Business Recorder
LAHORE: For Hajj 2026, ‘Route to Makkah’ operations will commence from Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, for the first time. The Makkah route initiative is a Saudi initiative facilitating Hajj travel by allowing pilgrims to complete immigration, customs, and health procedures at their home airport. In this connection, a coordination meeting was held at Allama Iqbal International Airport on Thursday to review preparations for the commencement of the ‘Route to Makkah’ operations from Lahore. According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the meeting was attended by Fuwaz Saud Al Shafiri, the Saudi Director of Operations Hajj, along with the Secretary of the Saudi Embassy, who met with Airport Manager Erfan Khan and senior representatives of Pakistan Airports Authority, ASF, Customs, FIA, ANF, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other stakeholders. The participants emphasised enhanced inter-agency coordination to ensure seamless processing of Hajj pilgrims at all stages. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to provide maximum facilitation under the ‘Route to Makkah’ initiative. Detailed discussions were held on infrastructure arrangements, including dedicated counters and holding areas for the ‘Route to Makkah’ passengers, adequate seating capacity, improved queue management systems, and clear signage across the terminal. Special focus was placed on ensuring smooth passenger flow, minimising congestion, and enhancing operational efficiency. The meeting concluded with a shared resolve to ensure a smooth, organised, and passenger-friendly launch of ‘Route to Makkah’ operations from Lahore Airport. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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