Merpati wants role in transporting haj pilgrims

JAKARTA (JP): Local private airline Merpati Nusantara is seeking the government's approval to become involved once again in the transportation of haj pilgrims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, next year.

Merpati president Wahyu Hidayat said on Tuesday the airline was fully prepared to participate and was capable of providing a reliable service.

"We are ready. If we are capable of transporting the haj pilgrims directly to the Saudi Arabian destination, then why not do it?" he said after a meeting with House Commission VII for education, religion, sport and youth affairs.

The government announced last year that it would involve Merpati in transporting Indonesian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia together with Garuda Indonesia Airlines for the 1999 haj season.

The plan was canceled due to the sharp decline in the number of haj candidates amid the prolonged economic crisis.

Garuda, the only local airline allowed by the Saudi government to carry haj pilgrims, transports them from seven embarkation points of Aceh, Medan in North Sumatra, Jakarta, Surakarta in Central Java, Surabaya in East Java, Balikpapan in East Kalimantan and Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi.

Wahyu said Merpati wanted to be involved in next year's haj season because it believed the number of prospective pilgrims would increase 50 percent due to the gradual economic recovery.

Merpati transported haj pilgrims from 1975 to 1978.

He said the airline submitted a proposal during Tuesday's meeting for the transportation of pilgrims from Ujungpandang and Balikpapan for next year's haj season.

"We would offer an airfare of US$1,300 for a return haj trip from Ujungpandang to Saudi Arabia and $1,480 from Balikpapan."

He said the rates were tentative and Merpati was considering reducing the fare below last year's average $1,200 as a response to the commission's call, he said.

Wahyu said Merpati estimated it would need to accommodate about 29,000 prospective pilgrims from Ujungpandang and 7,000 from Balikpapan.

Garuda separately appeared before Commission VII on Tuesday in a hearing on next year's haj transportation fare.

Garuda planned to increase the fare for embarkation from Jakarta, Surabaya, Surabaya, Balikpapan and Ujungpandang.

The new proposed fee per person for Jakarta embarkation is $1,240, Surakarta $1,340, Surabaya $1,320, Balikpapan $1,380 and Ujungpandang $1,400. (cst)