Hajj 2025: First flight departs tomorrow from Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Hajj flight operation for 2025 will begin tomorrow (April 29), from Islamabad, according to the officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The first flight under the government scheme will take off from Islamabad at 4:45am, carrying 393 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

In total, 342 Hajj flights will transport around 89,000 Pakistani pilgrims to Madina and Makkah. The operation will continue for 33 days and conclude on May 31.

For the first 15 days, most pilgrims will be flown directly to Madina.

On the first day alone, six flights are scheduled to depart. Two flights will leave from Lahore, while Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta, and Multan will each have one flight.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will operate the first flight from Islamabad with 393 pilgrims. A private airline’s flight from Lahore, carrying 150 pilgrims, will depart at 8:30 am.

17 labourers from KP will perform Hajj for free this year

A PIA flight from Quetta with 150 pilgrims is scheduled for 9:30 am. From Multan, a PIA flight carrying 393 pilgrims will depart at 8:15 pm.

Karachi’s private airline flight, with 285 pilgrims, will leave at 9:30 pm. Another private flight from Lahore, carrying 329 pilgrims, is set to depart at 10:15 pm.

A total of 50,500 Pakistani pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia under the Road to Makkah project for Hajj 2025. Of these, 28,000 will depart from Islamabad, while 22,500 will fly from Karachi.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, 100 flights from Islamabad and 80 flights from Karachi will operate under the project. Dedicated immigration counters have been set up at both airports.

The immigration process for Hajj pilgrims will be completed in Pakistan before departure, instead of in Saudi Arabia.

This year, 67,210 Pakistani pilgrims registered under the private Hajj scheme will not be able to perform Hajj. Although 90,830 pilgrims were supposed to travel through the private scheme, only 23,620 will be able to go.