13 Hajj Pilgrims Cancel Departure from YIA, Most Due to Ill Health

YOGYAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The pilgrimage of Hajj 2026 via Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) has proceeded relatively smoothly up to day 29. However, it has been recorded that 13 Hajj pilgrims were prevented from departing for Saudi Arabia for various reasons, most related to health conditions. Acting Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah DIY, Hj. Silvia Rosetti, said that as of 19 May 2026 at 18:00 WIB (Western Indonesian Time), the total number of pilgrims dispatched to Saudi Arabia reached 8,604 out of around 9,320 prospective pilgrims from DIY. She explained that among the total pilgrims who did not depart, most were due to health conditions that made long-distance travel impossible. ‘The number who did not depart has been cut to about 13 people. Other reasons are usually that they have postponed because of health reasons, or have other commitments and cannot go this year,’ she said. ‘The majority are due to health reasons; some deteriorated just before departure,’ she added. ‘There are those who have arrived here, but who were vomiting and collapsed. They are indeed elderly,’ she said. According to Silvia, pilgrims who had their departure delayed still have a chance to depart in the next batch, provided seats on the flight are still available. ‘If there are still empty seats, pilgrims who were previously delayed can be dispatched in the next batch,’ she explained. Silvia also revealed that the majority of this year’s Hajj pilgrims are elderly. There is even a pilgrim aged 103 named Mbah Mardijiyono Karto Sentono from Bantul who is part of Embarkation YIA Batch 09. ‘Most of our pilgrims are elderly, almost 50 per cent. Because the theme of this year’s Hajj is elderly-friendly and women-friendly Hajj,’ she said.