Jakarta, April 24 -- Indonesia has streamlined the departure of its Hajj pilgrims through the Mecca Route fast-track immigration program, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce congestion upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, the minister in charge said Friday.

"We highly appreciate the Mecca Route service, which increasingly facilitates Indonesian Hajj pilgrims," Hajj and Umrah Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf said.

Since Hajj operations began on April 22, pilgrims have departed from several embarkation points implementing the Mecca Route system, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Adi Soemarmo Airport in Solo, Juanda Airport in Surabaya and Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar.

The departures form part of an integrated ...