Merpati wants role in transporting haj pilgrims

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)