Each Umra season starts in 'Rabi-ul-Awwal' and ends by 'Shawwal'. In its total duration of 8 months, the month of Ramazan is considered to be the period of peak 'Umra season' during which millions of pilgrims from Pakistan travel to Saudi Arabia by PIA and other airlines (OAL). The turn-over of pilgrims in each Umra season is markedly more in number than in Hajj because of the easy terms and conditions of Umra pilgrimage.
However, the arrangements of each Hajj operation, based on a total 3 months duration starting from the month of Zilquddah till Muharram are formulated in a much more organised manner than Umra operation.
The 90% of the total Hajis travel on 'Hajj Chartered Flights' while the remaining 10% travels on schedule flights with confirmed return booking in a pre-planned manner.
Similarly the whole Umra operation is carried on scheduled flights as well as 'Extra Section Flights' of the PIAC and foreign carriers. PIA operates about 150 out bound and nearly 120 inbound E/S flights, based on the B-747 & A-300 aircrafts.
Other foreign carriers also operate extra flights in addition to their scheduled flights during each Umra season. But the system of booking during the entire Umra season, specially in Ramazan, is not so organised as that of Hajj, which needs to be improved in a planned manner. Nearly 2-3 millions Pakistani Umra pilgrims travel every year.
It is observed that almost 95% Umra pilgrims do not travel with return bookings. Prior to the beginning of each Umra season, the Director General, King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) Jeddah circulates an 'Umra Operation Alert' to all airlines, which binds the carriers to land in Saudi Arabia with return confirmed booking of pilgrims carried by them, in addition to other strict regulations.
But most of the airlines, including the PIA defy those regulations, compromise on service standards and do not care to improve the system. No doubt, the majority of pilgrims intend to perform Umra during the holy month of Ramazan and wish to return home just a day prior to Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations in Pakistan.
In Saudi Arabia, the total 30 days of the holy month of Ramzaan are divided into 3 phases, of each 10 days, out of which the last total ten (10) days are considered to be most important and crucial, not only from the worship point of view but also for commercial purposes. During the last 10 days of Ramazan, the higher business community, government officials, VIPs and people from all walks of life travel for Umra.
The majority of them arrive at Jeddah without a return booking or with a fictitious print-out of their return reservation. In the whole of Ramazan, the total of such pilgrims arriving by PIA at Jeddah reach around 50,000.
All these pilgrims wish to pass the 27th night of Ramazan at the Holy Kaaba or Masjid-e-Nabavi and insist PIA give them return seats to Pakistan on any scheduled or E/S flight enabling them to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with their family at home.
Suppose, if the said 50,000 pilgrims, plus the 30,000 already arrived pilgrims, plus the 15,000 over stayed pilgrims, and the 5,000 overseas Pakistanis Iqama holders of KSA, altogether one lakh passengers, demand from the PIA seats from Jeddah to Pakistani cities within 2 days prior to Eid-ul-Fitr in Pakistan, what will happen? This will certainly require 230 B-747 aircrafts of 433 seats each, which PIA and any airline of the world cannot provide. But this is not the only reason; rather one of the several reasons contributing to the accumulation of stranded Umra pilgrims at the PIA offices in Jeddah, Makkah, Medinah and Jeddah airport, putting pilgrims to utter inconveniences. Umra pilgrims travelling on foreign carriers like Saudi airlines, Emirates, Gulf air, Qatar airways, Royal Jordanian airlines, Kuwait airways and others face different problems. Except Saudia, which operates direct flights between Jeddah and Pakistani cities, other foreign airlines operate via their base station in their home country; e.g. pilgrims holding Emirates tickets have to fly Karachi-Dubai-Jeddah-Dubai-Karachi. In fact all such airlines are supposed to confirm all four sectors, ie two each of the out-bound and in-bound journey prior to lifting Umra pilgrims from Pakistan, so that pilgrims do not get stuck at Jeddah on account of 'No Booking' for their return journey. But some airlines lift Umra pilgrims from Pakistan without confirming their return booking due to which many pilgrims are stuck at Jeddah on their return journey to Pakistan. If airlines strictly adhere to Saudi regulations on the carriage of Umra pilgrims, their handling can be improved. All airlines, including PIA carrying Umra pilgrims