Deputy Minister: North Sumatra Becomes Buffer Zone for National Hajj Operations

Medan - The Deputy Minister for Hajj and Umrah of Indonesia, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, stated that North Sumatra Province has become a buffer zone for national Hajj operations.

“North Sumatra is a buffer zone. This means technical landings from the East, from Java, so North Sumatra must be ready to carry out mitigation and services,” Dahnil said at the Medan Hajj Hostel in North Sumatra on Friday.

The Deputy Minister gave an example where prospective Hajj pilgrims from other provinces fall ill on the plane, requiring those pilgrims to receive services.

This situation demands readiness for additional Hajj services, from accommodation and meals to transport and quick coordination with airlines and the syarikah party.

“Regarding pilgrims who are forced not to depart, for example due to illness, due to dementia that I saw. This means additional services must be prepared,” Dahnil explained.

These additional services, according to him, must be prepared by the Provincial Hajj and Umrah Ministry Office, including the Medan Embarkation.

“In technical landings, there are problems with the aircraft, and a few days ago it happened with Saudia airline,” Dahnil emphasised.

The Deputy Minister continued that Saudia Airlines had to replace the aircraft to carry 380 prospective Hajj pilgrims from Kloter 16 of the Surabaya Embarkation.

“For example, accommodation, hotels cooperating with the airline and syarikah parties. This means North Sumatra becomes a transit to ensure overall services can continue,” Dahnil stressed.

“Alhamdulillah, at 04:22 Saudi Arabia Time (SAT) the plane landed safely in Madinah. At 05:35 SAT, all pilgrims had occupied their respective hotels,” said the Head of the Medan Hajj Organising Committee, Zulkifli Sitorus, at the Medan Hajj Hostel in North Sumatra on Tuesday (28/4).

He explained that the plane carried 380 prospective Hajj pilgrims grouped in Kloter 16 of the Surabaya Embarkation from Malang Regency, East Java.

The Saudia Airlines plane made a technical landing for refuelling at Kualanamu International Airport, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, on Sunday (26/4).

However, he continued, after the refuelling process, a fault was found in the aircraft’s hydraulic wheel system, preventing it from continuing the flight.

“The plane had to undergo repairs first before continuing the journey to the Holy Land,” Zulkifli said.