ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of Saudi Arabia officially signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding air transport regulations.
Indonesian Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi, said that previously the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia had signed an MoU regulating air transportation rights in 2017.
Through an exchange of diplomatic notes, the Ministry of Transportation submitted proposed changes related to Air Safety, Aviation Security and Authorizations and Designation, including proposed new routes for commercial flights between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.
In this year’s amendment, flight routes from all international airports in Saudi Arabia can land at airports in Indonesia, including Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar and Denpasar.
On the other hand, flight routes from all international airports in Indonesia can land in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Medina and Taif.
“We hope that the signing of this new route schedule will improve the airline network between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia and facilitate better relations between the two countries,” said Budi Karya in his official statement, Tuesday, April 30 2024.
Budi Karya also asked for support for Garuda Indonesia to increase flight time slots during the Hajj season and move the terminal from the Hajj Terminal to Terminal 1 at Raja Abdulaziz-Jeddah International Airport.
Budi Karya believes that if this is done, this year’s Hajj flights will be smoother. He also hopes that in the future, Indonesia’s cooperation with Saudi Arabia will not be limited to the aviation sector alone.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, also expressed his desire to increase transportation cooperation between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, especially on Hajj and Umrah flights.
“With the large number of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims, we welcome this new agreement and are ready to help if there are challenges ahead,” he said. (ATN)
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