Business Recorder
Hajj flights have started departing with pilgrims from different cities of Pakistan for Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Pilgrims will be transported to the Holy Hijaz through 468 flights under the government Hajj scheme from Pakistan. As many as 119,000 pilgrims from Pakistan will be taken to Medina and Makkah under the government scheme. About 67,230 male pilgrims will be taken to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme while 51,846 female pilgrims will go to the Holy Hijaz. On the first day of the Hajj operation, pilgrims will be transported to Medina through four flights. Hajj flights to Jeddah will start from May 4. The first Hajj flight to Madina will depart on May 7. The last Hajj flight from Pakistan will depart on May 21. The operation to transport Hajj pilgrims to the Holy Hijaz will continue for 34 days. The pilgrims will be transported to Madina for the first 15 days after the start of Hajj flights. As many as 186 flights will be operated to Madina and 282 to Jeddah. PIA, Air Blue, Air Sial and Saudi Airlines are participating in the Hajj operation. Hajj flights will be operated from eight cities of Pakistan. As many as 129 flights will operate from Islamabad, 124 from Karachi and 104 from Lahore. About 18 flights will depart from Quetta, 34 from Multan and 26 from Sialkot. 23 flights from Faisalabad and five flights from Sukkur will take pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The inaugural Hajj flight of AirSial departed on Saturday from Karachi, carrying 160 pilgrims to the holy land, the Pakistan Airports Authority spokesperson said. According to the PAA, pilgrims were provided with state-of-the-art immigration services under the ‘Route to Makkah’ initiative. Sindh Governor Nihal Hashmi attended the inauguration ceremony of the first flight to see off the pilgrims. Federal and provincial ministers also visited the airport to review the arrangements and facilities provided for the Hajj flight. During the visit, the ministers inspected the Saudi immigration counters and expressed their satisfaction with the streamlined process and facilities available to the passengers. The AirSial flight, PF-7700, departed in the early hours of the morning at 2:05 AM. The Pakistan Airports Authority confirmed that all administrative and security measures were effectively implemented to ensure a smooth departure for the pilgrims. Meanwhile, the inaugural ceremony of Pre-Hajj Operations 2026 was held at Multan International Airport, where Airblue Flight PA-876 bound for Madinah departed carrying 151 Hajj pilgrims, the PAA stated. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani as the chief guest. Distinguished attendees included Minister for Irrigation Punjab Mian Muhammad Kazim Pirzada, MPA Rana Abdul Manan Sajid and MPA Begum Maqsooda Ansari. Senior officials present on the occasion included COO/APM M. Anwar Zia, Director Hajj Rehan Abbas Khokhar, Director Terminal Operations Airblue Kanwar Yaasar, Director Commercial Airblue M. Shafique, along with representatives from Airport Security Force (ASF), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). The chief guest appreciated the efforts of airport management and the Hajj Directorate for ensuring the facilitation and smooth processing of pilgrims. He emphasized the spiritual significance and sanctity of the Hajj journey. The ceremony concluded with the chief guest presenting garlands to the pilgrims and bidding them farewell with prayers and best wishes. The Hajj pilgrims can get their flight information through Pak Hajj mobile app. Hajj pilgrims should stay tuned to Pak Hajj 2026 mobile app for upcoming announcements.
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