JAKARTA - As many as 393 pilgrims from the Aceh Pilgrimage group 3 were finally able to leave for the Holy Land, on Friday June 17 today via Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport (SIM) Aceh Besar.
These pilgrims have experienced two delays in their departure schedules due to the impact of the maintenance of the Garuda Indonesia Skyteam aircraft.
"The third group of planes took off for Medina at 12.23 WIB," said the Coordinator of Public Relations and Information for the Indonesian Hajj Organizers (PPIH) for the Embarkation of Aceh, Tajri bin Yakub, quoted from Antara.
The congregation in batch 3 came from Pidie Regency as many as 153 people, East Aceh 104 people, Langsa 88 people, Aceh Besar 40 people, and two people from North Aceh, as well as crew officers and assistants six people.
In the group, he said, the youngest pilgrim named Al Asyifa bint Astani Hasan was 21 years old from Pidie. While the oldest congregation came from East Aceh, named Nurlaila bint Abdul Muis Nasution who was 65 years old.
"This group 3 congregation will occupy maktab 15 in the Raudhah area," said Tajri.
Initially, the group 3 congregation was scheduled to depart on Friday at 00.10 WIB. However, due to the impact of group 2 failing to depart due to aircraft maintenance, group 3 pilgrims are scheduled to depart at 09.25 WIB, the same day.
Then, the schedule for departing for batch 3 was shifted again at 12:35 WIB.
General Manager of Garuda Indonesia, Tosan Anda Andika, said that the change in flight schedule occurred due to the impact of the shift in the schedule for group 2, because the aircraft was in maintenance condition.
The postponement of the flight schedule for batch 3 from 09.25 WIB to 12.35 WIB was due to a change in the aircraft fleet that would transport pilgrims.
"Currently there are two B777-300 ER aircraft at SIM Airport, so that the fleet used by batch 2 for batch 3 will use a different aircraft," said Tosan.
Meanwhile, aircraft that were originally carrying batch 2 will be treated and re-checked.
"Garuda Indonesia focuses on and prioritizes passenger safety and comfort," he said.
This year, the Aceh Embarkation will dispatch 1,992 prospective hajj pilgrims, plus 31 officers for a total of 2,023 pilgrims.
All pilgrims will be flown in six groups, each 393 people consisting of five full and one mixed.
In a mixed group, pilgrims from Aceh will join some pilgrims from Medan, North Sumatra.
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