Indonesian Hajj Transport Aircraft Urged to Avoid Middle East Conflict Zones

Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has emphasised the importance of security aspects in organising the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage. One measure being taken is advising Indonesian Hajj pilgrim transport airlines to avoid airspace over conflict areas, particularly in the Persian Gulf region. This advisory was conveyed by Heni Hamidah, Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at Kemlu, who explained that geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East could impact flight safety. “For Hajj travel operators, flights should endeavour to avoid conflict zones, given that there will be direct Hajj flights to Jeddah,” Heni stated during a media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday. According to Heni, coordination between Kemlu and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenhaj) is proceeding very well. The two ministries routinely share updates on developments in Hajj preparations in Saudi Arabia. Minister of Religious Affairs Mochamad Irfan Yusuf revealed that preparations for departures from Indonesia have been detailed. The initial phase will begin with the dispatch of Hajj officials tasked with accompanying pilgrims in various work areas (daker) in the Holy Land. The departure schedule for the 2026 Saudi Arabia Hajj PPIH officials is as follows: [Note: Specific schedule details were incomplete in the source.] The Minister of Religious Affairs stressed that these waves of official departures are necessary to ensure all services for pilgrims are ready before the arrival of pilgrims from the homeland. Kemenhaj has also scheduled the first batch of group-flying candidate pilgrims (kloter) to enter Hajj dormitories on: [Note: Specific date details were incomplete in the source.] For the 2026 Hajj season, Indonesia has received an official quota of 221,000 pilgrims, broken down as follows: [Note: Specific breakdown details were incomplete in the source.] With the dynamic geopolitical situation, the government continues to monitor developments in the Middle East region and is prepared to adjust policies to protect pilgrims.