Mukhtara Air set to take off in Indonesia

JAKARTA: Saudi Arabian carrier Mukhtara Air aims to begin its Indonesian operations in January 2026 as PT Manazil Al Mukhtara Indo, serving both domestic and international routes, with the latter mainly for travellers performing haj and umrah.

The airline is a subsidiary of Manazil Al Mukhtara Group, a hospitality conglomerate based in Medina that provides accommodation as well as air and land transportation for haj and umrah pilgrims and regular travellers.

Mukhtara Air airline “is our commitment to making a large investment in Indonesia, and we want to bring an internationally standardised, full service for haj pilgrims and general passengers”, group chairman Sami Al Harbi said last Friday.

Andik Setiawan, operations director at Mukhtara Air’s local entity, confirmed the January launch of the airline’s Indonesian operations during a ceremony at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in East Jakarta, to mark the arrival of its first aircraft from Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates.

He added that the carrier was still in the process of obtaining an air operator certificate (AOC), which is required to fly in Indonesia’s airspace.

Air transportation director general Lukman F. Laisa said on Monday in a statement from the Transportation Ministry that Mukhtara Air had entered the fourth of five stages in air operator certification.

After securing the AOC, it must then apply for a Flight Route Implementation Determination before commencing operations, he said. — The Jakarta Post/ANN