Indonesian Airlines Permitted to Carry Saudi Tourists During Hajj Season

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak stated that the government has obtained a permit from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) for Indonesian airlines to carry passengers on return flights from Saudi Arabia during the Hajj season. Consequently, Dahnil said, from next year the flight capacity that previously returned to Indonesia empty will be utilised to bring tourists from Saudi Arabia and Middle Eastern countries to various tourist destinations across the country. “The President has directed that aircraft transporting Hajj pilgrims should not return empty,” Dahnil said in a written statement on Friday, 26 June 2026.

According to Dahnil, this policy is part of the government’s effort to optimise the operation of Hajj flights. Besides improving operational efficiency, the measure is also aimed at building a more productive Hajj economic ecosystem, namely by encouraging tourist visits from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region to Indonesia, as well as strengthening the national aviation industry.

To realise the policy, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has formed a task force together with the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Tourism, and PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero). This task force is responsible for drafting technical steps, operational schemes, and strengthening cross-ministerial and institutional coordination to execute the policy.

Dahnil said this policy has the potential to provide broader economic benefits for Indonesia. This is because around 3.2 million Indonesians travel for Hajj and Umrah each year, representing a very large economic value. Therefore, he said, President Prabowo Subianto wants these activities not merely to result in a cash outflow, but also to generate a cash inflow through increased tourist visits from the Middle East. “Which will have a positive impact on the national economy,” Dahnil said.