This slot requirement is stated in one of the articles in Permen 109.