Indonesian Airline will Add Service to The Hajj

Indonesia intends to add flights to transport operators pilgrimage for service and comfort to the pilgrims increased.

"We've asked the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to increase Haj transport company. During this transport pilgrims only two airlines which are operated by Garuda Indonesia and Saudi Arabian Airlines," said Head of Public Communication Center Ministry of Communications, Bambang Ervan Supriyadi here on Monday.

According to Bambang, the institute has proposed bilateral talks with Saudi Arabia's aviation authority. "The Ministry of Religious Affairs has also been proposed to the Minister of Transportation and Kemenhub had to ask Saudi Arabia to obtain permission for the addition operator," he said.

Bambang also justify, any bilateral agreement for flights with any country, usually must be reciprocal. "If Indonesia proposed the addition of more than one transport operator Hajj, then Saudi Arabia had the right party to represent more than one airline operators as well," he said.

Bambang said Indonesia would choose the flesh, the airline has been flying regularly into Arabic of Lion Air and Batavia Air. "Are they going to be organizer of pilgrim transport, it depends on them," he asserted. Saudi Arabia also will choose other airlines to assist the Saudi Arabian Airlines.

According to him, permission from the Arab governments are very important to remember when the pilgrimage season has become more solid.

"Arab governments are very selective when giving out 'landing permit' (permission to land) at King Abdul Aziz Airport, Jeddah," he said.

Ministry of Religious Affairs was trying to convince the Government of Saudi Arabia to increase the quota of pilgrims 2011 for Indonesia as much as 12.60 percent to 237,600 people than the number of pilgrims in 2010 as many as 211,000 people.

In addition, the average cost of organizing the Hajj is assumed not to change, that is 3342 U.S. dollars or equivalent to Rp30, 04 million pilgrims including flight costs Rp15, 52 million rupiah per congregation.

In 2010, the government and the House of Representatives agreed to lower the cost of the pilgrimage by 80 dollars to 3342 dollars by lowering the cost of lodging of the proposed 3000 to 2850 riyals riyals, as well as airlines cut margin of the proposed 10 to only 4 percent.

Source:www.republika.co.id