on their scheduled and extra section flights from Pakistan to Jeddah or Medinah, must ensure their return confirmed booking on the scheduled flights or e/s flights prior to the performance of the out-bound journey. Presently, all PIA extra section flights, originating from Jeddah are planned at the last moment only on the physical reporting of 300-450 passengers demanding seats. They have to severally roam around PIA booking offices in Makkah and Medinah and at times they have to visit the Jeddah Sales office for getting reservation, not only causing physical and financial losses but also inviting the expiry of their special (35 days) Umra fare tickets as well as visa validity. This involves the re-validation of the so-expired tickets by paying the difference of fare in SR and risks their arrest by the police, imprisonment in Terheel (Detention Camp) for weeks and the ultimate deportation to Pakistan as 'Repatriates'. Leaving aside the intended absconders, the fact remains, that many genuine Umra pilgrims suffer inconvenience which airlines can minimise by ensuring their return confirm booking in a planned manner. PIA should open in the system an extra section of return flights against the prior CAD permission and sell return seats ex-Jeddah, prior to the departure of pilgrim from Pakistan. This will facilitate them to hold their confirmed return booking from the start of journey (like Hajj) and shall equally reduce the piling-up of chance Umra passengers at the PIA sales offices in Jeddah, Makkah and Medina as well as at the Jeddah airport and minimise their mis-handling. However, the existing procedure of the re-confirmation of bookings on the scheduled and all extra flights from Jeddah should continue to keep a check and balance on the flight status. PIA should stop over-booking on schedule as well as extra section flights originating from Jeddah to Pakistan during the month of Ramazan, specially in the last 10 days prior to Eid-ul-Fitr, as the 'No-Show' rate during the said period comes down to Zero. In case any passenger turns No Show; PIA shall still find plenty of chance revenue passengers stranded at Jeddah airport, besides the several N-1 ticket holders. The un-reasonable 'over-booking' of flights, ex-Jeddah, during the last 10 days of Ramazan and few days of post Eid-ul-Fitr shall result in 'Denied boarding'. It will put Umra pilgrims to inconvenience, besides causing financial losses to PIA for bearing the expenses of lay-over and ground feeding, arising out of uncalled-for over-booking. The PIA sales offices in Medinah, Makkah and Jeddah should verbally guide Umra pilgrims and also write with a broad marker on the reconfirmation print-out attached with their tickets reading "to report for a minimum of 4 hours before the flight's departure at the 'North terminal' in case of scheduled flight and at the Hajj terminal in case of the extra section flight". This will avoid the mis-routing of pilgrims to wrong terminals and shall also save them from unnecessary financial losses of SR100 for the transportation by limousines/bargain-taxis, as public bus service is not available between the said two terminals.
There are no restaurants available at the arrival halls of the KAIA Jeddah airport. During the holy month of Ramazan, the Saudi Government Agencies at Jeddah airport, halt working for a minimum 30-40 minutes prior to Iftaar and Saheri breaks and resume working 20-30 minutes after break the after taking meals and observing prayers.
However, pilgrims disembarking at Jeddah airport and not clearing the formalities of Quarantine, Immigration and customs (CIQ) prior to the Saheri/Iftaar breaks, remain without meals, except water until getting out of the arrival area. In view of the said problems, all foreign airlines and PIA, carrying Umra pilgrims and landing Jeddah at 2-3 hours before Iftaar/Saheri breaks, are requested to distribute 'Meals Boxes' to all fasting passengers on-board their schedule and extra section flights prior to disembarkation.
This service should be in addition to the routine service on board to provide them meals in the arrival areas of Jeddah airport as a special courtesy service during the holy month of Ramazan only. KAIA Jeddah airport consists of a total of four terminals.
South terminal for Saudi airlines only, North terminal for all foreign airlines including PIA, Hajj terminal for extra section flights of all foreign airlines as well as Saudi airlines and Royal terminal for VVIP flights exclusively. Umra pilgrims should take note of their concerned terminal according to their airline tickets. The higher management of PIAC and all foreign airlines and the CAA of Pakistan are requested to kindly facilitate Umra pilgrims to avoid inconveniences.