Jakarta. A commercial flight transporting Indonesian Hajj pilgrims made an unscheduled landing in Bangalore, India, due to a technical issue, raising concerns over passenger safety.

The incident was revealed during a parliamentary hearing on Monday, where House Commission VIII member Selly Andriani Gantina criticized the use of an aircraft she described as “unfit” for transporting pilgrims. The plane, which carried pilgrims from West Java, reportedly landed in India before continuing its journey to Medina via Dammam.

Gantina, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), said the aircraft should have avoided Indian airspace due to the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan.

She added that the plane made an additional stop after leaving India, further fueling concerns about the aircraft’s condition and flight planning. Gantina urged the Religious Affairs Ministry to investigate the airline and ensure such incidents do not happen again.

“Planes that are not airworthy should not be used for Hajj flights. The safety of our pilgrims must come first,” she said.

Responding to the complaint, Director General for Hajj and Umrah at the ministry, Hilman Latief, confirmed the incident and said the airline had been formally reprimanded.

“We’ve reprimanded the airline. According to their statement, the plane landed in Bangalore due to a technical issue, then continued to Dammam before reaching Medina,” Hilman told lawmakers.

He added that the airline had submitted an official explanation, and the ministry would review all relevant information before deciding on further action.

“Our team is compiling all the findings to assess any potential violations,” Hilman said.

Indonesia is currently in the process of sending more than 200,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj season, and the safety and logistics of Hajj travel remain a top government priority.