Governor Khofifah Optimistic Juanda Airport Becomes A Hub For Umrah Congregations

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

SIDOARJO - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa is optimistic that Juanda International Airport Surabaya in Sidoarjo, East Java will become a hub for Umrah pilgrims from provinces outside East Java.

"The Umrah pilgrims departing from Juanda Airport are not only from East Java, but also from Medan (North Sumatra), DI Yogyakarta and South Kalimantan," he said, as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, March 15th.

This direct flight from Juanda to Medina uses Garuda Indonesia airline with flight number GA9848 with a total of 220 passengers.

"The day before, Umrah pilgrims also departed from Juanda Airport using Lion Air," he said.

With the reopening of Juanda Airport for Foreign Travel Actors (PPLN), including Umrah, it has become a very strategic hub for the departure of Umrah pilgrims from various provinces in Indonesia.

The entire management process from the departure of Umrah is expected to be followed by a disciplined health protocol. Both from each congregation or the organizers of the Umrah pilgrimage, either travel or from the Muslim Association of Hajj and Umrah Organizers of the Republic of Indonesia (AMPHURI).

"Everyone must work together to be able to dispatch, organize, and all return home in a healthy, safe, and smooth condition. Moreover, this Umrah departure was approximately two years delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

The reopening of Juanda Airport for PPLN and Umrah is an important part of the process that drives economic growth in East Java.

“We can imagine that there are people from Medan, South Kalimantan and Jogja who definitely need lodging or hotels. Of course, this is a synergy from all institutions that can provide strategic added value for all of us, one of which is the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) in East Java," he said.

In the future, Khofifah hopes that the process of departing for Umrah from Juanda Airport will be able to run regularly and the intensity of flights can be increased, especially before the month of Ramadan.

"Hopefully in the future, Umrah departures can run regularly and the intensity of departures from Juanda Airport can increase. Both before and during the month of Ramadan, interest in Umrah is very high. Moreover, these two years have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Asked about the implementation of the pilgrimage, Governor Khofifah said he would wait for a decision from the central government and also wait for confirmation from the Saudi Arabian government. Of course this has been prepared by the central government in this case the Ministry of Religion.

"I think the Ministry of Religion must have been prepared when the Saudi government gave the green light for the departure of the Hajj. Last Friday, we had a coordination meeting led by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, and he said that when he met Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, he asked for an increase in the hajj quota because the hajj trip was postponed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.