Flight delays continue to beset haj operation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government's operation to bring home
\nIndonesian haj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia continued to suffer
\ndelays yesterday, with most flights arriving way behind schedule.<\/p>\n
But the delays were shorter than the up-to-19-hour delays of
\nthe first flights bringing home pilgrims Wednesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n
Of the seven wide-bodied planes flying into the Halim
\nPerdanakusuma airport from Jeddah yesterday, one arrived on time
\nbut six were between two and three hours late.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Sukarya, the Ministry of Religious Affairs' inspector
\ngeneral, has been sent to Jeddah to investigate the delays.<\/p>\n
He concluded that the abundant traffic at the King Abdul Azis
\nairport and the breakdown of some aircraft leased for the
\noperation had caused the delays, according to an official of the
\ncommittee overseeing the pilgrims' return.<\/p>\n
Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanurtirto has publicly
\napologized for the delays which he said were beyond his control.<\/p>\n
More than two million people from all over the world went on
\nthis year's haj pilgrimage. Indonesia's 200,000 pilgrims were the
\nbiggest haj contingent.<\/p>\n
The Saudi authorities have allocated two gates at King Abdul
\nAzis airport for Indonesian pilgrims, but this appeared
\ninsufficient, officials said.<\/p>\n
The officials hope the delays will ease by Wednesday when most
\npilgrims from other countries will have left Saudi Arabia. They
\nhope Indonesia will be given more gates at the airport.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jakarta's new check-in, set up especially for local
\npilgrims, has turned out to be a farce with many people
\ncomplaining of lost luggage.<\/p>\n
Many pilgrims have returned home without their luggage. They
\nhave been returning to the Pondok Gede haj dormitory in East
\nJakarta every day to enquire about the fate of their belongings.<\/p>\n
Asmawati, a committee official, said that in many cases
\nluggage had been switched and would eventually be returned.<\/p>\n
Asmawati blamed the luggage mixup on cargo handling agencies
\nin Jeddah.<\/p>\n
Garuda Indonesia, which is flying the Indonesian pilgrims, has
\ncontracted its luggage handling to Al Munief and Al Amr, both
\nIndonesian-Saudi Arabian joint venture companies.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Religious Affairs said yesterday that 463
\nIndonesians had died on this year's pilgrimage. Last year, 570 of
\nthe 200,000 Indonesian pilgrims died. (11)<\/p>",
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