7,700 Flights Scheduled To Carry Pilgrims For Hajj

7,700 flights scheduled to carry pilgrims for Hajj

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st May, 2023 ) :Nearly 7,700 flights are scheduled to carry Muslim pilgrims from around the world to and from Saudi Arabia during the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage season, according to media reports.

Around 1.7 million seats have been allocated on these flights for the pilgrims who are due to land at six airports in the kingdom.

They are the airports of King Abdulaziz in Jeddah, the Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz airport in Madina, Taif airport, the Prince Abdulmohssen airport in Yanbu, the King Khaled airport in Riyadh and the King Fahd airport in Dammam.

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation oversees service providers' compliance with safety and quality standards, and readiness of operation plans for pilgrim arrivals and departures, Gulf news reported.

The first flights carrying pilgrims from Malaysia and Bangladesh left Sunday heading for Saudi Arabia as part of a Saudi plan providing facilities to the faithful, dubbed the Makkah Route Initiative.

Two plans with a total of 650 Malaysian pilgrims on board later Sunday landed at the Prince Muhammad hammad bin Abdulaziz airport in Madina, according to Saudi media.

Saudi Arabia has said that there will be no limits on the numbers of pilgrims from around the world for the coming Hajj season, reversing earlier restrictions prompted by the pandemic.

In the past two years, Saudi Arabia downsized the numbers of Muslims allowed to perform the Hajj rites to prevent spread of COVID-19.

Around 2.5 million Muslims used to attend Hajj annually in the pre-pandemic times.