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DPR Agrees To Involve Airlines Other Than Garuda For Hajj Flights

Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Abdul Wahid, has expressed his support for the government's plan to involve not only Garuda Indonesia in the implementation of the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.  

As the Chairman of the 2025 Hajj Implementation Working Group, he emphasized that this initiative is essential for enhancing service quality and achieving cost efficiency in transportation for pilgrims. "Currently, we have been relying solely on Garuda and Saudi Airlines. To ensure transparency, we will open opportunities for other airlines.  

This will encourage competition among them to propose their budgets, and naturally, we will opt for the more economical options," Wahid stated to reporters at the Indonesian Parliament Building on Monday, December 30, 2024. Furthermore, Wahid indicated that the 2025 Hajj Working Group will advocate for the government to engage a greater number of vendors to provide services to pilgrims in the Holy Land.  

This approach will enable the government to have a wider selection of vendors and to choose partners that offer the best services for pilgrims during their religious observance. "This includes services and costs incurred there. Previously, we only had one service provider.  

Now, we are looking at 3 to 5 service providers, which will foster competition among them to enhance service quality," Wahid added. Earlier reports indicated that the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Romo HR Muhammad Syafi’i, has opened the possibility of not exclusively partnering with Garuda Indonesia for the 2025 Hajj arrangements. He noted that the Ministry of Religious Affairs will consider collaborating with other airlines to improve the quality of services for pilgrims regarding their departure and return. "Indeed, the more service providers we have, the more competitive the offerings will be, leading to better service. Therefore, we may also explore opportunities for this year's Hajj, particularly with domestic airlines," Syafi’i remarked on Monday. Additionally, the Ministry of Religious Affairs is currently evaluating the potential to reduce the duration of the Hajj pilgrimage from 40 days to 30 days. 

Tag: DPR Garuda For Hajj Flights Garuda Indonesia