PIA's special Haj flight PK-1201 carrying 445 pilgrims on board will leave Benazir Bhutto International Airport here on Sunday morning, starting a month-long pre-Haj flights operation to airlift 165,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Haj this year.
The Haj flights will also operate from Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Multan and Faisalabad, official sources told APP here on Friday. This year, PIA will be transporting approximately 1,32,153 Haj pilgrims through 310 Haj flights from Karachi (including those from Multan, Fasialabad and Sukkur), Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.
In all, 310 flights have been scheduled by the airline to lift 1,32,153 intending Hajis. PIA will operate 48 Haj flights directly for Madinah, 16 flights from Karachi, 16 from Lahore and 16 from Islamabad. Approximately, 7,000 Haj pilgrims under the open Haj scheme will be transported by PIA's schedule flights.
The pre-Haj operation entails a total of 83 flights from Karachi carrying 38,844 pilgrims and 74 flights from Lahore, transporting 34,632 intending pilgrims. Similarly, PIA will be carrying 28,080 pilgrims from Islamabad on 60 flights, 20,398 pilgrims on 62 flights from Peshawar and another 10,199 pilgrims from Quetta on 31 Haj flights.
Pilgrims from Multan, Faisalabad and Sukkur will be airlifted by PIA to Karachi for onward travel to Jeddah. The above number of pilgrims from each city may be revised as per the requirements of the Haj Ministry. The pre-Haj operation will be completed on December 2, while the post-Haj operation from Jeddah will commence on December 12, 2008.
According to PIA General Manager (Operations), Captain Qasim Hayat, for the convenience of the pilgrims, PIA has made special arrangement to provide complimentary Haj books, 'ahrams' to male pilgrims and 'abayas' with scarf to female pilgrims before departure in Haji camps. PIA will also provide 10 litre cans of 'Abe Zam Zam' (free of cost) this year to the pilgrims on return to Pakistan.
He also requested the pilgrims to ensure that they should not carry more than one piece baggage, which must not be more than 32 kg per piece to avoid any inconvenience during their return flight and excess baggage if any will be charged accordingly. Additionally, passengers are allowed hand-carry baggage up to 7 kg. weight only.
Meanwhile, a senior official in the Ministry of Religious Affairs said that all arrangements at all Haji camps have been completed. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has also completed all arrangements to extend all possible facilities to pilgrims at designated airports during Haj flights operation.
In order to facilitate the pilgrims, all agencies including airlines, ASF, Immigration, Customs, Anti Narcotics, Airport Health and Haj Directorate will extend full co-operation and co-ordination. The Airport Managers have given their feedback and arrangements so far made for the Haj Operation. The CAA has also requested the general public to avoid visiting BBIA unnecessarily and visit the airport at as and when required basis to avoid unwanted crowd in the concourse hall and car park area.