Pilgrims to begin departing Dec. 8

JAKARTA: The first groups of Indonesian haj pilgrims are scheduled to leave for Mecca on Dec. 8, through nine airports across the country.

Speaking on Thursday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Maftuh Basyuni said he would see off the first pilgrims from Jakarta, while the departures of groups from other provinces would be witnessed by governors.

Indonesia will send some 205,000 pilgrims to Mecca this year. They will depart between Dec. 8 and Jan. 3, Basyuni said.

Zakaria Anshar, the ministry's director of haj management, said the pilgrims would fly in 472 groups aboard planes owned by national flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia (265 flights) and Saudi Arabian Airlines (107 flights).

They are expected to return home between Jan. 15 to Feb. 12, after completing the pilgrimage, he said.

Basyuni said that last year the government was only able to send 205,000 pilgrims through eight airports because of the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami that destroyed the airport in Banda Aceh. --Antara