New Delhi makes 'hassle-free' Haj arrangements

Indian authorities yesterday claimed to have made 'foolproof' arrangements for this year's Haj in order to ensure that Indian pilgrims, who were greatly inconvenienced due to a multitude of problems encountered by them on their way back home last year, have a 'hassle-free' journey.

With first of the 168 special flights scheduled to leave tomorrow, serious doubts are already being raised about any dramatic improvement in the overall situation with their questionable decision to take on lease half a dozen aircraft from the relatively unknown Kampuchean Airlines after cancelling contract with the American Migos Aviation Group.

Migos was blamed for the miseries faced by the Indian pilgrims who were forced to remain unattended for upto three days due to delayed fights. Federal Civil Aviation Secretary A.H. Jung tried to justify selection of the Kampuchean Airlines, which is registered in Bangkok, after a global tender to this effect was issued, asserting that the Kampuchean Lockheed L1011 aircraft are much younger at the average age of 20 years, in stead of 28 years of Migos aircraft used last year.

"Besides quoting lowest fares, Kampuchean Airlines passed all other parameters discussed, while selecting this year's career," Jung told Gulf News yesterday. The decision to go for the Kampuchean Airlines planes was taken by a committee, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of External Affairs, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Central Haj Committee and Air-India.

Indian authorities are attaching much importance to the special arrangements they have entered this year with the Saudi Arabian Airlines, which would transport approximately 20,500 out of 72,000 pilgrims being sent by India's Central Haj Committee.

Since the Saudi Arabian Airlines would operate flights from Mumbai and Kochi directly to the holy city of Madinah and back, authorities here feel that this would leave them with enough scope to take care of the remaining 51,500 pilgrims at the overcrowded Jeddah airport.

"We have definitely learnt our lessons from last year's experience. The arrangements last year were somewhat inadequate," Federal Minister for Civil Aviation Sharad Yadav said. Yadav, who addressed a press conference at the newly created Haj Terminal at the local Indira Gandhi International Airport, announced a list of steps envisaged by his ministry to ensure that the Indian Haj pilgrims' journey this year is smooth.

These include adding Hyderabad as the eighth embarkation point, remote check-in to avoid congestion at the terminals, staggered check-in, installation of special X-ray machines to reduce the processing time, baggage transfer under bond and colour-coded stickers for easy .