JAKARTA - The national airline PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (GIAA) has prepared as many as 15 wide-body aircraft fleets to transport 102,502 pilgrims in the 2026 Hajj season.
The readiness of the fleet was marked by the signing of the Cooperation Agreement for the Implementation of Hajj Air Transportation between Garuda Indonesia and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia for the period 1447-1449 Hijriah or 2026 to 2028, at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Building.
In the 2026 hajj season, Garuda Indonesia will serve the hajj flight through 276 flight groups (clusters) which will be dispatched from 10 embarkations.
The embarkation includes Banda Aceh, Medan, Padang, Jakarta (Banten Hajj Dormitory and part of Jakarta Pondok Gede), Solo, Yogyakarta, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Makassar, and Lombok.
Garuda Indonesia President Director Glenny Kairupan said this cooperation reflects Garuda Indonesia's readiness to welcome the implementation of the hajj pilgrimage optimally, as well as being a sustainable form of trust given to serve the hajj pilgrimage journey of Indonesian pilgrims.
"We continue to make various efforts to coordinate services to provide a safe, comfortable, and memorable travel experience to and from the Holy Land. Aspects of safety, security, and comfort, especially for elderly pilgrims, are always the top priority in all our service and operational lines," said Glenny in an official statement, Thursday, December 18.
To support the 2026 Hajj operations, Garuda Indonesia will operate 15 wide-body aircraft serving flights gradually according to schedule. The departure phase of the pilgrims to the Holy Land is scheduled to take place from April 22 to May 21, 2026.
In the departure phase, flights to Medina will be carried out from April 22 to May 6, 2026, while flights to Jeddah are scheduled for May 7 to 21, 2026. The return phase of the pilgrims will take place from June 1 to 30, 2026, with the return schedule from Jeddah on June 1 to 15, 2026 and from Medina on June 16 to 30, 2026.
Glenny said that the signing of the cooperation agreement was expected to align the operational readiness of Garuda Indonesia with the government's mission to facilitate the travel of Indonesian pilgrims.
"Through this early signed cooperation agreement, it is hoped that the operational readiness of Garuda Indonesia's Hajj flights can also align the government's mission on an ongoing basis, namely to support the ease of travel for Muslim communities in performing the Hajj," he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf Hasyim, said that the cooperation on Hajj flights for the next three years would allow for more mature operational preparations.
"With this medium-term planning, Garuda Indonesia can make early preparations, both in fleet optimization, crew readiness, and improving service quality in line with the needs and culture of Indonesian pilgrims," said Irfan.
Irfan also appreciated Garuda Indonesia's commitment to supporting the cost efficiency of the haj pilgrimage, including a reduction in flight fares during this year's haj season.
"The aviation component has a significant contribution to the cost of organizing the hajj. Therefore, efforts to increase efficiency need to continue to be improved without reducing the quality of service," he said.
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