Jakarta, April 27th, 2023 - Garuda Indonesia national airline continues to strengthen its flight operational readiness ahead during Hajj season 1444H/2023 M, one of which is by preparing at least 14 fleets to serve prospective pilgrims from Indonesia.
These 14 fleets will be serving Indonesian prospective pilgrims to and from the holy land from May 24th to August 2nd, 2023, where this year Garuda Indonesia is trusted to provide Hajj flight services for at least 104,172 prospective pilgrims.
The operational readiness of the hajj flight was marked by the signing of the cooperation for the air transportation of regular hajj pilgrims and hajj pilgrimage organizers of the 1444 Hijri/2023 AD flying group which was carried out directly by Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra and Director General of Hajj & Umrah of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs Hilman Latief at the Head Office of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, Central Jakarta.
The CEO of Garuda Indonesia Irfan Setiaputra said that as a national flag carrier, with nearly 7 decades of experience serving the Hajj pilgrimage, Garuda Indonesia continues to optimize its commitment to carry out the important task of serving Indonesian pilgrims to the Holy Land by providing safe and comfortable flights.
"One of our commitments is ensuring the availability of the fleet where Garuda Indonesia will operate 14 aircraft, 7 of which are provided through a wet lease scheme with lessors. We also ensure that all wide-body aircraft that will be used to serve prospective pilgrims are in prime condition and airworthy through a series of multiple inspections, including thorough maintenance of aircraft engines and all other vital aircraft components," Irfan explained.
Irfan continued that Garuda Indonesia has been trusted since 1955 and continues serving hajj flights which will be our manifestation to always be at the frontline of providing optimal flight accessibility for Indonesian citizens as the largest Muslim population in Indonesia.
"We understand that performing the Hajj pilgrimage is a moment that has been awaited by most Indonesians, therefore we strive to provide a seamless experience for all prospective pilgrims from before to after the flight with Garuda Indonesia," Irfan said.
All 104,172 prospective Hajj pilgrims this year will be divided into 287 flight groups (lower) and will depart from 9 (nine) embarkations namely Aceh, Medan, Padang, Jakarta, Solo, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Makassar, and Lombok. During this Hajj season, Garuda Indonesia will operate 7 (seven) Boeing B777-300, 4 (four) Airbus A330-300, and 3 (three) Airbus A330-900.
Furthermore, as an effort to provide added value services for pilgrims, Garuda Indonesia will present a wide selection of Islamic In-flight Entertainment during the flight. Not only that, but the pilgrims will also get inflight catering according to the typical menu of the embarkation area.
On this occasion, the Director General of Hajj & Umrah of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, Hilman Latief, also stated, "We express our appreciation to Garuda Indonesia for continuing intensive discussions in preparing the operational readiness of this year's Hajj flights. Insha Allah, Garuda Indonesia will dispatch 104,172 regular pilgrims from 9 embarkations."
Hilman added, "We can say that 30 percent of Indonesian pilgrims this year are over the age of 65. For this reason, the elderly assistance policy must continue to be improved including support from flight service providers including Garuda Indonesia to provide convenience for the needs of elderly pilgrims in line with our shared vision of providing inclusive services for all pilgrims."
"The cooperation that has been established for many years certainly needs to be optimized, especially in maximizing the operational readiness of Hajj flights by ensuring that various crucial matters in operational aspects can be mitigated properly, especially related to making prospective pilgrimage comfortable," Hilman revealed.
"We will keep maximizing the operational Hajj flights readiness through intensive coordination with various stakeholders, to ensure that this year's Hajj flights can run smoothly, on time and of course be able to provide comfort to all pilgrims. We also urge pilgrims to always implement health protocol consistently to ensure all pilgrims are in good health until they return safely back to the country," Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra concluded.
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