PIA Hajj flight operation starts from tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will start its Hajj flight operation from tomorrow (Thursday) and will continue till June 10, 2024.

According to PIA spokesperson, the airline will operate direct flights this year to Jeddah and Madina from eight cities in Pakistan including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, Quetta, Sialkot, and Sukkur.

Announcing the Hajj flight operation, the PIA spokesperson asserted that the national airline will facilitate around 34,000 pilgrims, through 170 flights, from May 09 till June 10, 2024.

For the first 15 days, all flights will land directly at Madinah Munawarah Airport.

From May 24 to June 9, most of the flights will land at Jeddah Airport, on the first day of flight operation, 2160 pilgrims will depart for Saudi Arabia through 11 flights, 680 pilgrims will depart for Saudi Arabia through 3 flights from Islamabad.

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330 passengers will depart from Karachi through two flights, 670 passengers will depart from Lahore through three flights, 329 pilgrims will start their Hajj journey through two flights from Multan.

From Sialkot, 151 pilgrims will start their Hajj journey on a single flight which will reach Madina Munawarah

The national airline spokesperson confirmed that a total of 19,000 pilgrims from the government scheme and 15,000 private pilgrims will travel through the PIA.

However, the pilgrims specifically traveling from Karachi or Islamabad can avail of the facility of Saudi immigration at the airport under the Road to Mecca Project’s operations, which will save the hassle of long queues for immigration in Jeddah or Madinah.