ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said on Friday the first Hajj flight would depart from Islamabad on June 6, with 106 special flights to be operated by the government for around 32,000 pilgrims travelling on an official quota.
Saudi Arabia will let up to one million people join the Hajj pilgrimage this year, greatly expanding it to participants from outside the kingdom after two years of tight COVID restrictions.
Pilgrims to Makkah this year must be under age 65 and fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Pakistan has been allotted a quota of 81,132 pilgrims for this year’s Hajj, with 32,000 people using a government scheme and 48,000 travelling through private operators.
“The first Hajj flight will depart from Islamabad on June 6 and 32,000 pilgrims will be flown to Saudi Arabia via 106 Hajj flights,” the religious affairs ministry said in a statement on Friday.“42 flights to be operated from Islamabad under Makkah Route project.”
Under the Road to Makkah project, all immigration requirements of pilgrims are to be fulfilled at the airport of origin. This saves pilgrims several hours upon reaching the kingdom since they can just enter the country, having gone through immigration already at home. The project also includes other Muslim countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia.
Pakistan implemented a pilot project in 2019 at the Islamabad International Airport.
The ministry said pilgrims must present a negative COVID PCR test result conducted within 72 hours prior to travel.
“Hajj pilgrims will have to pay Rs 4,250 per PCR test,” the ministry said.
