Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has added 17 planes to its 165-aircraft fleet to help transport 1.2 million domestic and foreign pilgrims from approximately 100 destinations for the upcoming Hajj season, the airline has announced.
According to Saudia, the number of pilgrims it expects to transport this year has risen by about 10 percent when compared to 2018.
Saudia General Manager Saleh Al-Jasser said that the airline is currently working with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to ensure that Hajj pilgrims will be able to conduct their voyage smoothly and comfortably.
“We are exerting all efforts to provide the pilgrims with the best services within the goals and objectives of the kingdom’s Vision 2030,” he was quoted as saying by Saudi Gazette.
Al-Jasser added that the airline has extended a number of services to pilgrims, including the issuance of arrival and departure boarding passes before their travel date, which means that they will no longer have to come to a Saudia sales office to confirm their booking back home.
“We want the pilgrims not to worry about their air trips, but rather to focus on their worship,” he added.
Additionally, Al-Jasser said that the airline is screening films on-board that “guide the pilgrims on the correct methods of performing the pilgrimage in addition to distributing awareness booklets and pamphlets.”
Earlier in July, Indian budget carrier SpiceJet said it will operate 148 special flights for Hajj that will transport nearly 11,000 pilgrims from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir to Madinah and Jeddah.
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