Garuda Indonesia Serves Return Of Indonesian Hajj Pilgrims To Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia (ANTARA/Darianto)

JAKARTA - Garuda Indonesia has started serving the return of Indonesian pilgrims from the Holy Land. They carry the congregation with a wide fleet of aircraft.

"PT Garuda Indonesia has officially started carrying out the Hajj Phase II (return) flight to repatriate the pilgrims back to Indonesia," said Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra in a statement in Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Sunday, June 23.

Irfan said that the first day of repatriation of the Hajj pilgrims was carried out on Saturday (22/6), where Garuda Indonesia flew at least 3,300 hajjes to return to Indonesia, which came from nine groups with five debarkation cities, namely Lombok (1 batch); Jakarta (2 clusters); Solo (4 clusters); Banjarmasin (1 batch); and Makassar (1 batch).

He said flights returning from Jeddah/Madinah will depart on June 22, July 3, 2024, while on July 21, 2024, the congregation will be flown from Medina.

"Initially, the phase of the return of the Indonesian pilgrims was marked by a Kloter 01 pilgrim from Lombok, using GA-5201, which departed from King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah at 07.30 LT (local time) carrying around 393 passengers," said Irfan.

He also admitted that Garuda Indonesia continues to optimize various operational readiness to maximize efforts to provide safe and comfortable Hajj flight services for all Indonesian Hajj.

"As an airline that has been trusted for more than six decades to operate Hajj flights for Indonesian pilgrims, it is a matter of pride for us to be able to be involved in being part of the moment that the Indonesian Muslim community has been waiting for in perfecting worship," explained Irfan.

He said Garuda Indonesia together with all stakeholders continue to strengthen intensive communication to ensure service readiness for the congregation since arriving at the airport, during the trip, until arriving at the destination city, in accordance with flight safety and security standards.

"This also includes the readiness of all Hajj flight fleets that have passed inspection and thorough maintenance to ensure flight feasibility and safety," he said.

Furthermore, Irfan said that his party also continues to strive to optimize services for pilgrims, especially in ensuring that the operation of the congregation's repatriation runs smoothly.

These efforts were also aligned with coordination with the airport in the Holy Land, especially the Saudi Arabian Civil Aviation Authority or the General Authority Civil Aviation (GACA), in relation to approval of flight slots.

With regard to coordination with the aviation authority, to ensure the smooth flow of the return of the pilgrims, in Phase II of the operation of this Hajj flight, Garuda Indonesia also adjusted the schedule and origin of the return of the Hajj pilgrims to several batches from King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah and Prince Muhammad bin Abdul-Aziz International Airport, Medina.

For this adjustment, Garuda Indonesia ensures that it will always prioritize the best service for the pilgrims affected by these conditions.

Irfan explained that various operational mitigations were also continuously optimized by taking into account the readiness of operational aspects at the departure airports from Medina and Jeddah.

"We will continue to coordinate with the aviation authorities and the Indonesian Ministry of Religion if it is deemed necessary to make operational adjustments in ensuring the smooth flow of repatriation of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims," said Irfan.

Furthermore, Irfan said that his party will also intensify coordination with the Indonesian Ministry of Religion and relevant stakeholders to ensure the comfort of the pilgrims affected by the adjustment can run optimally, including providing accommodation, transportation, and consumption during the trip between Medina and Jeddah.

With various preparations that have been optimized and through the continuous improvement of services, Irfan admitted to evaluating operational performance in the departure phase, so that the transportation for the return of the Hajj pilgrims runs optimally.

"We are trying to ensure that the smooth operation of Hajj flights in this Repatriation phase runs smoothly by prioritizing aspects of safety, security, and comfort for Hajj pilgrims," said Irfan.