Garuda leases 17 aircraft to transport pilgrims

JAKARTA (JP): National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will operate two of its own aircraft and lease 17 planes from seven foreign airlines to transport Indonesian haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year.

The Ministry of Transportation said here on Saturday that Garuda will lease two Boeing-747s from Qantas Airlines of Australia, three Boeing-747s from Air New Zealand, two B-747s from Singapore Airlines, one B-747 from Air France, one B-747 from Phoenix Airways, four MD-11s and two DC-10s from World Airways of the U.S. and one MD-11 and one DC-10 from Finnair of Finland.

The 17 aircraft were selected from 25 planes offered in a tender made by Garuda during the last few years, the ministry said.

The ministry did not reveal the costs for leasing the aircraft.

The 19 aircraft are expected to transport over 157,000 haj pilgrims from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia and vice versa in this pilgrimage season beginning in the middle of this month.

Last year, Garuda leased 15 jets to transport 110,000 haj pilgrims.

The ministry said haj pilgrims will leave Indonesia from four airports, including Halim Perdanakusumah in Jakarta (193 flights), Juanda in Surabaya, East Java (82 flights), Hasanuddin in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi (47), and Polonia in Medan, North Sumatra (27).

The government-organized haj pilgrimage will cost some Rp 6.9 million (US$3,221) per person this season, up from last year's Rp 6.5 million.

Private companies also organize pilgrimage trips at a cost of between $6,000 and $8,000 per person. (fhp)