Pakistani Hajj Flights Depart for Saudi Arabia: Pilgrims Embark on Sacred Journey
On April 29, the inaugural flight carrying Pakistani Hajj pilgrims took off from Islamabad International Airport. PIA Flight PK-713, which was loaded with 442 travelers, made its way towards Madinah. Officials including Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf, Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Al-Malki, and PIA CEO Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat attended the send-off ceremony to wish the pilgrims well as they embarked on their journey.
Moreover, the initial Hajj flight departing from Quetta, PIA flight PK-7201, lifted off at 10:00 AM, with 170 pilgrims onboard. The inaugural flight from Lahore, designated as PK-747, is scheduled to leave at 10:00 PM, accommodating 323 travelers. These journeys are included in PIA’s strategy to run non-stop Hajj services out of several locations such as Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, and Quetta.
PIA will run over 117 special flights to transport around 35,200 government-sponsored pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The pre-Hajj operation will continue until May 31, with the post-Hajj operation starting on June 10 and ending on July 10. In total, 342 flights will be conducted under the government Hajj scheme, with 89,000 pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land.
In the meantime, a Saudi mission has reached Jinnah International Airport with the aim of easing the Hajj pilgrimage travels. This team plans to establish eight stations for processing the arriving pilgrims. During the subsequent 33-day period, these travelers will first land in Madinah prior to proceeding onwards towards Mecca. It’s worth noting that the last planned Pakistani flight for this year’s Hajj is due to leave on May 31st.