Ministry Of Religion Protests Slowdown In Saudia Airlines Flights Transporting One Calhaj Group

Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion Ajam Mustak. (ANTARA/HO-Kemenag)

JAKARTA - The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) of West Java Province expressed a protest about the delay in flight of SaudiaAirlines aircraft carrying a group of pilgrims flying from the Jakarta-Bekasi Embarkation.

Head of the West Java Provincial Ministry of Religion Office, Ajam Mustajam, said that Saudia Airlines should have flown pilgrims for the Jakarta-Bekasi Embarkation (JKS) Hajj candidate on Thursday (25/5) at 09.20 WIB, but the plane could only depart at 14:28 WIB.

"We regret this happened. Even at that time there was no Saudia Airlines who coordinated with the embarkation authorities. We knew later and immediately protested," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, May 26.

According to Ajam, the congregation in the JKS-04 flying group (kloter) scheduled to depart using the SaudiaAirlines plane on Thursday (25/5) at 09.20 WIB complained of hunger because flights had been delayed for a long time and the airline did not provide food or drink.

The Regional Office of the West Java Provincial Ministry of Religion, according to him, has received an apology letter from the management of the Saudia Airlines airline regarding the delay in the flight.

"But, we hope that Saudia Airlines will not just apologize. Compensation for pilgrims must be given. Do not let this kind of incident happen again," he said.

According to the Aviation Law, airlines must be responsible for the losses suffered by passengers due to flight delays, unless delays occur due to weather factors and operational technicalities.

"Including the provision of nack, food, and even compensation in the form of compensation of Rp300,000 if the delay is more than 240 minutes," said Ajam.

The management of the SaudiaAirlines airline has sent an apology letter to the Organizing Committee for Hajj (PPIH) for the Jakarta-Bekasi Embarkation regarding flight delays in Hajj pilgrims.

In the letter, Operational Manager of PT Ayuberga GSIA Saudia Airlines Riyan Abdul Fahmi admitted that he was not responsive in handling the delays in congregational flights in the JKS-44.

"I, Riyan Abdul Fahmi, took inappropriate actions, where I was not responsive to provide consumption due to the aircraft service that occurred with the JKS-44 cluster," he said.

"This certainly resulted in the pilgrims on May 25, 2023 starving in the Holy Land. I am responsible for my actions that are detrimental to the pilgrims. I apologize for the conditions that harmed the pilgrims on May 25, 2023," said Rizian Abdul Fahmi.