Saudi Gazette report

MADINAH — The National Transport Safety Center in Saudi Arabia (NTSC) has dismissed security concerns over an incident involving a Garuda Indonesia flight, which was scheduled to arrive at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport Madinah on Tuesday, saying the technical hitch will not affect the safety of Saudi airspace or the pilgrim transportation.

The NTSC issued the clarification following media reports the technical glitch forced the Garuda plane, which took off from Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, Indonesia, carrying Hajj pilgrims, to return to the departure airport for an emergency landing.

Following the incident, the Saudi Center promptly coordinated with Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee, which had been handling the situation according to standard procedures.

The Saudi Transportation Safety Authority has reassured that this isolated incident has no bearing on the overall safety of air travel within the Kingdom or on the transport arrangements for Hajj pilgrims.