January 14, 2002

'26'

HAJ FLIGHTS TO START TOMORROW

    All the arrangements are complete for this year’s Haj flights starting tomorrow. Nearly 70,000 pilgrims will be transported by the Government of India to Jeddah and back between January 15 and March 29 from a record number of ten cities in India. Three new embarkation points have been added this year – Lucknow, Kozhikode and Srinagar – to make travel of pilgrims from these regions more convenient. Addressing a press conference here today the Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said several new systems have been introduced and other existing systems improved to ensure smooth journey for the pilgrims.

    Air India will operate 92 flights each way to transport approximately 29.000 pilgrims from six cities – Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata and Kozhikode. Indian Airlines will operate 52 flights from Hyderabad and Srinagar to transport around 11,000 Haj pilgrims. Besides Air India and Indian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines will operate 104 flights to carry about 30,000 pilgrims from Ahmedabad, Delhi and Mumbai. While the flights from Delhi, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start tomorrow, flights from Srinagar will start on 20th, from Hyderabad on 17th , from Bangalore on 22nd , from Kolkata on 29th January and from Chennai on 1st February.

    Shri Shahnawaz Hussain said, control cells have been set up in all embarkation points in India and will function round-the clock. Control cells have also been set up in Saudi Arabia at Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah. He said, remote check-in is being introduced at Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata. Kozhikode, Lucknow and Hyderabad so that the Haj pilgrims are able to walk through the terminal building to the aircraft with just their hand baggage after being transported to the aircraft. Immigration and Customs formalities will be completed at the remote check-in area. He said, sixteen check-in counters will be provided at Jeddah to enable pilgrims to check-in simultaneously for any of the ten destinations in India.