"Since the beginning, there is a schedule that has been agreed together between the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Garuda Indonesia," the ministry's Director of Domestic Hajj Services Saiful Mujab said here on Sunday.
The statement was made in response to the changes in Garuda Indonesia's hajj flight schedule.
Based on the evaluation of departure time over 13 days, there have been several changes in Garuda Indonesia's hajj flight schedule from Solo, Medan, Jakarta-Pondok Gede, and Banjarmasin embarkation points.
Mujab noted that the flight schedule should be followed precisely and strictly since it is related to the mobility of pilgrims at every stage.
The flight schedule has been informed to hajj pilgrims, including the stages of departure from their respective districts or cities to the embarkation point.
If there are changes, they will also affect other stages, including in Medina and Mecca.
"The changes in flight schedule will give a domino effect on the stages of hajj pilgrims' activities in Hajj dormitory, Medina, and Mecca," he remarked.
The first wave of hajj pilgrims' departure started on May 24, 2023, and will end on June 7, 2023. In the first wave, the pilgrims departed for Medina.
As of Sunday, there have been 69,327 pilgrims departed with a total of 183 flight groups. Of the number, 102 flight groups flew with Garuda Indonesia.
The second wave, in which pilgrims will depart for Jeddah and then Mecca, will start on June 8, 2023.
The departure process of Indonesian hajj pilgrims is scheduled to end on June 22, 2023.
Garuda Indonesia will transport at least 104,172 Indonesian pilgrims in 287 flight groups for this year's Hajj pilgrimage.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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