"Airlines, such as Saudia and Garuda Indonesia, should be more cooperative in informing about all changes and delays on Hajj flights," the ministry's Director of Domestic Hajj Service Saiful Mujab stated here on Monday.
Airlines should also be more solution-oriented to addressing flight issues that might affect Hajj pilgrims, he stated.
The official pointed to the high number of cases of flight delays and schedule changes despite Hajj departures only in their first phase from May 24 to June 7, 2023.
Flight delays and schedule changes that had occurred 15 times to date negatively impact Hajj pilgrims, he stressed.
"(The duty of) airline representatives assigned by their management at Hajj dormitories are not merely to inform about the schedule but also to explain and apologize to all pilgrims in case the schedule changed, as the schedule had been informed to the pilgrims earlier," Mujab explained.
The minister urged the airline management to be mindful of flight schedule issues and take measures to prevent them from recurring, he remarked.
He stated that airlines should also respect contractual agreements on Hajj flights with the authority.
Mujab said flight schedule changes and delays would have a domino effect that will impact all Hajj pilgrims, including those awaiting their flights at Hajj dormitories in Indonesia and those already in Saudi Arabia.
Apart from forcing changes on the length of stay, capacity, and rotation of Hajj pilgrims at the Hajj dormitory, flight delays and changes also affected services of local providers in Saudi Arabia that had been assigned by contract to serve pilgrims on set dates, he expounded.
"We hope (airlines) can reduce the risk of schedule changes. If schedule changes are inevitable, the contract clearly states that its notification should be made 2x24 hours before the flight. Do not inform us too suddenly or even after the designated flight time," Mujab remarked.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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