SpiceJet to operate 37 special flights to Saudi Arabia for Haj pilgrims

SpiceJet on Thursday said it will operate 37 special flights between India and Saudi Arabia till July 31 for Indian Haj pilgrims who will visit Islamic pilgrimage sites in Mecca and Medina. “The special flights from Srinagar will depart for Medina between June 5 and June 20. Return flights from Jeddah to Srinagar are scheduled from July 15 to July 31,” the airline’s statement said. SpiceJet is the only Indian airline operating Haj flights this year, it claimed. “SpiceJet had in the past operated special Haj flights from Gaya and Srinagar, ferrying around 19,000 pilgrims to and from the holy pilgrimage,” it noted. The operation of special Haj flights is set to resume after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every year, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) invites tenders from airlines in India and Saudi Arabia for Haj charter flights from several stations in India to Jeddah/Medina and back to the respective stations. This year's designated stations include Bengaluru, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Lucknow, Srinagar, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai. This year, SpiceJet is the only Indian carrier operating these flights. Two other airlines – Saudia and LCC Flynas – have also been allowed to carry Haj passengers between the two nations.