Amphuri: Several Umrah Flights Canceled Amid War in the Middle East

A number of Umrah flight schedules for pilgrims from East Java have been cancelled amid the intensifying conflict in the Middle East, involving Iran, Israel, the United States and other Gulf states. The chairman of AMPHURI East Java, Mohammad Sufyan Arief, said several Umrah flight schedules had been cancelled since Saturday (28 February). Some of the cancelled routes include transit via AMM-Amman, KWI-Kuwait, DXB-Dubai, AUH-Abu Dhabi, DOH-Doha, BAH-Bahrain, SVO-Moscow and PEW-Peshawar. “From yesterday’s departure, flights that transit through these routes have been cancelled,” Arief said on Tuesday (3 March). He explained that not all Umrah flights were affected; several direct flights departing from or returning to Saudi Arabia are still operating. “For direct flights, Alhamdulillah they are still flying. For example, Garuda, Saudia and Lion Air,” he added. Regarding the total number of pilgrims affected, particularly from East Java, Arief said the authorities had not yet confirmed the figure since some direct flights are still running. There are also independent pilgrims whose departure numbers cannot be determined because they are not through official organisers. “Official data on affected pilgrims is with the Ministry of Religious Affairs through the Siskopatuh system. Cancellations generally involve flights operated by Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways,” he noted. AMPHURI is awaiting clarity on departures to Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing armed conflict in the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, the association faces further financial implications from route cancellations, mainly relating to accommodation. Hotels in Saudi Arabia are not offering refunds, citing the cancellations and the Ramadan high season; rooms are considered used despite payment having been made. “In essence, all parties—travel operators and pilgrims—hope to depart for the Holy Land when circumstances permit,” Arief said. Previously, the regional conflict in the Middle East had affected pilgrimage travel to the Holy Land, threatening thousands of East Java Umrah pilgrims with postponement. The Acting Head of the East Java Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenhaj), Asadul Anam, confirmed an official government advisory to defer pilgrim departures to avoid airspace affected by the conflict. They are currently compiling data on pilgrims affected by the policy. “The advisory from the Ministry of Hajj yesterday at 15:00 WIB indicated a postponement of departures. We are gathering information,” Anam said when contacted on Monday (2 March). According to data in the Integrated Computerised System for Umrah and Special Hajj (Siskopatuh), thousands of pilgrims have already been listed for departure. Although the data is in hand, the Ministry emphasised that operational details remain with the individual travel agencies or the Umrah Travel Organisers (PPIU). “The Siskopatuh list shows around 2,100 pilgrims registered for Nusuk Masar who would depart in the coming days; we do not know the exact numbers yet as the operational responsibilities lie with the PPIU,” Anam noted.