First YIA Embarkation Group Departs for Holy Land, Hotel Model Becomes New Breakthrough in Hajj Services

YOGYAKARTA – A total of 354 Hajj pilgrims along with six officials from Flight Group (Kloter) 1 of the Yogyakarta Embarkation were officially dispatched to the Holy Land from Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA), Kulon Progo Regency, on Tuesday (21/4/2026), at around 23:55 WIB.

This departure marks a historic moment as it signifies the inaugural operation of a hotel-based embarkation in Indonesia. Unlike other embarkations that use Hajj dormitories, the entire dispatch process at YIA is centred at two hotels within the airport complex, namely Novotel YIA and Ibis YIA.

Since Tuesday morning, the pilgrims have been checking into the hotels to undergo a series of procedures, from health checks to the submission of travel documents such as passports, visas, boarding passes, and Nusuk cards. After completing these processes, the pilgrims rested before being transported to the airport in the evening. An atmosphere of emotion and joy was clearly visible on the faces of the pilgrims preparing to fulfil the fifth pillar of Islam.

The Director General of Hajj and Umrah Service Development at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Puji Raharjo, described this departure as an important milestone in Hajj service innovation in Indonesia. “Alhamdulillah, today we are seeing off the first Hajj pilgrims from Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) embarkation, which is the first airport without a Hajj dormitory in Indonesia,” he stated to reporters at the Ibis-Novotel Hotel in Kulon Progo on Tuesday (21/4/2026) night.