Indonesia Secures Permit for Hajj Flight 'Empty Leg' from Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that Saudi Arabia’s aviation authority, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), has granted official permission to national carrier Garuda Indonesia to fill the empty compartments, known as ‘empty legs’, on returning chartered Hajj flights. Vice Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak stated during a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday that this flight permit represents positive news resulting from a series of intensive diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Indonesian Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ‘GACA has granted permission to our airline, in this case Garuda Indonesia, to fill what is known in aviation as the empty leg. So far, our chartered Hajj aircraft have always returned empty,’ he said. Dahnil explained that the issue of aircraft returning without passengers had previously been a primary focus of President Prabowo Subianto, who subsequently ordered cross-ministerial collaboration to find a concrete solution. Following up on the President’s directive, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, together with the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Tourism, and the President Director of Garuda Indonesia, held a follow-up meeting to ensure the instruction could be executed starting from this year’s Hajj season onwards. ‘Now, who will the passengers be? These are the passengers we are discussing with the Ministry of Tourism so that we can promote our tourism and our tourist destinations in Indonesia to Middle Eastern communities, particularly Saudi Arabia,’ he remarked. Dahnil revealed this tactical step was taken considering the significant potential for capital circulation, noting that data records show the total number of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia annually reaches 3.2 million people, comprising 3 million Umrah pilgrims and 221,000 Hajj pilgrims. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah estimates the amount of money circulating and leaving for Saudi Arabia from this sector ranges between Rp120 trillion and Rp180 trillion, prompting the President to request the formation of a special task force to minimise cash outflow and create cash inflow. ‘This is an important note, and hopefully, from this commitment, the President’s commitment, we can build a Hajj economic ecosystem on one hand, and our tourism sector on the other, while strengthening our national carrier, Garuda Indonesia,’ he affirmed.