Repatriation of 14 Aceh Hajj Flight Groups Completed, 19 Pilgrims Passed Away

The Hajj season of 1447 H/2026 M for pilgrims from Aceh has officially ended. The entire repatriation process for the 14 flight groups from the Aceh Embarkation was completed in the early hours of Tuesday, 30 June. However, the return is marked by sorrow, with 19 pilgrims from the ‘Veranda of Mecca’ recorded as having passed away during the pilgrimage. Based on collected data, the majority of the pilgrims breathed their last while performing the Hajj rituals in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, one pilgrim died on the plane during the repatriation flight to Tanah Air via Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport in Aceh Besar. The 19th pilgrim reported to have died was Mardani Asya Adam, 61, from Bener Meriah Regency. The pilgrim from the Gayo highlands passed away on Monday, 29 June, at King Abdul Aziz Hospital in Saudi Arabia. ‘The suspected cause of death is ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome),’ said the Head of the Hajj Organising Committee for the Aceh Embarkation, Arrijal, on Monday. Deep sorrow also occurred during the repatriation of flight group 07 BTJ. An elderly pilgrim named Aisyah Abdullah Nanggroe binti Abdullah Nanggroe, 92, from East Aceh Regency, died on board a Garuda Indonesia aircraft. The incident happened as the plane was about to land at Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport on Monday, 22 June, at around 10.20 WIB. The sad news was confirmed directly by the airline moments after the plane touched down. ‘After landing, there was an announcement from the cabin crew that Aisyah binti Abdullah Nanggroe had returned to the mercy of Allah,’ said H. Abdullah AR, head of the Ibnu Mas’ud Hajj and Umrah Guidance Group, who accompanied the flight group. Overall, the Hajj Organising Committee noted that the majority of Acehnese pilgrims who died this season were elderly. Besides age, heart conditions were the dominant cause in the medical reports of the deceased pilgrims. By the early hours of Tuesday, 30 June, all pilgrims from the 14 flight groups had returned to their respective regions, marking the end of the 2026 Aceh Embarkation Hajj operations.