TRENGGALEK – The Trenggalek regent Umrah journey of Mochammad Nur Arifin faced unexpected delays after rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupted international flight routes.
Arifin, widely known as Ipin, said the situation forced him to extend his stay in Saudi Arabia because available flights to Indonesia became limited.
Speaking on Tuesday, he explained that escalating air conflict in the region affected several international aviation routes.
“Of course it caused delays. There is currently an air war situation, so many flight paths are restricted,” he said.
According to him, direct flights between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia became increasingly rare during that period.
Most airlines rerouted passengers through other transit hubs in the Middle East. Travelers typically had to connect through cities such as Dubai or Doha before continuing their journeys.
The uncertain situation also forced some airlines to cancel previously scheduled flights. As a result, passengers had to request refunds for tickets that had already been issued.
Arifin said he experienced the same issue during his return trip.
“We had to extend our stay for several days while looking for alternative flight tickets,” he explained.
After waiting for new travel options, he eventually secured a route that allowed him to leave Saudi Arabia.
His journey began in Medina and included transit stops in India and Singapore before arriving in Jakarta.
From Jakarta, Arifin continued his trip to Surabaya before finally returning to Trenggalek.
“After arriving in Jakarta, I continued the journey to Surabaya. Alhamdulillah, I have safely returned and arrived in Trenggalek early Sunday morning,” he said.
Despite the regional tensions, Arifin emphasized that the holy cities remained safe for pilgrims performing Umrah.
He referred to a prayer of the Prophet Ibrahim mentioned in the Quran, which asks for the cities to remain peaceful and secure.
“The prayer asks for this land to become baladan amina, a safe place. So in Mecca and Medina, God willing, there were no problems. Everything went smoothly,” he said.