eputy Haj and Umrah Minister Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak has urged Indonesian umrah pilgrims to prioritize direct flights to Saudi Arabia over transit routes through Singapore and Malaysia, citing the potential to strengthen the country’s aviation industry.
Dahnil said the other reason is to reduce risks amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, but stressed that umrah activities in Saudi Arabia remained unaffected.
“We have gathered pilgrims and umrah travel operator (PPIU) associations to bring this to the attention of travel businesses. We have asked the associations not to choose transit flights through Malaysia or Singapore for the time being,” he said.
“Direct flights to Jeddah or Medina are safer, so we recommend that option.”
According to Dahnil, around 70,000 Indonesian umrah pilgrims use transit routes through Malaysia and Singapore, representing a potential source of demand for Indonesian airlines if more travelers are directed toward domestic carriers.
“If those pilgrims using transit flights through Malaysia and Singapore were redirected to national airlines, it would also help our national economy. We must support our two national airlines, Lion Air and Garuda Indonesia,” he said.
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