Pakistan begins Hajj flights under ‘Mecca Route’ initiative

Islamabad: Pakistan started its Hajj flight operation as the first batch of pilgrims took off from the Islamabad International Airport on Monday morning. A second flight private airline flight carrying 220 intending pilgrims also left Lahore Airport for Medina.

The Pakistani pilgrims benefitted from the “Mecca Route” initiative which allows all immigration requirements to be completed at the airport of origin.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior launched the initiative in five countries, including Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and Bangladesh for the fourth year. The facilities include issuing the visa electronically and finalising passport procedures, verifying health requirements as well as tagging and sorting out luggage at the departure airports.

Pakistan will operate 42 flights under the Mecca Route initiative this year to transport 14,007 Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. These 42 flights will depart from the Islamabad airport. Around 106 special flights of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will be operated for around 32,000 pilgrims travelling on the government quota. The government scheme has fixed the return airfare at Rs181,000.

Saudi Arabia has allocated a quota of 81,132 pilgrims to Pakistan who will be able to perform the annual Hajj 2022. Over 32,000 would go under the government scheme and around 48,000 would travel through private operators. Saudi Arabia raised the number of Hajj pilgrims from inside and outside the kingdom to one million in 2022 after two years of pandemic restrictions.

Pakistan government has announced a subsidy of Rs150,000 ($750) for Pakistan pilgrims who will perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage this year under the government scheme. The federal cabinet has approved a subsidy of Rs150,000 per person for the government Hajj scheme reducing Hajj expenses from Rs860,000 to around Rs710,000 Pakistan’s religious affairs minister said.