Lion Group increases Umrah flights to nine per week due to high demand
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Lion Group is preparing to increase its Umrah flight services to nine times per week, following high public demand for pilgrimage travel after this year’s Hajj season.
“We are optimistic that the demand for Umrah travel is constantly increasing. Previously, our frequency was six times a week, but we are now preparing for nine times a week,” said Danang Mandala Prihantoro, Corporate Communications Strategic of Lion Group, during the BookCabin Travel Fair press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.
This policy was announced alongside the BookCabin Travel Fair, which serves as a platform for the company to offer travel convenience through its expanding flight network. He noted that general air travel demand continues to show a positive trend, despite the industry entering a low season period. According to him, travel needs for tourism, school holidays, business, and religious pilgrimages remain the primary drivers for air transport usage.
Consequently, Lion Group, through Booklar/BookCabin, is providing various travel solutions to ensure the public can travel within their respective budgets. This optimism is further bolstered by high demand from travel bureau partners and tour agents who are actively preparing various Umrah packages following the Hajj season.
To accommodate these needs, Lion Air is currently operating an average of nine flights to Jeddah each week, an increase from the previous frequency of six times per week. This increase is a response to market growth and aims to expand access for people from various regions to Saudi Arabia through the airline’s network.
Danang explained that the service concept focuses not only on passengers from Jakarta but also connects other cities to Jeddah via Jakarta. For instance, passengers from regions such as Pangkalan Bun can use Batik Air to fly to Jakarta before continuing their journey to Jeddah via Lion Air through a connected service. This strategy allows the Umrah market served by Lion Group to expand beyond reliance on Jakarta-based demand.
In its operations, Lion Air relies on the Airbus A330-300 and Airbus A330-900 Neo fleets, which have capacities of up to 433 seats per flight. With this capacity, nine weekly flights can provide thousands of seats for those intending to perform the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Lion Group also continues to coordinate with travel bureau partners to adjust Umrah package requirements, ranging from 9-day, 12-day, to 13-day programmes, according to pilgrim demand.
“Lion Air, Lion Group, and BookCabin are optimistic that the market demand specifically for Umrah and religious purposes will continue to grow and increase,” said Danang.
The BookCabin Travel Fair 2026 offers various travel services in one place, including travel packages, flight tickets, and accommodation services. The travel fair is being held in four cities: Makassar (29–31 May), Jakarta (5–7 June), Surabaya (12–14 June), and Medan (19–21 June).