Saturday Night, The Last Batch Of The Surabaya Hajj Pilgrims Departs

JAKARTA - The final flight group for the Surabaya Embarkation pilgrims is scheduled to depart for the Holy Land from Juanda International Airport on Saturday evening, July 2.

"According to the schedule tonight at 20.15 WIB from Juanda," said Secretary of the Surabaya Embarkation Hajj Organizing Committee (PPIH) Abdul Haris, as quoted by Antara in Surabaya, Saturday, July 2.

The last batch is batch 38, which consists of scheduled congregations, reserve pilgrims and some pilgrims who have transferred from other provinces.

"The final batch of Surabaya Embarkation is a combination of 243 pilgrims from 23 regencies/cities throughout East Java," he said.

In addition, the last batch is different from the previous one, because the plane will transit first at Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport Palembang, South Sumatra.

"There they picked up 119 pilgrims from Palembang, as well as refueling aircraft at the local airport," he said.

Not only that, all prospective pilgrims whose departure is delayed due to illness and being treated at the Surabaya Hajj General Hospital will also join the 38th group.

The departures are still pending, said Haris, as many as seven people, consisting of four people being treated at Haji Hospital Surabaya from the districts of Kediri, Mojokerto and Jombang, along with three companions.

"Thank God the four people are healthy and can go to join this last group," he said.

Meanwhile, the Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, hopes that all congregations will join in praying for Indonesia so that it will always be safe, peaceful and the people will be more prosperous.

"Happy Hajj for those who carry out, may you always be healthy and hopefully become a mabrur hajj," he said.

"Please not only pray for yourself and your family, but also pray for the people of East Java and the people of Indonesia," added Khofifah.

He also reminded the pilgrims to prepare their physical condition in order to perform the pilgrimage properly because the weather in the Holy Land was hot. "Don't forget to always bring your medicine and follow the officers' advice," he said.