Dahnil: Aircraft at Hajj Dormitory Symbolizes Presidential Respect for Aceh

Banda Aceh (ANTARA) — Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak stated that the Garuda Indonesia aircraft placed at the Aceh Hajj Embarkation Dormitory is a form of respect from President Prabowo for the people of Aceh.

“This is a form of respect for the people of Aceh from President Prabowo. That is the most important note,” he said in Banda Aceh on Sunday.

He made the remarks after inaugurating the Garuda Indonesia-donated aircraft and a building at the Aceh Hajj Embarkation Dormitory in Banda Aceh. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in cooperation with PT Garuda Indonesia, has placed a complete aircraft on the grounds of the Aceh Hajj Embarkation Dormitory. The presence of the Boeing 737 belonging to PT Garuda Indonesia (a former Citilink aircraft) is an effort to facilitate education and ritual training for prospective hajj and umrah pilgrims from Aceh.

He said the aircraft brought to the Aceh Hajj Dormitory is not a replica but an actual complete aircraft fuselage, making it the first of its kind in Indonesia. “No hajj dormitory in Indonesia has had a complete aircraft like this—what exists elsewhere are mockups (replicas). This is not a mockup. I actually requested a mockup, but what Garuda provided was a complete aircraft,” he said.

He explained that historically, Indonesia’s or Garuda’s first aircraft came from Aceh—named the Seulawah, which was the result of donations from the Acehnese people to Indonesia. “This is a symbol of the central government’s respect for the people of Aceh. The President wants to provide convenience for umrah and hajj pilgrims in Aceh,” he said.

Additionally, Dahnil explained the plan to build an Indonesian hajj village in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, noting that the concept also draws lessons from the Acehnese community. He explained that a figure known as Habib Bugak Al-Asyi once built a hajj village that continues to benefit the Acehnese people to this day. Therefore, President Prabowo has begun building a hajj village in Mecca by acquiring the Novotel hotel asset. The process has been carried out gradually.

“That will begin slowly, and hopefully it will become President Prabowo’s legacy for all Indonesian hajj pilgrims, just as Habib Bugak once did,” said Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak.