JEDDAH: P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR ARABNEWS
Monday 17 September 2012
Saudi Arabian Airlines will transport more than 800,000 Haj pilgrims from 102 stations around the world this year, said Abdul Aziz Al-Hazmi, the airline’s deputy director general, yesterday.
Speaking to reporters after presiding over a meeting of the Council of Airline Companies, he said the council would work on facilitating the arrival and departure of pilgrims.
According to Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar, more than 1.8 milliON foreign pilgrims are expected to perform Haj this year. Some one million domestic pilgrims will join them.
“We are working in accordance with the government’s directives to ensure the pilgrims’ comfort and remove obstacles facing them,” said Al-Hazmi, who is the council chairman.
“The meeting was a good opportunity to review the implementation of previous decisions and discuss observations of various government departments and airlines,” he said.
Al-Hazmi emphasized the need to enlighten pilgrims against carrying huge baggage as it could delay their flights and disrupt the smooth operation of flights. He indicated that Saudi Arabian Airlines, or Saudia, would apply its new baggage rules on Haj pilgrims.
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Saudi Arabia