KARACHI – A flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) brought back first 213 passengers from Saudi Arabia on Thursday as the South Asian country kick started its post-Hajj flight operations to facilitate over 83,000 pilgrims.
Up to one million pilgrims from across the world, including 81,132 from Pakistan, performed Hajj rituals this year as the kingdom expanded the capacity after two years of Covid pandemic.
The first Hajj flight, PK-740, landed at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore where they were welcomed by the station manager and other officials of the national carrier.
A spokesperson of PIA said that the national carrier will facilitate over 28,000 pilgrims in more than 154 post-Hajj flights.
Hundreds of flights of Airblue, Serene Air, and Saudi Airlines will also bring back pilgrims who went to the kingdom on the government’s scheme in nearly one-month-long operations.
Pilgrims who performed this year’s Hajj under the government scheme would be facilitated with their boarding cards and baggage before arriving at the airport, the spokesman said, adding that the initiative will be convenient for pilgrims.
The flight operation from Madina would start on July 18, Butt said, adding that the nearly one-month-long post-Hajj flight operation to bring more than 81,000 Pakistani pilgrims from Saudi Arabia would continue without any break till August 13.
Officials of religious affairs and interfaith harmony, the Civil Aviation Authority, and the airlines concerned will welcome the returning pilgrims, while five liters of Aab-e-Zam Zam would be provided to pilgrims upon their arrival at the airport.
Over one million Muslims gather in Arafat to perform main Hajj ritual
