One Hajj Pilgrim Candidate from NTB Passes Away, Ministry of Hajj Seeks Replacement
One prospective Hajj pilgrim (CJH) from Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), has reportedly passed away. The CJH will no longer be departing for the Holy Land this weekend.
The Head of the NTB Regional Office of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj), Lalu Muhammad Amin, confirmed the news. The deceased CJH will be replaced promptly to preserve NTB’s Hajj quota.
“Yes, the process for filling the slot is underway. Naturally, when a pilgrim passes away, a replacement process must be carried out,” Amin said during a press conference at the Hajj Embarkation Dormitory in Lombok on Monday afternoon (20 April 2026).
Amin stated that Kemenhaj NTB is continuously filling empty seats resulting from the one CJH’s death. This is because the Ministry does not permit open seats (empty chairs) in each kloter.
“Regarding the process, it is currently in progress. The deceased was in kloter II, Central Lombok,” Amin explained.
Amin assured that the replacement process for the empty seat due to the CJH’s death will be conducted in accordance with applicable procedures and regulations.
“Rest assured, we are avoiding empty seats. This means our Hajj quota of 5,798 people remains intact,” he emphasised.
Pilgrims Prohibited from Bringing Durian
Garuda Indonesia representative, Chairul Fajar Harahap, said that a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a capacity of 393 passengers has been prepared to transport all NTB pilgrims.
“We have prepared 15 aircraft for various embarkation points in Indonesia, consisting of 7 leased aircraft and 8 owned by Garuda. For Lombok specifically, we are using Garuda’s own aircraft,” Chairul stated.
Fajar emphasised that all pilgrims are prohibited from bringing sharp objects during boarding, such as knives, scissors, and lighters, for the comfort of the flight process. “We also prohibit bringing strongly odorous foods like durian,” he said.
Furthermore, pilgrims are not allowed to bring excessive quantities of items, such as cigarettes, which are limited to around 100 sticks for international flights. This is because inspections at destination airports like Jeddah and Madinah are much stricter.
“Items like toy weapons and souvenirs such as soil or stones from Saudi Arabia are definitely not permitted. All items will undergo strict screening,” Fajar added.
Fajar noted that the Boeing 777-300ER is scheduled to arrive in Lombok on 20 April at 17:45 WITA for inspection and preparation. Meanwhile, the inaugural Hajj flight is planned to depart on 22 April 2026.
Head of the Mataram Quarantine Office, Herman Nugraha, urged pilgrims to safeguard their food by not accepting wet foods or those not produced by standard-certified companies.
“We will screen pilgrims’ food upon entry to the dormitory; traditional foods like excessive sambal or items without stamps are not allowed,” Herman said.
Dry foods, such as biscuits, are still permitted due to their long shelf life but will still undergo screening by on-duty health officers. This is to ensure pilgrims do not suffer food poisoning from external sources.
The food monitoring process conducted by dormitory staff will involve strict oversight and checks by health personnel.
“We will inspect the served food, including drinks, specifically to ensure it is free from bacteria,” Herman clarified.
The following is the list of NTB Hajj kloters:
East Lombok 387 people
Central Lombok 387 people
West Lombok 387 people
Bima Regency 387 people
Mataram City 387 people
East Lombok 387 people
Central Lombok 387 people
West Lombok 388 people
East Lombok 388 people
Mataram City 388 people
(Mixed) Bima Regency, Bima City, Dompu 388 people
(Mixed) East Lombok, Central Lombok 388 people
(Mixed) Bima City, West Sumbawa, North Lombok 388 people
(Mixed) Bima Regency, Sumbawa 388 people
(Mixed) East Lombok, Central Lombok, Mataram, West Lombok, and West Sumbawa 355 people.