Hajj flights start from Aug 16

Flights to take Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia will start from Aug 16 and carry them until 18 Sept, says Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon.

Return flights bringing pilgrims back will start from Sept 27 and continue until Oct 28, Menon told journalists after an inter-ministerial meeting on the Hajj at the secretariat.

A total of 101,758 pilgrims will go for Hajj from Bangladesh this year—10,000 on government packages and the rest on private arrangements.

Pilgrims had to pay up in advance because of the new electronic system introduced by the Saudi Arabian government for managing Hajj pilgrims.

The cabinet cleared the latest Hajj package on Dec 8 last. According to the package, pilgrims would have to book the government package by paying Tk 51,690 and the provate package by paying Tk 48,331.

The overall cost of the government package, called Package-1,  was fixed at Tk 3,54,745 and that of the private package, called Package-2, was finalised at Tk 2,96,206.

Menon said Saudia Airlines and Bangladesh Biman will handle 50 percent of the Hajj traffic and pilgrims will have to buy return ticket before travel.

"All concerned have been instructed to avoid any complications over tickets," he said.

The minister added that pilgrims will be able to carry two check-in luggages weighing 32 kgs and a hand baggage weighing 7 kg. But no single baggage for check-in should weigh more than 23 kgs.