Hanania Travel Owner Admits Using Iran-US Conflict as Pretext for Refund Delays

Failed Umrah pilgrims have revealed discrepancies and excuses from Hanania Travel before they were ultimately denied departure to the Holy Land. The travel agency owner, Farhan, initially cited force majeure due to escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. Mareta, a pilgrim from the Syawal batch scheduled to depart on 26 March 2026, stated that Hanania Travel first gave this reason on 18 March, eight days before the scheduled departure. Initially, Mareta and dozens of other pilgrims believed the explanation. The agency claimed its finances were strained after covering costs for around 300 pilgrims from the 1 March batch who were stranded in Jeddah for 12 days due to the Middle East situation. ‘A few days later, we heard that Garuda’s direct flights to Jeddah were also cancelled. That’s when we noticed something odd, as other travel agencies with direct flights to Mecca faced no issues at the time. That’s when the inconsistencies started to surface,’ Mareta said. The pilgrims’ suspicions about the Middle East conflict excuse were later proven false. Skeptical pilgrims checked with airlines and hotels, only to find no bookings had been made. ‘In March, he said it was force majeure. But pilgrims checked and found tickets and hotels hadn’t been issued. He eventually admitted it wasn’t force majeure—it was a cash shortage,’ Novi said at Jakarta Metropolitan Police Headquarters on Thursday. He admitted Farhan used the war as a shield when pressed for refund assurances. ‘When the war happened, he claimed he had to cover hotel costs for 300 pilgrims there for a week or so, as he couldn’t return from Dubai. So he used our March funds to cover it, he said,’ Ayu added.