Indonesia urged its umrah pilgrims on October 27, 2026, to avoid transit flights through Singapore and Malaysia, citing regional security risks in the Middle East and a push to strengthen domestic carriers like Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air.
Deputy Haj and Umrah Minister Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak announced the directive after meeting with representatives from the Penyelenggara Perjalanan Ibadah Umrah (PPIU) associations. The government instructed travel operators to redirect pilgrims away from typical stopover hubs like Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Changi Airport.
As the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, Indonesia sees about 2 million people travel annually for the minor pilgrimage of umrah, alongside 221,000 citizens who travel each year to Mecca for the mandatory hajj pilgrimage. The ministry is also pushing for better services at Terminal 2, which handles haj and umrah flights, to make passenger journeys more comfortable and orderly.
Middle East Conflict Prompts Shift to Non-Stop Routes
While ministry officials confirmed that pilgrimage activities inside Saudi Arabia remain unaffected and fully operational, the government pointed to the escalating conflict in the Middle East as a primary reason to favor non-stop routes. Direct paths to Jeddah or Medina bypass the need to touch down in secondary international hubs while regional tensions persist. Dahnil noted that umrah travel has remained uninterrupted despite the Middle East conflict and recent drone attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi group against the kingdom.
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.
Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, Deputy Haj and Umrah Minister
The guidance also addresses financial complications for travelers.
Indonesia Seeks to Boost Domestic Aviation Revenue
Beyond travel security, the policy targets an economic opportunity for Indonesia’s domestic aviation sector. Roughly 70,000 Indonesian pilgrims annually take foreign carriers that require stopovers in Singapore or Malaysia, utilizing neighboring flag carriers like Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines that usually have a stopover in their respective airports.
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.
Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, Deputy Haj and Umrah Minister
However, the ministry acknowledged that state flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and the privately owned Lion Group must improve customer service and offer competitive pricing to capture that demand.
Diplomatic Friction Coincides with Singapore Travel Advisory
The travel advisory lands amid heightened diplomatic friction between Indonesia and its neighbors across multiple fronts, including regional haze disputes from Kalimantan forest fires, accusations regarding stock market index providers, and recent reductions in natural gas exports to Singapore overseen by Coordinating Downstream and Energy Transition Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to shore up domestic supply.
At the same time, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an advisory on October 13 urging umrah pilgrims to defer travel plans. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) reiterated the advisory on October 14, urging the local Muslim community to take safety precautions and consider postponing their journeys while security risks remain elevated. MUIS encouraged travel agents to handle cases with care, fairness, and understanding, noting that pilgrims may face financial implications through no fault of their own.