2 Years Closed Due To The COVID-19 Pandemic, Garuda Indonesia Reopens Makassar-Madina Route

MAKASSAR - Garuda Indonesia airline has re-opened the Makassar-Madina (PP/Round-trip)direct flight route to support Umrah activities, after being closed for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have been preparing for the reopening of the Makassar-Madina (PP) route and Alhamdulillah, it can be implemented today", said Vice President of Sulawesi Kalimantan Papua Region PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk, Berthon Hutapea, at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Antara on Tuesday, May 3rd.

Flights on this route from May to early June 2022 are carried out once a week using Airbus 330 aircraft with a capacity of 299 seats. He is optimistic that this capacity can be filled.

"In August 2022, the same route will be carried out twice a week. This is after the Hajj season is over", he said.

Meanwhile, Assistant II for Economy, Development, and Welfare of the South Sulawesi Provincial Government, Muhammad Ichsan Mustari, representing the Governor of South Sulawesi said that the reopening of this route was thanks to the struggle of the Governor of South Sulawesi, Andi Sudirman Sulaiman, with GM Angkasa Pura I, Wahyudi, and other parties so that the central government would reopen direct flights from Makassar- Madina (PP).

"The Governor really appreciates Garuda for reopening the route, because it pays the longing of the people of South Sulawesi. Moreover, the number of Umrah lists in South Sulawesi is the largest in Indonesia", he said.

On the same occasion, GM Angkasa Pura I, Wahyudi, also hopes that the Makassar-Madina direct flight will provide economic competitiveness for other airlines which will also open similar routes on May 4-5, 2022.

"With this competitiveness, we hope that there will be a fair market price which will certainly not burden the community", he said.

At the relaunch of the Makassar-Madina route by Garuda Indonesia, the Head of Hajj and Umrah Division of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion, represented by H Solihin, Head of Airport Authority Sigit Widodo, Head of Immigration Makassar Agus Winarto and officials of Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) of Maros Regency.